From the raw streets of Baltimore to the national spotlight as an American Idol Top 7 finalist, Gabby Samone has proven herself a formidable force in music. With a voice that blends soul, gospel, and raw authenticity, she has captivated icons like Mariah Carey and J. Cole while building a fiercely loyal following. But beyond the viral moments and acclaim is an artist on a powerful journey of self-discovery, learning strength through vulnerability. She’s not just performing songs; she’s sharing her truth, one powerful note at a time.
Urban Magazine sits down with Gabby Samone to discuss her roots, her meteoric rise, and the electrifying homecoming that awaits. This is the voice of a new generation, entirely on her own terms.
You grew up in Baltimore and now perform on some of the country’s biggest stages. How has your hometown shaped your artistry?
Oh my gosh, my hometown has shaped my artistry. First of all, Baltimore is just so raw, and I think it’s just so different from a lot of other cities. And I think that’s how it shaped me. I’m myself. I’m different. I’m raw. And I’m just a little edgy and a little rough around the edges. And I think that comes out in my music. And even when I do covers, I think just the raw authenticity comes out through my music and the way I sing songs.
Your first major spotlight came in 2021 with your performance of “Go the Distance” for Disney. What do you remember most about that experience?
I remember—oh my goodness. So I remember doing my first—it was my first video shoot. And I was extremely, extremely, extremely sick during that time. And I had to push through, and I realized how strong I was because I felt so bad during my first video shoot. And I pushed through, and everybody was so proud of me during that time. It was just a lot of fun, even though I was so sick.
But that’s a moment that sticks out to me. In this industry, you have to push through no matter how you feel and no matter what’s going on.
You have said Jennifer Hudson is one of your inspirations. How did it feel to appear on her show so early in your career?
It was really surreal. I grew up watching Jennifer Hudson, and I’m a huge fan of hers. And for her to—I was in rehearsal actually, when she reached out to me and my team. And it really shocked me. But I think it was just the start, and it was just a launching pad for my career. She really helped me.
She’s really down to earth, extremely down to earth. And even when I went on to my *American Idol* journey, I asked her—she said, just reach out to me. I asked her about going on a show, and she said, just go for it. And I think that relationship has really helped me, just with my confidence and just going for things.
Your version of Mariah Carey’s “My All” went viral on TikTok. What did that moment mean for you, and how did it change your career path?
Well, first of all, Mariah Carey reposted the video, and that was crazy to me. I love Mariah Carey. I didn’t expect that to go as crazy as it did. But that was wild. The way my supporters reacted to that cover was really crazy to me. And just seeing how—just seeing her react to it and her showing love to me was very special to me.
Several major artists have praised your work, from Fantasia to Missy Elliott. What has been the most surprising message of support you’ve received?
The most surprising message is probably from J. Cole. J. Cole—he followed me, he liked my things, and J. Cole is a busy man, but he was open to just working with me, and he’s extremely down to earth. So, I think that was just the most surprising thing, surprising that they reached out to me.
You have just wrapped up your first headlining tour with shows in New York, Boston, Atlanta, and Philadelphia. What did you learn most about yourself as a performer, being on the road?
I learned that I can be open. I’m extremely closed off. So, performing in front of people, especially in an intimate space like that, I had to be open. I had to be vulnerable. I had to tell some of my business. And I learned that I can do that. I learned that it’s important. I learned that I want to do that now. I learned that I want to inspire people. I want to help people out. And that’s something that I really learned and that I worked on—the more that I performed and the more cities that I went to, the more I worked on that. And I just became way more open with my story and with the people.
On September 27th, you will open for Eric Benét in Baltimore. What does that opportunity represent for you, especially performing back home?
Well, I am so excited to be performing, to be opening up for Eric Benét. He’s an R&B legend. And I love his voice. I love everything about his voice. I love R&B. And to be opening up for an R&B legend is extremely special to me because I am an R&B artist. And to be doing it in front of my family and my friends is very… It’s special to me. It’s special to me because they get to see a different side of me. They’re not going to see the little Gabby. I feel like I’m the youngest of eight. I’m the youngest first cousin.
And this is a big platform. And they see me in a different light. They see me as Gabby Samone. They don’t see me as my little cousin or my little sister. They see me as the artist Gabby Samone. So it’s really special.
Your music blends gospel, R&B, pop, and soul. How do you balance honoring tradition while creating something new?
I am a huge ‘90s R&B fan. I grew up in the church. And I grew up listening to hip-hop and all of that. I feel like I just take a bit of everything. And I take what I have gone through. And I just put it in a song. I write about it. And I feel like I do it my own way. I feel like I put myself into these different genres. And I make it me. I don’t try to copy off of anybody. I feel like it’s really important to have a fresh new sound. But I also feel like it’s important to be who you are. And all of those things are who I am.
The industry often puts young artists under pressure. What has helped you stay grounded as your platform continues to grow?
My family and my support system have helped me stay grounded. They pray for me. They talk to me. They love on me. I have a big family.
And I have an amazing team that loves me, too. So I think it’s very important to have a team like that and to also have your family to support you. So they’ve been my biggest support system.
Lastly, looking ahead, what can fans expect from you in the next year? New music, collaborations, perhaps another tour?
You definitely can expect new music actually soon—in the near future. I don’t have a date yet, but music will definitely be dropping soon before the end of this year. So, I’m excited about that.
And hopefully more tours. I had so much fun on this one, on this last tour. I can’t wait to share what I’ve learned and just implement everything that I’ve learned into this next tour. So yeah, hopefully more tours and all of that.
Be’n Original
