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With 20 seasons under its belt, “American Idol” has started the careers of many of music’s biggest names. Many hope to achieve the level of success seen by those like Kelly Clarkson and Jennifer Hudson, while others just hope to release and play music for as long as they are able.
On Friday, January 27, two “American Idol” alumni are teaming up with a new release. Season 11’s seventh-place finisher Colton Dixon is featuring season 16’s third-place finisher Gabby Barrett on a new release of his single, “Build a Boat,” which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Christian Songs and Christian AC Airplay charts in November 2022.
The pair shared a snippet of the new release to their Instagram pages before the single comes out, and fans can’t wait to hear the new duet in its entirety. One commenter wrote, “The original was already bangin’, but this has got some EXTRA flavor on it!!! Got goosebumps just from this clip!!!” to which Dixon replied, “thanks bro!!!!!”
Hear the sneak peek below.
Colton Dixon Has Released 2 Studio Versions of ‘Build a Boat’ & Performed It Live at the Grand Ole Opry
Colton Dixon first released “Build a Boat” on Friday, April 29, 2022, and called it “an anthem for anyone willing to stand up or step out for what they believe in.” The single found a steady audience, and in August of that year, Dixon released an acoustic rendition of the song.
The biggest spike in listeners came that Fall after Dixon made his Grand Ole Opry debut on October 21, posting his live performance of “Build a Boat” from the Opry stage on his YouTube channel.
Dixon’s single resonated with the Opry audiences, as by November 5, “Build a Boat” found itself in the peak position of the Billboard Hot Christian Songs and Christian AC Airplay charts.
“To anyone who had anything to do with this song, thank you,” Dixon said to Billboard of this accomplishment. “Even more than having my No. 1 across these formats, I’m so grateful that so many people have applied the meaning of this song to their own story.”
Gabby Barrett Welcomed a Baby Boy in 2022
Dixon and Barrett both have two young children. Dixon welcomed twin daughters Ava and Athens in August 2020, while Barrett had her first child, a daughter named Baylah, months later in January 2021.
Barrett’s second child, a son named Augustine (“pronounced UH-GUS-TIN”), was born in October 2022. Barrett does not usually post her children’s faces on social media; however, she shared a blurry photo of them on her Instagram account to mark her son’s arrival. “Soaking up the newborn days with baby brother. What a precious gift from our Lord!” Barrett captioned the photo of Baylah looking over her new brother.
While her personal life is busy with two children under the age of 3, Barrett also revealed in September 2022 that she is working on her second full-length studio album after her debut release, “Goldmine,” which came out in 2020, two years after her “American Idol” debut.
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