Taryn Papa Seamlessly Bridges Classic To Contemporary Country

New single with Zack Dyer: "No One’s Gonna Love You (Like I Do)''

Recently, I found myself rapidly ascending twenty-seven floors to the Westin Hotel’s aptly-named L27, a rooftop lounge that describes itself as the ‘ideal retreat to unwind, sip and savor.’  

I was lucky enough to score an invite to their Chalet 27 ‘pop-up experience’ featuring their special February resident, Taryn Papa. I had been following her career for a couple of years now and it was the perfect opportunity for us to see her live. I brought a media friend of mine (a songwriter-artist who loves great music) and we were not disappointed!

As soon as Taryn hit the stage with her genre crossing power-soaked vocals, she kicked it off with her version of "Any Man of Mine," a mid-90s stormer from Shania Twain.  She definitely read the crowd right as she sang to the ladies in the house. One of the artists that made her fall in love with country music was Martina McBride. Taryn's version of Martina’s "This One's For The Girls" and Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" got us all clapping and hollering.

Catching her breath for a moment, Taryn asked if we had any requests.  My songwriter friend asked for a Loretta Lynn song and, yes, she did it flawlessly. As she danced the audience through decades of songs, it was like living inside a radio. Taryn's brought us songs from Melissa Etheridge, Little Big Town, Carly Pearce, Lady A, Jason Aldean, Taylor Swift and belted out a mashup with a Nicki Minaj song.

She showed us her storytelling side by intertwining stories from her past that helped shape who she is as an artist and a songwriter today. At sixteen, she had formed her own band performing her influences in her teens like Pat Benatar and Kelly Clarkson for audiences in the Northeast. 

Between gigs, she'd spend hours at her grandfather's piano; he taught her how to play starting when she was seven years old. Those teenage gigs sharpened her vocals to a powerful point, and she spent the hours between shows taking hold of nearly every aspect of her career, from designing her own merchandise to booking her own shows to writing original songs.

Taryn sang the first song she ever wrote when she moved to Nashville. Titled "Persuaded," it appeared on her debut album AWAKE.  Those songwriting skills take center stage on the record, Taryn's first release following her successful run on Season 19 of NBC's The Voice. She co-wrote every song on the EP. Her vocals sharpened by thousands of hours spent onstage, she turned AWAKE into a celebration of the good things in life: new love, old thrills, and the joy of surrendering your heart to a worthy partner. With AWAKE, she's created a pitch-perfect soundtrack for the ride.

Her new single from the album is a song on which Zack Dyer joins her called "No One’s Gonna Love You (Like I Do)'' I absolutely LOVE IT!

"I've put so much of my life into my music," says Taryn, "and a responsibility to those who didn't get out of their hometown. I want to succeed for them. I want to share our story through my music." Well said lady!

Her music can be found at Apple Music, Pandora, YouTube Music, Spotify and all streaming platforms.

Follow Taryn Papa on her website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok.