Originally from New Zealand, Kaylee Bell is redefining what it means to be an independent force in country music while carving out an international career. Her breakout single, “Keith,” earned a place on Billboard, while the viral anthem “BOOTS” climbed into New Zealand’s Top 20 pop radio. With more than 60 million streams and accolades including CMA’s Global Country Artist Award and Countrytown’s Female Artist of the Year, Bell has taken her songs from intimate stages to arenas alongside Ed Sheeran and Kane Brown, proving her artistry resonates far beyond the country genre.
Now, with her forthcoming album “Cowboy Up” set for release September 26, Bell doubles down on the energy and spirit that have carried her this far. The project captures both the fire of arena-ready songs and the tenderness of personal storytelling, embodying grit, empowerment, and the modern cowgirl mindset. Bell opens up about the freedom of independence, the influence of performing in stadiums alongside superstars, and the vulnerable side of songwriting that has only deepened since becoming a mother.
“Cowboy Up” is like both a rallying cry and a mindset. Was there a particular moment that made you realize this album needed to exist in exactly this form?
I wrote this album with the same amount of sass I wanted to portray when we play this album live. The end goal for me is to play these songs in stadiums and arenas, and I think the songs have to stack up to that same energy that allows them to live in that world, and I feel like this album is designed to be played live.
There are songs of falling in love, the expectations in your relationships we should all live by, and then there is a softer side where a song like ‘Heartbeat’ exists, which captures the vulnerability of finding out we were having a baby.
You’ve performed to massive crowds with Ed Sheeran and Kane Brown. How does that kind of stadium energy shape the way you think about your own shows and your songwriting?
It influences me in such a big way. My biggest female inspiration as a kid was Shania Twain, and seeing her play stadiums and headline was something I saw at a young age and wanted to strive for as a female in the industry. So to have been given the opportunity by Ed Sheeran to play stadiums and to tour arenas with Kane Brown has really allowed me to write the music that fills those spaces, as there is a certain type of energy that needs to be in my songs to fill those spaces.
The track “Keith” blew up in a huge way—when a tribute song becomes a hit in its own right, does that change your relationship with the artist you’re honoring?
Not at all. Regardless of the success of that song, I have a huge respect for Keith Urban. Both being born in NZ, living in Australia, and now taking on the US scene, he has inspired me every step of my journey, and having success with my song, Keith, doesn’t change that in any way other than the fact he now knows the song and the impact he has had on me as an artist. IF anything, it is just a cool talking point when I meet fans, etc., and gives them a sense of familiarity and a cool intro into my music, as I think a lot of music and the way I make my music to be played live is also influenced by Keith, and knowing how good he is live. He is the GOAT for life.
There’s a lot of cowgirl grit and empowerment running through your lyrics. If “Cowboy Up” were a film, who would play the lead, and what would the storyline be?
OOOO, good question… I am thinking Jodie Comer just because she is the best actress of our generation, in my opinion… and she can do every accent, so she would have to be from the South and dressed ready to step off the ranch… although Beth from Yellowstone could also be a great choice… the storyline would be set on a ranch and would feature the lead cowgirl being the boss with the cowboys all chasing her and trying to show off and impress her. A flip of the day-to-day narrative where we are always trying to impress the cowboys is what we need in 2025.
You’ve achieved major milestones as an independent artist. Has your independence ever pushed you to make a decision that a major label might not have supported?
I think being independent gives me the freedom you don’t have with a label to release music that you love personally when and how you want, and I love that feeling with my music, as I think it is far more fan-driven and puts the power back in their hands. So I love the freedom I have to put out the music that makes sense to me and not have to wait on anyone else to decide for me.
You’ve got songs that hit hard and others that pull at the heartstrings. Do you ever find yourself writing something you need to hear, rather than what you think fans might want?
I think I am starting to write a lot more from a vulnerable place, being a new mother, as it has really got me thinking about the world and how I want to raise a child in 2025, when we are up against a lot of things we didn’t have to worry about when we were kids. I think I have moments of writing from different perspectives, and I like to experiment with that, but I think the songs that come the most effortlessly are often the ones when I am writing from a place of something I need to say or hear.
Your social media shows a mix of glam, grit, and groundedness. What part of that online world feels most true to you, and what do you think gets missed behind the scenes?
The work of BTS is what gets missed in every facet of this industry. There is so much slog and so many hours poured into this career that no one sees. But I love the interaction I have online with my fans; it makes the work all worth it.
photo: Garth Badger
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