Miss Gabby Samone needs no introduction.
WATCH: Gabby Samone opens for Eric Benet Saturday
She’s the young woman with a voice that stole hearts on American Idol — but behind that power is someone who still calls herself… shy.
“I still am a little shy, yeah,” she admits. “I grew up in a big family, so I’m myself around them, but around a bunch of people I’m not used to? I can get a little introverted.” When she sings, you forget the shyness.
Her performances on Idol—especially her renditions of Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey classics—were electric. But now, she’s stepping into a new chapter: unveiling her own sound.
“This is about me… my artistry. I’ve had trouble being vulnerable, but my music? It’s extremely vulnerable. It’s about my life. I can’t wait to share that with y’all.”
Her sound? Rooted in R&B, but layered with a little hip-hop, soul, and a lot of vulnerability and raw emotion.
“I’ve got a little bit of everything for y’all.”
Samone’s roots run deep in West Baltimore.
“I’m from Edmondson Avenue. I bring the rawness, the rough edges. That’s in my music.”
She doesn’t just speak of Baltimore—she lives it. Her story is intertwined with place, pride, and authenticity.
“It’s extremely important I share where I come from," Samone said. " We’re so authentic. There’s nobody like us. I’ll rep Baltimore ‘til the day I die.”
What makes her more than just a voice is her pen. She writes from scars, from hope, from the in-between spaces of life. Her lyrics invite you inside and now she's found the confidence to pour that vulnerability right into her music.
She says going deeper has made her grow as an artist and as a better version of herself.
"I spill my guts on my songs, so it's about to be heard by a lot of people and I think that's the most nerve-wracking part, but I'm excited all in all," she said. "It's really less nerves and more excitement. I've gained a sense of confidence and self love and self-worth."
On Saturday September 27, Samone will be opening for four-time Grammy nominee Eric Benet and she's putting on another live performance at The Tin Pan in Richmond, Virginia on October 1.
