Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Hoping to capitalize on the success of her smash duet with Chris Young, Cassadee Pope will release a four-track EP on Friday.

The EP is called “Summer,” which is also the name of the first single. And Cassadee has already filmed the accompanying music video at Clearwater Beach in her home state of Florida.

This is the first new music we’ve gotten from Cassadee since her debut country album “Frame by Frame” dropped in October 2013.

Though there is the little matter of that duet with Chris Young, off his “I’m Comin’ Over” album. A couple weeks ago, “Think of You” hit number one on the Billboard country airplay chart, which I’m pretty sure marks the first time a former Voice contestant has ever landed at number one on a major Billboard chart.

“I’m Comin’ Over” was co-produced by Corey Crowder, and he’s also serving as the producer for Cassadee’s new music, she said in a recent Facebook chat with fans.

The EP will include two songs Cassadee has been playing live for about a year — “Summer” and “Alien” — and two fans have never heard before — “Piano” and “Kisses at Airports.”

During the Facebook chat, she described “Summer” as a song “about reminiscing about a past love that happened in the summertime. Sometimes when things like that start quickly, they also end quickly. Kind of the sentiment that nothing really bad happened. It was just a summer thing that was intense and awesome.”

She promises that “Kisses at Airports” will tug at listeners’ heartstrings and says she’s particularly eager for fans to hear
“Piano,” which she describes as vulnerable, yet empowering at the same time. Cassadee has a co-write on all of the songs except “Kisses at Airports.”

As far as her sound, she says it hasn’t changed dramatically since “Frame by Frame.”

“It’s country, but it’s got my rock and pop influences in there,” Cassadee says. “That’s just me being true to myself.

“These songs mean a lot to me. A few I’ve had in my back pocket for quite some time, so I’m excited to finally let them out into the world. It’s just a little bit of a different mood with these songs. There’s more confidence there. There’s some more sassiness.”

There’s also going to be plenty more chances to see Cassadee sing “Think of You” and her own music live, because she’s opening for Chris Young and his tour has been extended through the fall.

You can check out all the dates on her recently revamped website. They include a Sept. 10 show in Shippensburg, Pa.