Hot on the heels of her appearance on NBC’s Songland and Lady Antebellum’s release of Champagne Night, Madeline Merlo is here with three brand new songs: Kiss Kiss, It Didn’t, and If You Never Broke My Heart.

The BC native turned Nashville resident has been putting in work since she made the move south, releasing tracks like Dear Me and Unraveling. But there’s something different about these ones, and we’ll get to that in a minute.

Related: Madeline Merlo Shines on a Champagne Night (NBC’s Songland)

First, let’s hit the new single, Kiss Kiss. Madeline chose this one to go to radio, and we can’t fault her for it one bit. In a Facebook post this week she said, “this song is about 1 broken hearted person finding another broken hearted person. its about pretending to be in love. it’s about how we get through it. this song is phase one of a heartbreak. ‘we’ll say it’s more than just a weekend rebound, it’s a lie but it’s a good one right now’“

Listen to Madeline Merlo’s new radio single, Kiss Kiss now!

Merlo has always given the writer, poet, diary, yoga, self-reflection vibe, and that bleeds into her career and her ability to write songs. I’m sure it can feel like a double-edged sword at times with ‘ahhh why do I need to feel this so deeply’ and ‘ahhh this story is going to work in a song’ feelings colliding and conflicting. But, as music fans and listeners, we’re glad that the songs and stories made it into the world.

In a press release, Madeline gave some background on Kiss Kiss, It Didn’t, and If You Never Broke My Heart. She said, “These songs are a reflection of the last two years living in Nashville, growing both personally and artistically. They are pages out of my diary and experiences of love lost, perspective, attitude and resilience. All three songs tell a different story and serve a different purpose in my catalogue. I’m so excited to let people in on the songs I have been writing and the creative process that went along with it.”

It’s impressive to see the thought that went into the three songs, not just in trying to tell a different story each time (which is much better than the alternative of telling the same story three times), but in understanding that they all serve their own purpose in the larger picture of Madeline Merlo’s career songbook.

We’re into it.

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The journey from Sinking Like A Stone and Honey Jack to these new songs has taken Madeline Merlo across Canada, down to Nashville, had highs and lulls and days, weeks, months, and years pass on the calendar. By no means is this the end or even the climax of that journey, but it’s important to take a look back once in a while to take stock of the accomplishments, hard work, stumbles, triumphs, and perseverance that it takes for any artist to keep going to achieve their goals. And when we look at that time, there’s a lot of great stuff to see.

Related: Neon Love, Madeline Merlo at Boots & Hearts 2018 + Interview

We can’t wait to see what comes next from Madeline Merlo. We’re hopeful that they are part of an album in the (not too distant) future. And we’re glad that country music fans are getting new songs from the singer-songwriter.

Hit play to listen to It Didn’t and If You Never Broke My Heart now and add them to your favourite playlists as we kickstart the weekend.

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Joshua Murray

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Trish Cassling

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