Formerly known as the lead vocalist of the chart-topping trio Runaway June, Naomi Cooke Johnson kickstarted her highly-anticipated solo career TODAY (June 23rd) with the release of “Girls Of Summer.”
Featuring “powerhouse vocals, a fiery attitude and an irresistibly upbeat tempo,” Naomi’s first solo song officially hit all music streaming platforms this morning, and we have seriously had it on repeat ever since it dropped at midnight.
Having co-written some of Runaway June’s biggest songs, including the smash hit “Buy My Own Drinks,” the Virginia native is ready to embark on her own adventure under BMG/BBR Music Group.
In a recent press release from her management company, Red Light Management, Naomi gushed, “I could not be more excited to be back with BMG/BBR Music Group… The teams in Nashville and around the world are unparalleled. They have fully embraced my vision, identity and the music I am creating… this time as Naomi Cooke Johnson.”
In an exclusive interview, the talented singer-songwriter gave Celeb Secrets reporter Melanie Rooten the full rundown surrounding her rising solo career, as well as her hot new track, “Girls Of Summer.”
When asked what it has been like leaving Runaway June and beginning her solo career, Naomi Cooke Johnson revealed to us, “It’s just felt like a long time coming. It was honestly such a powerful feeling.”
“When I was writing music before, we were telling stories in a different platform, you know, and it was kind of like we were all three telling stories that we all three could really relate to. Now it’s like I’m able to really talk about my childhood and the things that I’ve been through, completely unbridled [and] completely unfiltered in a lot of ways, so I mean, it’s intoxicating, honestly,” Naomi gushed.
The budding songstress continued, “I’m a little bit of a wild person and I like, wild people. I like kind of things that are provocative, so it’s been really fun to be able to be myself, really like fully me, and also bringing a visual side to the music that I wasn’t ever able to really dip into fully.”
“It’s so important now the way that people consume music. They really want a visual aspect and it’s been really fun to expand my creativity in that way,” she concluded with a smile, promising even more visuals in the near future.
Fortunately, “Girls Of Summer” is just a tiny glimpse into TONS of new tunes that Naomi has on the way, marking a brand new era for her as an individual.
Red Light Management describes the hot new track as “a bombastic celebration of carefree fun with a chosen family of friends,” as well as “the first taste of new music from the solo artist.”
“Soon to follow are songs chronicling her childhood years of homeschooling and living on a renovated school bus to her current life as a working mom with a brand new baby,” and we seriously can’t wait to hear them for ourselves.
When asked why she decided to make “Girls Of Summer” her first release as a solo artist, Naomi spilled to Celeb Secrets, “I’ve written like, I don’t know, 70 or 80 songs for this record [and] this one kind of felt like the right one because obviously it’s summertime, but it’s like, you know, I’m talking about the girls of summer, but I’m also revealing myself in the song.”
“It’s like talking that like I’m also a girl of summer. I’m also like the woman that I’m talking about, so that’s kind of why it felt right to lead with this one… It’s reintroducing myself in a sense, as well as, you know, capturing this like feeling of freedom and magic and femininity and, you know, all the summer like wonderful things,” she concluded.
@naomicookejohnsonMy debut solo single “Girls Of Summer” will be out June 23! I’ve been working really hard for more than a year making new music and it’s been a wild ride that I’m about to invite you on once again. A couple months ago a good friend of mine asked me what my new music sounded like. My first instinct was to rattle off the 7 or 8 influences that I pull from coupled with my own songwriting tendencies blah, blah, blah, but instead I found myself saying, “it sound like sports, sex and America.” If you’ve been here waiting I want to thank you with all of my heart. I promise I’ll make it worth the wait and if you’re just getting here – hop on in and buckle up. I’m Naomi Cooke Johnson. #newmusic #girlsofsummer #countrymusic
♬ Girls Of Summer – Naomi Cooke Johnson
As a solo artist, Naomi Cooke Johnson has BIG plans for the future, and she is determined to make her mark within the country music industry as a whole.
“I feel like there’s a lot of people right now not really being sung to in our genre,” Naomi dished to us, ready to make a change.
“Even like as a performer and in my band prior, it was like we would get out there and perform and we performed so many shows and I always felt like even though we had a fan base, that there was a lot of people there at the shows that were not really being sung to… They were there for a good time and like they liked the music, but I didn’t see them go, ‘That’s me,'” she continued passionately.
“I felt like when I was making this record and writing the new songs that I was speaking to those people,” and we wholeheartedly agree. With just one song out for the world to hear and many more to come, Naomi’s new tunes are about to make a HUGE difference within the country music space.
As a whole, “my goal with this music is to like bring back, you know, some like womanness I guess,” the talented singer-songwriter revealed to Celeb Secrets.
Naomi continued, “Growing up it was like the Dixie Chicks and Shania [Twain] and Faith [Hill] and like all these mature women that just had so much sex appeal… I do feel like there’s a little bit of that missing, even though there’s some wonderful female artists that are just killing it out there, so I think that’s my goal is to try to sing to those people.”
“I’m unfolding my branding and I’m unfolding who I am. I’m unfolding this all-American kind of nineties-infused influence back into the music. You know, I wanna make music that I miss listening to, so it’s kind of like a tougher Shania,” she concluded with a smirk.
Until we can stream even more new music from the budding solo artist, it is safe to say we will have “Girls Of Summer” on repeat until further notice…
To learn about ALL of the new tunes Naomi Cooke Johnson has on the way, check out our exclusive interview below.
Do you like what you see? If so, be sure to connect with Naomi on social media so you do not miss a single update — Instagram @naomicookejohnson, Twitter @naomicookej and TikTok @naomicookejohnson.
Afterwards, leave a reaction at the bottom of the post to let us know what you think of “Girls Of Summer,” and/or send us a tweet at @celebsecrets to share your opinions — We want to hear from you!
LISTEN TO “GIRLS OF SUMMER” HERE:
For more Country news, visit CelebSecretsCountry.com.
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