About Tatum
Tatum Lynn is not your typical “new artist.” Yes, she’s about to release her first album, which features 14 tracks of pop paradise, but there aren’t too many people who can claim a chart topping first single before their record even drops. From the time she was ten years old, Tatum showed a dedication and savvy unlike most, giving her all in to developing herself as an artist; in late 2019, at the age of 19, that commitment paid off as “Later Baby XO” broke in to the Billboard Top 40. Tatum hasn’t looked back since.
Growing up as the youngest of five children in Arizona, Tatum and her two older sisters sang in the church choir with their mom. She got the bug, and Tatum threw herself into talent shows, chorus, school plays and show choir, where she won first place three years in a row for the alto section. However, it was at her oldest sister’s wedding that Tatum decided to make her debut as a singer AND a songwriter. “I always kept a journal, and would turn what I wrote into lyrics. I wrote a song for my sister’s wedding, and it was the first time I felt confident enough in what I wrote to think it was worth sharing. I kept writing lyrics via my journal all throughout high school, and it really helped shape me as a lyricist.”
In high school, Tatum began to post videos on YouTube, garnering attention thru a growing fan base. She also started to sing the National Anthem at her high school’s weekly basketball games, where someone who worked for the Arizona Cardinals heard her and requested she perform at a game. “I was so nervous to sing at a football game in a stadium! After I got through the Anthem, I felt a lot more confident in my ability as a singer, and people definitely started to take notice.” Industry folks began reaching out to Tatum and her dad (“my online security guard!”), and soon she found herself in a studio recording her first album.
Work on the album started in California, where Tatum, armed with her journal, began writing with A-Level talent. “I’ve been very comfortable writing with other people. We talk about what’s happening in our lives, ideas we want to touch on, and then we just go.” For the album, Tatum wrote with Lauren Christy (Avril Lavigne, Dua Lipa, Kelly Clarkson), who was part of the award-winning Matrix writing trio, celebrated writer/producer John Fields (P!nk, Demi Lovato, Jonas Brothers) and Joey Barbo, who is featured on the tongue-in-cheek track “Can’t Live Without You.”
While choosing songs, she knew the stakes were high and worked hard to make sure the songs were accessible, smart, fun and meaningful. “What I like to say about this album is that there’s a song on there for everyone. Whether it’s losing a friend, going through a break up, trying to figure out where you stand, or even celebrating differences, you can come find a song for you.”
While the whole album explodes with surprises, there are some tracks that deserve to be put on repeat: it would be hard not to get up and dance when “Let Down Your Hair” comes on. A clarion call for optimism and strength, Tatum encourages people to rise above the noise and just be yourself. There’s a little of Taylor Swift in “Closer,” an upbeat rocker delivered with a snarl, and “Can’t Live Without You,” an irreverent gem about the contradictions of love. “Now U See Me Now U Don’t” bristles with a fun retro edge, warning that you better appreciate what you got or what you got will be gone.
A force of nature in everything she sets her mind to, Tatum is as serious about helping others as she is about singing. She is a tireless advocate for people in need, and while in high school founded Music as Therapy, a nonprofit dedicated to providing music therapy and instruments to kids in special-education classrooms throughout Arizona. She has also devoted much time to suicide prevention after the teen suicide rate went up by 25% in Arizona. She started a school club focused on prevention, and teamed up with a group called Teen Lifeline, a suicide prevention hotline. The track “With Me” is about a rash of suicides at her high school.
With her strong background in live performance, Tatum spent a lot of time doing radio visits, loving every minute of connecting with fans. She has been a popular performer at radio shows alongside acts such as We the Kings, Stephen Puth, Public and Why Don’t We, and was handpicked to perform at Live in the Vineyard, a private music, food and wine festival in Napa, which partners with over 45 radio stations, and yields a combined 750,000 active listeners. Other past performers included Adam Lambert, Kelsea Ballerini and Maren Morris. For now, during the quarantine, she’s content to do weekly Facebook and Instagram Live performances, with the hope she can resume touring as soon as possible. “I don’t know where the road will take me, but I hope that five years from now I am still writing songs, still working with my non-profit and still sharing my music. Anytime I reach someone who sees themselves in something I’ve written, it’s awesome.”