I Hope

Munhall, Pennsylvania, native Gabby Barrett began singing in her local gospel choir at nine. Two years later she was playing shows, and by the age of 17, Gabby was performing live over 130 times a year. She came into national prominence as a finalist on ABC's American Idol in 2018, finishing in third place. Following her third-place finish on Idol, Barrett released "I Hope" independently as a single. The song began garnering serious attention after she made her first Idol return performance on May 5, 2019. It led to Barrett signing a deal with Warner Nashville, which officially released "I Hope" on July 29, 2019.

Barrett co-wrote the song with Jon Nite and Zachary Kale with production by Ross Copperman. The vengeful anthem tells the story of a woman suffering a breakup and wanting her ex to feel the same pain he caused her.

I hope she's wilder than your wildest dreams She's everything you're ever gonna need And then I hope she cheats Like you did on me Barrett told People that she, Nite and Kale originally set out to write a song about a girl wishing for her ex to be happy. Barrett decided to turn her into someone more revengeful. "The fact is that sometimes we hope for the worst when it comes to our exes. We would never voice that, but it wreaks [havoc] inside," she said. "This song now says the things that maybe you or I never said."