Madeline Merlo

Madeline Rae Merlo was born on February 9, 1994, in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada. Her early life was influenced by music, and she developed a passion for performing after singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” at a public school talent show. Throughout high school, Merlo performed in a band and participated in musical theatre productions, continuously working to improve her vocal skills. The experience of attending a Shania Twain concert inspired her to pursue a career in country music, seeing a path for a Canadian woman from a small town to achieve success.

Merlo began her professional career early, engaging in songwriting trips to Nashville at the age of 16. She signed a record deal at 18, leading to her debut single “Sinking Like a Stone” in 2014, which charted on Billboard Canada Country for twenty weeks. In 2015, she was recognized with the CCMA Rising Star award and the BCCMA Female Artist of the Year. Her debut album, “Free Soul,” was released in 2016, featuring singles like “Whatcha Wanna Do About It” and “Motel Flamingo,” both reaching the top ten of the Billboard Canada Country chart. Her career also includes an acting role as Nancy Taylor in the 2016 musical film “Country Crush” and contributing the singing voice for Sonata Dusk in “My Little Pony: Equestria Girls – Rainbow Rocks Animated” in 2014.

In 2020, Merlo won the first episode of the second season of NBC’s “Songland” with her song “Champagne Night,” which became a Platinum-certified number one hit for Lady A. This success led to her signing a U.S. record deal with BBR Music Group in Nashville in 2021. She released the extended play “Slide” in 2022 and contributed backing vocals to Cole Swindell’s single “She Had Me at Heads Carolina.” Her 2023 single “Tim + Faith” became her first top five hit on the Billboard Canada Country chart. In 2024, she released “Broken Heart Thing” featuring Dustin Lynch and the EP “One House Down (from the Girl Next Door).” She was nominated for “Female Artist of the Year” at the 2024 Canadian Country Music Awards and won “Musical Collaboration of the Year” with Dustin Lynch at the 2025 CCMA Awards.