JADE HILTON FOLLOWS BREAKOUT SINGLE “DIVE BAR” WITH REFLECTIVE NEW RELEASE, “CAROLINA BLUE”
Rising country artist Jade Hilton returns with her first new release in nearly a year, “Carolina Blue,” a reflective single that looks back on her university tennis days and a fleeting encounter with a rival.
Proud to be a University of Illinois alum, Hilton spent her early 20s competing on the tennis courts, while quietly holding onto the dream of becoming a musician. Carolina Blue was inspired by a road trip for a match against the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where a brief, almost-connection became forever linked to the place itself. Years later, seeing that iconic shade of blue still carries weight – not because of who she met, but because of who she was.
“Carolina Blue” is not a love song – it’s about looking back on the moments and experiences that quietly define us, and the years when Hilton was finding herself while chasing big dreams.
“The deeper message isn’t really about that almost-love, but it’s about missing the girl I was back then,” says Hilton.
Hilton co-wrote Carolina Blue with Ming Gao and Jake Kovacevic and co-produced it with Douglas Romanow and Dominic “Dot” Okune. The songfeatures pedal steel by legendary musician Dan Dugmore (Kacey Musgraves, Carrie Underwood, Linda Ronstadt), whose contribution adds depth and warmth to the song’s nostalgic tone.
Carolina Blue follows Hilton’s breakout single Dive Bar, which earned her national attention last year, including from SiriusXM Canada, Global TV’s The Morning Show, CityNews and CTV’s Etalk, who called Hilton “the hottest new talent in country music.” Since then, Hilton has delivered standout performances at Country Music Week as part of the CCMA Awards weekend, Departure Festival, NXNE, Blue Jays Sessions and CMAOntario Week; was named a finalist for the 2025 Boots and Hearts Emerging Artist Showcase; and made her Cavendish Beach Music Festival debut. As a Chinese-Canadian artist in country music, Hilton is proud to be part of a new wave of diverse voices helping to shape the future of the genre.