“One Of Us” With Chris Young, the Grand Ole Opry & Betting on Herself | Shaylen
Shaylen joined Heart of the Gulch host Tony Mendoza during CMA Fest 2026 to talk about “One Of Us” with Chris Young, making her Grand Ole Opry debut, her rise through the CMA Fest stages, and why artists sometimes have to be the first people willing to bet on themselves.
Blending country with pop, rock and early 2000s influences, Shaylen has built a sound that's distinctly her own while earning more than 160 million career streams. But some of the biggest moments in her career didn't simply arrive—she had to go after them.
Shaylen reflects on “One Of Us” with Chris Young, her Grand Ole Opry debut and the persistence behind her rise in country music.
From Self-Submitting to the CMA Fest Stage
Shaylen's CMA Fest story is one of the best examples of that persistence.
Years ago, she submitted herself for the opportunity to perform at CMA Fest. That decision eventually put her on the Spotlight Stage.
Then came the Reverb Stage.
By CMA Fest 2026, Shaylen had worked her way up to the Dr Pepper Amp Stage, the third-largest stage at the festival.
It's a progression that means more when you know where it started.
Rather than waiting for someone else to decide she belonged at CMA Fest, Shaylen gave herself the first opportunity—and continued building from there.
Making Her Grand Ole Opry Debut
Another major milestone came when Shaylen stepped into the circle at the Grand Ole Opry.
During her Heart of the Gulch interview, she reflects on what making her Opry debut meant and the emotions surrounding a moment so many country artists dream about long before they ever move to Nashville.
For Shaylen, milestones like the Opry also provide a chance to look back at how far she's come.
The artist who once had to submit herself for an opportunity was now standing on one of country music's most famous stages.
Heart of the Gulch host Tony Mendoza sits down with Shaylen during CMA Fest 2026 to talk songwriting, faith, touring and betting on yourself.
“One Of Us” With Chris Young
Shaylen's collaboration with Chris Young on “One Of Us” represents another major moment in her career.
She shares the story behind working with Chris and what the collaboration has meant as she continues introducing her music to a larger country audience.
Their connection extends beyond the song, with Shaylen also looking ahead to upcoming tour dates with Chris Young.
It's another opportunity to bring her genre-blending sound to new listeners while continuing to build the live side of her career.
Heartbreak, Faith & Real-Life Songs
Behind the career milestones are songs built from experiences that aren't always easy to revisit.
Shaylen opens up about heartbreak, songwriting and why real-life experiences continue to provide some of her strongest material.
Faith and purpose have also become important parts of the way she looks at her career.
Music gives her an opportunity to take something personal and turn it into a song that may eventually help someone experiencing the same thing.
That connection remains one of the reasons she keeps going.
Learning to Trust the Journey
Success doesn't automatically make self-doubt disappear.
Shaylen reflects on what she would tell her younger self and how she's learned to trust a journey that hasn't always unfolded the way she expected.
Her CMA Fest progression might be the perfect example.
Spotlight Stage. Reverb Stage. Dr Pepper Amp Stage.
Each step came from continuing to show up, continuing to create and refusing to count herself out.
For emerging artists watching from the outside, Shaylen's story offers a simple reminder: sometimes you have to give yourself the first yes.
Shaylen shares how she went from self-submitting for CMA Fest to performing on increasingly bigger stages while building her country music career.
And Then the Lights Started Flickering...
Of course, not everything during this Heart of the Gulch interview went according to plan.
In the middle of the conversation, the lights began flickering and the power started turning on and off—giving Tony and Shaylen an unexpected CMA Fest poltergeist moment.
Maybe the ghosts were Chris Young fans.
We'll never know.
What's Next for Shaylen
With new music ahead, upcoming dates with Chris Young and a fanbase that continues to grow, Shaylen isn't finished climbing.
Her career has already taken her from self-submitting for CMA Fest to the Grand Ole Opry and increasingly larger festival stages.
The common thread through all of it has been persistence.
Shaylen kept betting on herself long enough for more and more people to start betting on her, too.
Watch Shaylen on Heart of the Gulch
Watch the full Shaylen interview from CMA Fest 2026 as she joins Tony Mendoza to discuss “One Of Us” with Chris Young, her Grand Ole Opry debut, CMA Fest journey, songwriting, faith, self-doubt, new music—and one very strange interruption.
Interview Chapters
0:00 — Shaylen Interview at CMA Fest 2026
0:35 — Life on Tour, Taco Bell & the Reality of Being a Country Artist
2:50 — Faith, Purpose & Connecting Through Music
4:29 — Shaylen on Making Her Grand Ole Opry Debut
5:44 — Working With Chris Young on “One Of Us”
7:32 — Shaylen's Style, Fashion & Stage Presence
8:40 — What Shaylen Would Tell Her Younger Self
9:29 — Songwriting, Heartbreak & Real-Life Stories
10:26 — CMA Fest, Touring & Building a Country Music Career
12:00 — Overcoming Self-Doubt & Trusting Your Journey
13:45 — New Music, Chris Young Tour Dates & What's Next
14:50 — Rent Money Confessions & Final Thoughts
Tony Mendoza and Shaylen together following her Heart of the Gulch interview during CMA Fest 2026 in Nashville.
Tony Mendoza is the Nashville-based host and creator of Heart of the Gulch, featuring conversations with country artists, songwriters and personalities from Nashville and beyond.
