| Reyna Roberts | |
| Birth Place: | Anchorage, Alaska |
| Occupation: | Pop/Country Singer |
| Known For: | "Stompin' Grounds" |
| Website: | https://www.reynaroberts.com/ |
Reyna Roberts is an American country singer-songwriter and pianist. She is known for her July 2020 debut single, "Stompin' Grounds" as well as multiple appearances on NFL's Monday Night Football.
One of the few visible Black women in country music, Roberts is known for advocating for "acknowledging the past" of country music, which includes acknowledging Black artist mentors such as Lesley Riddle, and learning the history of the banjo and the term "Music City" for Nashville.[1]
Roberts was born in Alaska and raised in Alabama and California. Both of her parents were combat engineers in the Army.[2] She was born two months premature, weighing two pounds; when her family heard that she might have cognitive, physical, visual and vocal developmental issues, they used music to aid her brain development.[3] [4]
The first time Roberts performed music was at the age of three, when her mother took her to a karaoke bar in Alaska.[4] When she was 10 years old, her family lost their home but paid for a storage unit to store her piano so Roberts could continue practicing the instrument. She continued playing in the family storage unit for three years.[5]
Roberts moved with her parents multiple times in her childhood, living in Alaska, Alabama, Tennessee and California.[6] Their move to California was to further her music career, not because of her parents' work.[2]
Throughout high school Roberts competed on her high school wrestling team, and she began songwriting to woo the captain of the team.[7] [3] She recorded the resulting song, "Lying to Myself," in 2014.[6] In 2016, she released the EP "The Beginning," which included the song "I'm Coming For Ya" and went on the Spring High School Nation Tour. She toured around the U.S. and opened for the Plain White T's.[8]
Roberts lived in Nashville and Los Angeles from 2018 to 2020, going to songwriting camps to learn the craft and network with other songwriters and artists, and she met her current managers, Ryan McMahan and Larry Pareigis, during this period. She permanently relocated to Nashville in March 2020.[9] [10]
In June 2020, country-music singer Mickey Guyton posted a video of Roberts performing a cover of Carrie Underwood's song "Drinking Alone"; Carrie Underwood retweeting the video gave Roberts industry recognition and starting traction in the country-music business.[5] [11] In July 2020, Roberts released "Stompin' Grounds," which was co-written and produced by Noah Henson.[12]
Roberts joined CMT's Next Women in Country 2021 class along with Ashland Craft, Priscilla Block, Brittney Spencer, Hannah Dasher, MacKenzie Porter, Harper Grae, Tenille Arts, Sacha, and Chapel Hart.[13] [14] In March 2021, she was named one of RADIO.COM's "Leading Ladies" of Country Music.[15]
She toured with Jamey Johnson on his 2021 summer tour, opening for him in seven cities in the Deep South.[16] In August, she performed in her first festival in Washington State at the Watershed Fest.[17]
In August 2021, Roberts signed on with Nashville-based publishing company Eclipse Music Group.[18] In October 2021, Roberts was featured in Amazon Music's "Breakthrough Country Live" initiative.[19] In June 2024, Roberts' "Raised Right" was nominated in the Country (Crossover) category for the Hollywood Independent Music Awards.[20]
In April 2024 Roberts was featured on Beyoncé's eighth studio album Cowboy Carter, both on the second track, a cover of The Beatles' "Blackbiird", and sang background vocals on the 25th track "Tyrant".[21] On April 7, 2024 she speak onstage on CMT Music Awards. On May 28, 2024 Roberts auditioned at the America's Got Talent season 19.[22] [23]
In addition to her music career, Roberts has raised money for military service members and veterans, as well as Rett Syndrome Awareness, The Wounded Warrior Project, Teen Impact Affiliates, and the Empowerment Project.[18] [24] She and her family are in the process of founding an organization to support homeless veterans.[25]
Roberts has cited Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Gretchen Wilson, Rihanna and Beyoncé among her musical influences.[15] [26] The singer also explained that she grown up listening to Christina Aguilera, Destiny's Child, Gretchen Wilson and The Chicks.[27]
After moving to Nashville in 2020, Roberts has written and performed with the likes of Jamey Johnson.[3]
| Title | Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bad Girl Bible, Vol. 1 | Release date: September 8, 2023 Label: EMPIRE Nashville[28] | |
| The Lost Files | Release date: September 23, 2024 [29] |
| Title | Details | Collaborators | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Lying to Myself"[30] | Release date: 2016 | |||
| "67 (Winchester)" | Release date: January 31, 2019 | |||
| "Stompin' Grounds" | Release date: July 24, 2020 Distributed by Orchard/Sony | Noah Henson – co-writer | Used by ESPN in their Monday Night Football broadcasts[31] Included in ESPN'S "Grind Mode" playlist on Spotify | |
| "Raised Right" | Release date: August 27, 2021 | Danny Myrick - co-writer Kylie Sackley - co-writer | ||
| "Countdown to Victory"[32] | Release date: October 15, 2021 | Noah Henson - co-writer | Written for ESPN in their Monday Night Football broadcast (Buffalo Bills vs. Tennessee Titans on October 18, 2021)[33] |
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | People's Choice Country Awards | "Blackbiird" | The Collaboration Song of 2024 | [34] | |
| The Cover Song of 2024 |