Courtney Hadwin Looks Back at AGT Audition, How Far She’s Come

It’s hard to believe that it’s been seven years since 13 year old Courtney Hadwin first took the AGT Stage, singing Otis Redding’s “Hard to Handle.” The memorable audition led to the 13 year old earning Howie Mandel’s Golden Buzzer.

Now, seven years later, Hadwin is preparing to release her debut album. While looking back, the singer is able to see the growth she’s made as an artist.

“I think when your that age and introduced to the music world, it’s very big and scary and you kinda let the people in the suits tell you what to do and how to do it,” she said to SOUNDSPHERE. “I feel I’ve finally got to the stage where I trust my judgement, and don’t let people walk all over me, I know who I am as an artist, and I know why I love music, and why I want to create it!”

During her time on AGT, Hadwin was often compared to Janis Joplin and James Brown. While many may see comparisons as stress-inducing, Hadwin took it as a compliment.

“If I didn’t find James Brown on YouTube I’d have no clue what I would be doing right now in music or not in music,” she said. “This kind of music was like opening another door into my crazy life.”

Courtney Hadwin Releases Single “Spellbound”

The America’s Got Talent star recently made headlines for her February release, “Spellbound.” She is also set to release her long-awaited debut album later this year. Hadwin’s single features a raw, punk-rock energy, which was originally not planned on Hadwin’s newest album.

“I flew to Minneapolis thinking we had our album, we had our singles and then at the end of our trip we had 2-3 days left, so we said let’s write some stuff!” she said. “Back home I was kinda going through a situationship, it wasn’t healthy and was quite toxic. I was really ignoring the red flags because I was that smitten over them, and that definitely became the meaning of the song.”

Hadwin’s newest album was produced by Grammy-winning producer, Kevin Bowe. For those who may not know, Bowe also worked with Etta James and Joe Cocker.

“I didn’t want to create an album where every song sounds the same and I feel A LOT of albums out there are like that,” Hadwin said. “I could positively say every single one of my songs from the album were options for singles: every song has its own sound and meaning. I’ve been writing this album for a few years now, and I’ve grown up with this album writing and recording.”

She Took Time off From the Industry

To really find herself ahead of this project, Hadwin had to take some time off from the industry. She explained that she was stuck in a constant battle of “everyone around me telling me what I should sound like and who I should be,” while also working with writers who didn’t understand her love of music.

Now, instead of creating songs that she can’t relate to, Hadwin is releasing her debut album. This album is filled with her most vulnerable music yet.

“All of my songwriting comes through personal experience! I feel so vulnerable putting this album out as it’s the most personal I’ve ever been with songwriting!” she said. “When I was 14 getting put into writing sessions, being told what to write about, and all I was able to say was ‘oh I love my dog’ – It’s just not great. I needed to grow up and live my life, and experience things to be able to write the songs I now have.”

At this time, Courtney Hadwin’s newest album does not have an exact release date. Fans can stay connected with the singer on social media to learn about her upcoming album’s release.