Photo: Getty Images
K. Michelle quickly corrected an interviewer who claimed she "didn't grow up" in country music at the 2025 CMA Fest.
Michelle was featured in CMA Fest's American Songwriters video, during which several artists were interviewed about their past festival memories and upcoming music.
During her segment, Michelle, however, had to check an interview who implied that she was a newcomer to country music and "didn't grow up" around the genre.
“I did grow up in country music,” Michelle told the reporter. “I’m from Memphis, Tennessee. I got a scholarship for yodeling — that’s how I paid for college... I didn’t fly here — I grew here.”
The singer noted that her first recorded tape was a rendition of The Judds' "Love Can Build a Bridge," which she performed after being invited by the family to honor the late Naomi Judd. Still, Michelle said she was told early in her career that she didn't belong in country music because she was Black.
"You don’t hear a lot of women on contemporary [country] radio. And you really don’t hear a Black one,” Michelle said. “But you’re about to.”
During the interview, Michelle also previewed her upcoming country album, which she said leans into the genre's foundational sounds and is influenced by artists like Toby Keith, Alison Krauss, and The Judds.
“There’s a lot of, with everyone, pop-country going around, but my version is the version I grew up on,” she said, noting the project is “more leaning towards bluegrass.”
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