Taylor Acorn plays a sleek, stylish modern pop, leaning into a country vibe and an undergirding of emo streak, one that she pushed to the forefront on her 2020 cover of Matchbox 20's "Unwell." All this was evident on her breakthrough song "Put It in a Song," which helped her cultivate an audience upon its release in 2017. Born in Lynchburg, Virginia, Taylor Acorn spent much of her childhood moving around the United States before settling in Pennsylvania following the death of her father when she was eight years old. After his death, Acorn turned toward music, eventually winding her way toward playing guitar at the age of 15. She spent her late adolescence playing local talent shows and wound up auditioning for both American Idol and The Voice without getting anywhere. After high school, she attended Pennsylvania's Kutztown University for two years before leaving the institution to pursue a career in music. Relocating to Nashville, Acorn released two digital singles, "Without You" and "What Do I Do," in 2016. The Put It in a Song EP followed in 2017, and it helped build her audience; the title track in particular racked up a number of hits on streaming services. She emphasized her pop influence by covering John Mayer's "Your Body Is a Wonderland" with David Ryan in 2018. Four singles, highlighted by "Red White," arrived in 2019; "Back to You," "I'm with You," and "Therapy" rounded out her year. In 2020, Taylor Acorn released "Paper Airplanes" and "It's Not This," along with her cover of Matchbox 20's "Unwell." ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine