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31 Days of Women: Emma White

Credit: Susan Berry

Editor’s Note: In celebration of Women’s History Month, You Sing I Write is highlighting female country artists and songwriters throughout March.

Emma White isn’t shying away from sharing her age with the world. Her new song “Thirties” has the 32-year-old embracing a new decade with confidence. It’s this self-assurance she hopes to give listeners while breaking the stigma of hiding one’s age as a woman.

White says she brought the title up to other co-writers, but many passed on writing the song with her. When she got in the room with her producer, Kate Malone, and another songwriter she met on Instagram, Tori Tullier, they immediately connected with the title and melody. All in their 30s and at different stages in life, White and her co-writers felt it was important to make sure they didn’t exclude anyone from the song.

“We wanted everyone to feel like they saw a little piece of their own story in it,” she tells me. “I do feel like 20s can be kind of rough. There’s an excitement to your 30s for sure. … I’d rather own it and embrace it because I really do feel so much happier in this decade. 30 is the new 20.”

“Thirties” has seen a positive reaction on TikTok after White posted snippets in January. White, who has been writing and recording music since the age of 15, says it’s the first time she’s witnessed people respond in such a personal way to a song of hers.

“It is really honest,” she says of the song. “I feel like it helped me find my voice. … I just want to contribute somehow to women not feeling shame about their age.”

For more of my interview with Emma White and her co-writers Kate Malone and Tori Tullier visit Forbes.