The past year has been a transformative one for singer/songwriter Brooke Eden, marked by personal and professional breakthroughs. Beyond publicly embracing her authentic self and getting engaged to Hilary Hoover, she released a trilogy of singles—“Sunroof,” “Got No Choice,” and “No Shade”—accompanied by videos celebrating her love story. Now, Eden goes even deeper into her narrative with the release of the five-song EP, “Choosing You,” out on July 29 via BBR Music Group/BMG.
Reflecting on her trilogy, Eden shares, “It was very much what I wanted to hear after two very dark years of not getting to see some of my favorite people, and having to navigate so much. It was important for me to put out positive happy songs.” The trilogy, released independently of any album, paved the way for the more profound exploration of her story in the EP.
The project, a collaboration with writer and producer Jesse Frasure, sees Eden co-writing every song, delving into the deeper aspects of her life—its struggles, happiness, and the ever-present theme of hope in her music. Eden expresses, “It’s the first time I stopped asking what other people wanted of me and started asking what I wanted for my life. This project hits the deeper areas of my life, the struggles, happiness, and there’s always hope in my songs.”
One of the standout tracks, “Left You For Me,” opens with a powerful lyric: “You get so used to being used that you forget that it’s unusual.” Eden discusses the collaborative process behind crafting this compelling line with co-writers Jon Stone and Kyle Schlienger. She explains, “We already had this chorus written that we felt so proud of, and then the hook. We started writing the first verse and were thinking about what it feels like to be in a situation that you almost feel like you can’t get out of. I said something like, ‘You get so used to being used that it becomes part of your everyday life,’ and I think it was Jon Stone who finished the verse, and we were all instantly like, ‘Oh, yes. This fits perfectly.’”
Reuniting with Jesse Frasure for this project, Eden expresses the genesis of the EP, sharing, “We wrote ‘Left You For Me’ right before the pandemic. I had no idea how much that song was going to mean to me through the pandemic because I was not out yet and I was living a very secretive, closed-off life. But during the pandemic, all of the BS just went to the wayside, and all the things that were important rose to the top.”
The EP comes as a culmination of Eden’s journey towards self-empowerment and authenticity. Eden describes the profound impact of music in her life, stating, “Music has saved me in so many ways. When everything else turned its back, I always had music. Also, in this part of my life, music has been such a big part of my journey to self-empowerment and self-love.”
Addressing the heightened creativity during the making of the EP, Eden notes the pivotal role her newfound freedom played. “Oh, for sure. At the time that I was putting out the trilogy, I was in the state of hope, that things would be okay and that I would be accepted. With this EP, I’m so confident in who I am because I know I am accepted, and I want other people to feel the freedom I now feel.”
The EP includes the catchy and rhythmic track “Off the Ground,” which Eden wrote during the 30A writers’ retreat in Florida. Describing the song’s vibe, she says, “It gives me ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’ vibes. I can’t not dance to it. The whole song is so rhythmic, and then right at the end there’s this like breath of air that lets you relax. The song could have just stopped, but instead Jesse just let it breathe, and it sounded cool.”
In addition to her musical endeavors, Eden has been an active participant in the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) project, “Music Matters with RIAA,” emphasizing the significance of music in enabling people to use their authentic voices.
As Brooke Eden continues to navigate her musical journey with authenticity and resilience, her EP, “Choosing You,” serves as a testament to the power of self-discovery, self-expression, and the unwavering hope embedded in her music.