Madilyn Bailey Talks ‘Doomsday in LA’ and Her Upcoming Album, Hollywood Dead
2023 couldn't be a bigger year for Madilyn Bailey.
Perhaps best known as a YouTube sensation and American's Got Talent semifinalist, the pop singer-songwriter is making this year her own in more ways than one. Today, she released her haunting and ethereal new single, "Doomsday in LA," a track about finding love and hope, even in the face of the end of the world. And that's just a taste of her upcoming debut album, Hollywood Dead, which is set to drop next month. Madilyn also recently revealed that, after two years of surgeries, shots and struggle, her very first child is on the way. Amid all of the excitement, we got the chance to chat with Madilyn all about her new and upcoming music, and what this period of her life means to her. Read our interview with the star below.
The Story Behind 'Doomsday in LA'
Madilyn Bailey: Over the past few years, L.A. has changed a lot: you know… pandemic fallout. So many of my friends and collaborators moved away, you couldn't go out or eat out. What was once a vibrant, loud, life-filled city felt like a ghost town. But even while I watched "the end of world as I knew it," I knew there was no place I'd rather be because I had the love of my life by my side and that was all that really mattered in the end.
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What 'Doomsday in LA' Means
MB: I joke that I finally wrote my husband a love song, but of course it's about dying together. Life can throw some really difficult situations at us. The last two years of my life have really tested me physically. It's easy to find people you want to have around when life is great, but the people who gather around you during the most difficult times in life—those are the people you want to hold on to. My husband has been my rock through surgeries, treatments and our fertility journey and after all of that, I know we can weather any situation together… even the end of the world.
I hope when listeners hear "Doomsday in LA," they feel at peace with the chaos swirling around them. There's so much uncertainty in life and a million reasons to worry and stress out, but as long as you have those ride-or-die people in your life, you can get through anything. And I hope that in remembering that, we can all take a deep breath and let go of our fears for the future and rest assured that all the things that truly matter in life are already in front of us.
Although "Doomsday in LA" is the first song on my upcoming album Hollywood Dead, it is actually the last song in the Hollywood Dead story. Why? Because the end is so often also the beginning.
(Photo credit: Lissyelle Laricchia)
On Hollywood Dead
MB: Hollywood Dead represents letting go of other people's, society's and even our own expectations of what we think we are supposed to be and, in that death, allowing the person we actually are to emerge. I think our 20s can be an extremely confusing time in our lives because, for the first time, we are independent and we can be anything we want to be. And for me, that meant trying on a lot of identities, and personalities and trends. But under all the "I could be's" there was always a me waiting to be remembered. I wrote most of the songs on Hollywood Dead throughout my 20s, and in this music, you can hear the story of a girl moving to a new city, trying to find herself, losing herself, chasing her dreams, falling in love and breaking her heart and ultimately choosing herself and her own happiness over the opinions of others.
Some of the things I had to let go of in the process of writing this album were doubts and fears like where I thought I should be by now, how I thought my life would work out, what a "real" artist would be doing. The thing is, when we start going after what we truly want in life, that's when life starts getting really good. Looking back, I can see the beauty in the reasons it didn't work out with that ex-boyfriend, why I never signed that record deal and why my body said enough is enough. In the process of seeing these hardships through, I have become a lot less freaked out by life's struggles and a lot more curious about what's on the other side of them.
Hollywood Dead follows my journey of self-discovery, from excitement to confusion, disillusionment to hope. It's the death of should be, could be, would be and the rebirth of self. Whether it's moving to a new city, starting college, a new relationship or a dream job, losing a friend, getting your heart broken or just being totally and utterly confused, we are all somewhere on our own personal Hollywood Dead journey. These songs are meant to meet you where you are and reassure you that there are beautiful things on the other side of whatever it is you are going through.
The Sound of Hollywood Dead
MB: At my core, I'm just a girl who loves pop music. And I was so fortunate to be able to collaborate with so many fellow pop music lovers on this project. I'd say Hollywood Dead is a real poppy pop album. It falls somewhere between Taylor Swift's 1989 album and Katy Perry's Teenage Dream album, but also I grew up listening to rock music, so there is a little edge in there too. The songs are poppy, chaotic, vibrant, emotional, honest and my favorite collection of songs I've created over the years.
(Photo credit: Lissyelle Laricchia)
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Where Madilyn Is Today
MB: I'm at a point in my life where I am just doing what I want to do, and it's been leading me down some really fun paths. The whole idea of this album is choosing yourself, and I think the fastest coolest path to getting back to yourself is by doing the things you want to do. So in a way, I'm fully embracing my Hollywood Dead era!
Madilyn's Favorite Track
MB: "Hollywood Dead" is probably my favorite song off of the album. I think it brings together my covers, my comments songs and my songwriting and artistry in a really cool way. It's funny, satirical, topical and a total bop, and it's also the song that inspired me to put together this album. I'm so excited for you to hear it!
On Recording Her Debut Album
MB: The process of putting together a full-length album was so much more work than I ever imagined, and through this process, I have really gotten to know myself and my music so much more. Not only did I write, record, mix and master 12 songs, I also had to develop a vision for the overarching story that the album tells, overall album flow, choosing a variety of songs with different tempos, moods and topics and somehow still tying them all together. After pretty much exclusively putting out only single songs over the years, creating this album made me ask myself some really big questions about myself, my music and my artistry, but I went deep and came out with something I'm really proud of.
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On Anticipation for Hollywood Dead
MB: It's about time! I'm so ready for the world to hear this album. I've been working on almost nothing other than mixes, music videos and content for these songs for the past year and I think this is some of my best work!
(Photo credit: Lissyelle Laricchia)
Final Thoughts
MB: Thank you so much to all of the writers, producers, mixers, creative team, management team and to the MadFam for sticking with me and trusting me throughout this process. I hope these songs find their way into your life exactly when you need them. Welcome to the Hollywood Dead era!
Love discovering the stories behind great new music? Click HERE to read our interview with Olivia Dean on her debut album, Messy.