Maddie & Tae Make Amends With the Real ‘Sierra’
Maddie & Tae’s new single, “Sierra,” takes on a high school classmate of Maddie Marlow’s who apparently taunted and trash-talked her. In the searing song, Marlow and Tae Dye strike back at Marlow’s bully, telling her that karma is soon to bite. But just a few days ago, Marlow and her tormentor made up. At Dye’s urging, Marlow texted the girl who, for better or worse, inspired the song.
“I told her, you should find closure. Just reach out to her,” Dye tells Rolling Stone Country. So, Marlow texted to her former nemesis: “Hey Sierra. It’s Maddie. I hope this text finds you well. Just wanted to tell you myself that the song we wrote in high school is the next single. I know we’ve both grown a lot since then. I have no hard feelings and I hope you don’t either. All the best.”
Almost immediately, Sierra (her name is spelled differently in real life, but neither Marlow or Dye want to reveal the correct spelling) wrote back: “Hey Maddie, no hard feelings at all. We’ve moved past that time and I understand it’s your business. Congrats on your success and I truly hope your career continues to prosper with Tae. Thanks for the heads-up. XO.”
While the two are hardly besties now, Marlow says she has a sense of peace about having reached out — and a sense of satisfaction that their story now has a happy ending. “I think it’s awesome that even though she was someone that really made me feel like crap about myself, we have been able to mend that relationship,” says the singer. “I hope that that story helps people understand that once you demand respect from someone, most of the time it happens. It’s exciting to have the situation come out so positive.”