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You probably know Tatum Brady best from her time on JoJo Siwa's show, Siwa's Dance Pop Revolution (she was a full-on fan fave), but Tatum is ready to let a new side of her talent shine and share her music with the world. Spoiler alert: Her skills as a musician are just as impressive as her skills as a dancer (which, honestly, didn't even seem possible, right?). 

Tatum's debut single, "I'm Gonna Fly," is officially out and the song is a personal look into her own journey over the past couple of years. 

"This song is about empowering yourself to do things your own way and always be your own authentic self," she says of the track. 

The music video for "I'm Gonna Fly" will drop on February 17th, but in the meantime, learn more about the song and what else is coming up for Tatum in our exclusive Q&A with her below.

Girls' Life: You're used to being in the spotlight as a dancer, but is it different to be putting yourself out there as a singer? 

Tatum Brady: It's a little more nerve-wracking. My first thing was just always dance. I've always done singing but it's never been like, totally what I do all the time, so I'm definitely nervous for this. And I feel like it's more vulnerable because it's just your voice and people can see you and it feels very personal. 

GL: Who are some of your main influences as a musician? 

Tatum: I definitely love Olivia Rodrigo, because I think her music videos are so fun—and she's one of the youngest artists that have been very successful, so I really look up to her. And also Ariana Grande just because it's Ariana Grande. Plus, I love her ponytail and I do my ponytail, too, so I think I'm similar to her in that way. And she has such great like range, and she's just kind of sweet and shy. I also really like Zendaya because of her style—she's just so cool. 

GL: We're excited to see the music video for "I'm Gonna Fly" later this month. Did you draw inspiration from any specific Olivia Rodrigo videos or videos by other artists for the vibe of the video? 

Tatum: My inspiration was actually to do something kind of like a Taylor Swift music video. Taylor Swift's music videos are very unique and they stand out, and they're very classy, which is kind of what I'm aiming for with this video. I don't want to be, like sparkly and fake—I just want to be truly me. So that's my main goal with my video, and I think Taylor Swift is very genuine in the way that she does her stuff. I think people might be surprised by the video because no one's really just seen this side of me before. 

GL: What was it like getting to meet JoJo on Siwa's Dance Pop Revolution? Did she give you any advice or inspiration for taking this next step and sharing your music? 

Tatum:  She told me, "You're something special and you can just be yourself," and she told me I was the whole package, which was super honoring because I look up to JoJo so much. So getting to know her was really the best thing I got out of doing the show. Overall, Jojo is just one of the best people I've ever met. 

GL: Aside from the "I'm Gonna Fly" music video, what else do you have coming up that fans should know about? 

Tatum: Yeah! My brother, Evan, and I are launching a charity called Gear 2 Give. My brother and I both do sports and sometimes we'll grow out of our gear for them so fast—whether it's dancewear or a bat or something else—that the gear is still almost brand new, but we can't use it anymore. So we wanted to find a way for this gear to have a second life and for someone else to use it, because we don't want anything to go to waste.

Listen to "I'm Gonna Fly" on Apple iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, and more, and look for the music video on February 17th. Follow Tatum on Instagram and keep an eye out for more updates from Gear 2 Give, which is planned to launch this fall. 

by Kayleigh R | 2/6/2023