Ten years ago, Emily Ann Roberts was a high schooler finding her footing on national television. At just 16, she was named the runner-up on season nine of The Voice, a feat she achieved with the help of her coach, Blake Shelton.
Videos by American Songwriter
In the decade that followed, Roberts put out her debut album (2023’s Can’t Hide Country), toured with Shelton and others, and continued to pursue her dreams of a career in country music.
That all led her here, to a point where she’s ready to reintroduce herself to the world with her new EP, Memory Lane. Out now, the release is meant to give listeners more insight into who Roberts is today.
“I released my debut record a couple years back. That truly was my introduction to the world and country music,” Roberts told American Songwriter. “When I started this second one… I started thinking about this record like a second date. When you first meet somebody and you’re introducing yourself, you put your best foot forward and have your guard up a little bit. With a second date or third date, you really let your guard down and you let them into more of who you are.”
Emily Ann Roberts Discusses Memory Lane
Roberts was able to do just that by co-writing each of the seven tracks on the album.
“There’s so much joy in getting to have an idea,” she said. “It’s nothing when it starts—it’s just an idea, it doesn’t exist—and then you’re able to sit down, and put your head together with other creative people, and then this song is born.”
On Memory Lane, those songs are all unapologetically country, albeit each in their own way. There’s the carefully crafted lyrics of “Jack and Jill Daniels,” the boot-stomping beat on “Scratching Out a Living,” and the “Goodbye Earl” vibe on “Bus to Augusta.”
Equally, the EP doesn’t have Roberts trying to emulate anyone else. She leaned all the way into what makes her, her. That’s especially true on “Pretty in Pink,” a feminine fueled romp that makes no apologies for being so.
Roberts got the idea for the “left of center” track when she decided to embrace feeling great in her favorite pink dress after years of being told that she should dress and act “like one of the guys.”
“I would sit in a writer’s room and write these bad girl, tough girl songs. When I started to lean into what I feel prettiest in and what I feel most confident in… I realized I am not one of the tough girls,” she said. “I’m tough in my own way, but I’m very tenderhearted and I am not one of the guys. That’s OK. That makes me, me.”
That realization wound up spawning other songs on both her EP and forthcoming LP, with Roberts noting, “It’s been very inspiring for me to lean into a softer, and more tenderhearted, and vulnerable, feminine side of what I do and the music that I make.”
Emily Ann Roberts Looks Back on The Voice
Accessing those emotions, penning those lyrics, and putting out this EP are all things that Roberts believes wouldn’t have been possible without her time on The Voice.
“I feel like I’ve been drinking from a fire hose since the day I stepped on that stage to do my Blind Audition, and it has been an incredible journey,” she said. “I think what I’m most grateful for is that it did not end 10 years ago, but it was just the launching pad to give me a leg to stand on in this business and give me the confidence that I needed to actually believe that this dream could be a reality.”
Roberts’ dream-turned-reality is thanks in large part to Shelton, who has remained a mentor to her in the decade since the show.
“He offered for me to come out on the road with him for the Back to the Honky Tonk Tour in 2024,” Roberts said. “I had been praying for an opportunity to go out on a tour with somebody and support an artist for so long. When Blake offered, I thought, ‘Man, this feels so full circle. All these years later, he is still reaching out a helping hand.’”
What’s Next for Emily Ann Roberts
After gaining invaluable experience from that opening gig—and others for artists including Megan Moroney and Cody Johnson—Roberts is ready to set off on her own.
She started doing just that this year and fans’ response to her sets have left her feeling “blown away.” So much so that Roberts quipped, “If it’s the last thing I do, I’m doing a headlining tour in 2026.”
With the thought of more success to come, Roberts is ready to face 2026 head on.
“I think the future is bright. I’m trying to lean into that more and more,” Roberts said, before expanding on that thought in the way she does best—through her music.
“There’s a song that I have not released—I haven’t even teased it—but it’s one that I think will be on this next album. It’s called ‘Hopes Up,’” she said. “… I have spent so much of my life kind of afraid to get my hopes up, and I’m finally at a place where I’m looking forward to the future, and choosing to say, ‘No, I’m not going to be afraid to get my hopes up. I’m not gonna be afraid to be excited for something in fear that I might get let down. I’m gonna live with my walls down and my hopes up.’”
Photos by Matthew Berinato
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.