Gabby Barrett's a force to be reckoned with. After her third-place finish on American Idol Season 16, the singer found herself rejected by Nashville's record labels -- but she wasn't about to be deterred.

Barrett hustled, spending much of her free time writing and networking. She released her debut single, "I Hope, independently ... and then watched it rise up the charts. The vengeful, but wildly catchy, post-breakup song helped Barrett earn a record deal with Warner Music Nashville. Then, it became her No. 1 song.

Hard work is hardly a foreign concept to Barrett, who's been working her way to stardom since she was a little kid growing up in Pennsylvania. Now, she's got her debut album out to the world, is the 2021 ACM New Female Artist of the Year and is poised for more success to come.

Want to know more about Barrett's path to Music City? Read on:

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