Madilyn Paige, the 21-year-old former contestant on the sixth season of NBC’s The Voice, recently released her album, Anymore, which was produced by Shadow Mountain Records. Speaking to Deseret News about the album that was almost three years in the making, she said, “I knew I wanted to put out music that was relevant and current sounding, but that had a good, positive message that could help people.”
As she travels about performing for youth groups, she often hears stories of struggles with insecurities and depression. It is those stories combined with her personal life experiences that inspired her new seven-song album.
Even at her young age, Madilyn has had plenty of life experiences to write about. At the age of 16, she began her short-lived journey on The Voice as a member of Team Usher, advancing to become one of the top-20 finalist. In early 2015, her self-titled debut EP was released. She also auditioned and received a golden ticket for the 15th season of American Idol but was eliminated during Hollywood Week.
Deseret News reports, “Through her experiences and the inspiration of others, ‘Anymore’ results in a thoughtful album that takes listeners through the struggles from not feeling good enough, to trying to fight through mistakes, to working together and changing to become better. Each of the songs on the album has a story behind them and a personal meaning to Madilyn which she shared with Deseret News.
With the song “Perfection,” she wanted to address what she refers to as the “illusion of perfection” that is often portrayed in social media. The idea of perfection is something that Madilyn has struggled with for years. She said, “So many of us, especially the youth, feel this need to look perfect, be perfect and have perfect lives. On social media … it looks like everybody around us is living perfect lives. We just get this obsession with perfection.” The song is a daily reminder to everyone that regardless of the negative impact of social media, each of us is “already worth it.”
For the title track, “Anymore,” Madilyn decided to collaborate with the runner-up on season seven of American Idol, David Archuleta. She had performed a duet with David on the song “Seasons” on his 2017 album, Postcards in the Sky. Feeling that the message of the song was inspired and one that needed to be heard, she was also impressed that it should be sung as a duet and was overjoyed that David decided to record the track with her. She said, “We wanted to have a song on the album that could help people heal. No matter what, you can always change, you can always become better. Your past does not define you.”
Madilyn told Deseret News that she has seen the hand of God working in her lifetime and time again as she has learned to acknowledge Him in all areas of her life and have allowed Him to direct her paths. As a result, she has been blessed in her life beyond measure. That is why the third track, “Scribbles” is such a powerful song in her life and the song that she considers to be the heart of the album.
The song, “One Day at a Time” was influenced by family and friends. She wrote the main hook of the song several years ago. She said that it is a song about hope to remind us all that no matter how tough things may get in life, we can get through any situation if we remember to take life one day at a time.
“Riptide” is the “power anthem” of the album. Deseret News describes it as “a fun, catchy, upbeat song geared toward girls and unity.” Madilyn commented, “There’s so much division in the world. It is so easy to compare and feel like you’re competing with others, but we’re so much stronger and so much more powerful when we work together.”
The sixth track, “Anonymous,” is a song about the “heroes for other people” who may not be known by name per se, but who are deserving of recognition.
The final track on the album, “Shine,” is described as a Latin rhythm-inspired song that encourages individual worth. Madilyn told Deseret News, “We’re all different and unique in our own way and we all shine in our own way. One of the biggest issues is self-esteem and self-confidence that I’ve discovered as I’ve been talking to youth and performing for youth. It has been one of the greatest struggles in my own life. … ‘Shine’ and ‘Perfect’ encompass this message of ‘you are beautiful the way you are.’”
Madilyn Paige is blessed to be able to do what she loves – write songs that inspire and uplift, and to have people listen to her message. She said, “. . .. it’s so easy to not feel good enough with all these media influences out there. . .. I think right now is such an important time for youth to hear these lessons.”
