The Graduate and Part-Time Student Council and Student Organization hosted another live virtual tour on Wednesday, March 3. Attendees watched a Q&A/mini-performance from the country music duo, Maddie + Tae. This event was held once again through Loopedlive.com where everyone who wanted to watch was asked to pre-register beforehand.
Madison Marlow and Taylor Dye made their mark in the music industry with their song, "Girl in a Country Song," in 2014. The song became an instant hit and it reached the Billboard Country Airplay charts toward the end of 2014. This was the moment that made Maddie and Tae into country music stars. Their next hit, "Fly," was a ballad that harmonized the duo and resonated with audiences making their names known in the country music scene. The two would go on to release EPs until their most recent one titled, "The Way It Feels," in 2020.
During the course of this interactive event, the two talked about their start in the music industry as well as many highlights throughout their career. Maddie and Tae managed to bring the energy throughout the night with some performances of their songs and answered questions from colleges across the country. Kean University even asked a question to the artists about what inspired them to start a music duo.
"From the moment we met each other, from having the same vocal coach, we knew we wanted to make music with each other. It was pretty much from the get-go," said Dye.
"We were both committed to making our life-long goals happen and we were going to accomplish our goals no matter what," said Marlow.
Other questions were asked about what inspires their music as they said at one point during the night that country music tells stories compared to other genres. Even though Country music is their passion, they were not afraid to admit that some of their influences come from other genres such as hip-hop or even pop.
"We have explored other genres. I think for our career, we will always be a country duo. I love reggae, hip-hop, R&B, pop music. We love so many different songs. Good lyrics are what really excites [us] especially from artists such as Norah Jones and Kendrick Lamar," said Marlow. "We tried to write for one of those genres one time but never fully invested in it. We do hope one day to branch out and collab with other artists for the future."
The two have made multiple appearances on television and tv shows such as The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The two ended the night with some very inspirational words for those who are pursuing their passions to never give up and reach for the stars. This all culminated into one final song performance for the night that brought joy to all who were streaming it.
For more events from the Graduate and Part-Time Student Council or Student Organization, be sure to check out Cougar Link regarding news articles or more information.
