{{Short description|American country singer}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Callista Clark | image = 20170825-OSEC-LSC-0612 (36678179622).jpg | alt = A young Callista Clark performs the national anthem, holding a microphone in her hand. The American flag is visible in the background. | caption = Callista Clark singing the national anthem at age 13 | birth_name = Callista Renee Clark | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2003|09|29}} | origin = Zebulon, Georgia | occupation = Country singer | years_active = 2021–present | label = Big Machine | website = https://callistaclark.com/ }} '''Callista Renee Clark''' (born September 29, 2003)<ref>{{cite web |title=Who is Callista Clark? Get To Know the Young Fearless Songstress |url=https://www.countrythangdaily.com/callista-clark/ |website=Country Thang Daily |date=14 December 2021 |access-date=28 December 2021 |archive-date=19 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211219080436/https://www.countrythangdaily.com/callista-clark/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ascap.com/repertory#/ace/search/workID/900574852 |title=DON'T NEED IT ANYMORE |website=ASCAP |publisher=American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers |access-date=September 19, 2023}}</ref> is an American country music singer from Zebulon, Georgia. She released her debut EP, Real to Me, on February 12, 2021, with the EP's lead single "It's 'Cause I Am" peaking at No. 30 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs chart.

==Early life== Callista Clark was born on September 29, 2003.<ref>{{Cite instagram|postid=BoUh1yHhIkz|user=callistaclark|title=It's my birthday y'all so I'm #winning 💜 (shout out to my adorable little cousin and sister) . . . #birthday #birthdaypost #imwinning #socute #lovethisvid #cousin #sister #15 #september #not14 #cute #funny|date=30 September 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Black |first1=Lauren |title=Country Next: Callista Clark |url=https://www.countrynow.com/country-next-callista-clark/ |access-date=15 April 2021 |work=Country Now |date=31 March 2021 |quote=Callista Clark may be only 17 years old... |archive-date=15 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415072515/https://www.countrynow.com/country-next-callista-clark/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Raised in Zebulon, Georgia, Clark claims she was "singing since I could talk", and that the first place she ever sang was at a church where her grandfather was a pastor. Clark told ''Songwriter Universe'' that she learned ukulele at the age of 10, and began playing the guitar at the age of 11, later learning more instruments such as the piano.<ref name="songwriteruni">{{cite news |last1=Kawashima |first1=Dale |title=Talented Young Country Artist Callista Clark Breaks Through With Her Debut Hit Single, "It's 'Cause I Am" |url=https://www.songwriteruniverse.com/callista-clark-interview-2021.htm |access-date=26 July 2021 |work=Songwriter Universe |date=21 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210726021916/https://www.songwriteruniverse.com/callista-clark-interview-2021.htm |archive-date=26 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> In an interview with iHeartRadio, Clark said that she wrote her first song at the age of 11, initially as a poem in a school poetry contest, which was called "Wildfire".<ref name="iheartinterview">{{cite news |last1=Fields |first1=Taylor |title=Callista Clark Reveals How 'It's Cause I Am' Introduces Her In A 'Bold' Way |url=https://www.iheart.com/content/2021-05-19-callista-clark-reveals-how-its-cause-i-am-introduces-her-in-a-bold-way/ |access-date=10 June 2021 |work=iHeartRadio |date=20 May 2021 |archive-date=10 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210610033800/https://www.iheart.com/content/2021-05-19-callista-clark-reveals-how-its-cause-i-am-introduces-her-in-a-bold-way/ |url-status=live }}</ref> At the age of 12, Clark performed with Jennifer Nettles at a 4-H event.<ref name="countrynowinterview">{{cite news |last1=O'Connell |first1=Madeleine |title=Callista Clark On Her Breakout Success: 'It's All Very Surreal' |url=https://www.countrynow.com/callista-clark-on-her-breakout-success-its-all-very-surreal/ |access-date=10 June 2021 |work=Country Now |date=19 May 2021 |archive-date=10 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210610074936/https://www.countrynow.com/callista-clark-on-her-breakout-success-its-all-very-surreal/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Crone |first1=Madeline |title=17-Year-Old Callista Clark Catches the Attention of Those Who Doubted Her with Single "It's 'Cause I Am" from Debut EP |url=https://americansongwriter.com/17-year-old-callista-clark-catches-the-attention-of-those-who-doubted-her-with-single-its-cause-i-am-from-debut-ep/ |access-date=10 June 2021 |work=American Songwriter |date=8 June 2021 |quote=One of Clark’s earliest performances was joining Nettles onstage as part of a 4-H event. |archive-date=10 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210610075948/https://americansongwriter.com/17-year-old-callista-clark-catches-the-attention-of-those-who-doubted-her-with-single-its-cause-i-am-from-debut-ep/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=CALLISTA CLARK TAKES "IT'S 'CAUSE I AM" TO LIVE WITH KELLY & RYAN (4/30) |url=https://www.bigmachinelabelgroup.com/news/callista-clark-takes-its-cause-i-am-live-kelly-ryan-430 |website=Big Machine Label Group |publisher=Big Machine Records |access-date=10 June 2021 |date=23 April 2021 |quote=From when she first stepped on stage to perform with Jennifer Nettles at 12 years old... |archive-date=10 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210610075957/https://www.bigmachinelabelgroup.com/news/callista-clark-takes-its-cause-i-am-live-kelly-ryan-430 |url-status=live }}</ref> She gained fame with a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Have You Ever Seen the Rain? posted on Facebook, which received 29 million views. She signed with Big Machine Records at the age of 15.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Turner |first1=Rianna |title=Teen Callista Clark Is A Rising Country Radio Star |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/riannaturner/2021/02/12/teen-callista-clark-is-a-rising-country-radio-star/ |access-date=19 February 2021 |work=Forbes |date=12 February 2021 |archive-date=13 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210213040701/https://www.forbes.com/sites/riannaturner/2021/02/12/teen-callista-clark-is-a-rising-country-radio-star/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Career== Callista Clark released her first EP on February 12, 2021 with Big Machine Records, entitled ''Real to Me''. Clark co-wrote all 5 songs on the EP, which was produced by Nathan Chapman.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Papadatos |first1=Markos |title=Meet Callista Clark: Rising teen country singer-songwriter |url=http://www.digitaljournal.com/entertainment/music/meet-callista-clark-rising-teen-country-singer-songwriter/article/585423 |access-date=19 February 2021 |work=Digital Journal |date=12 February 2021 |archive-date=13 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210213080544/http://www.digitaljournal.com/entertainment/music/meet-callista-clark-rising-teen-country-singer-songwriter/article/585423 |url-status=live }}</ref> "It's 'Cause I Am" impacted country radio as the EP's lead single on March 29, 2021. "It's 'Cause I Am" was described by ''Billboard'' critic Tom Roland as "mining the clash between others' perception of her outward teen appearance and her inner reality", calling her voice's timbre "older than her chronological age".<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Roland |first1=Tom |title=Makin' Tracks: Old-Soul Callista Clark Raitts Highly On Debut Single, 'It's 'Cause I Am' By Tom Roland |url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/callista-clark-its-cause-i-am-single-radio/ |access-date=26 July 2021 |magazine=Billboard |date=14 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210726024203/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/country/9551410/callista-clark-its-cause-i-am-single-radio |archive-date=26 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> The song reached as high as 22 on the ''Billboard'' Country Airplay chart.<ref name="countryairplay">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/country-airplay/2021-11-06|title=Country Airplay: November 6, 2021|magazine=Billboard|access-date=November 2, 2021|url-access=subscription}}</ref> In an interview with Country Now on May 19, 2021, Clark said that she had "tons of songs from [the beginning of her career] to where I am now that I'm just dying to put out", hinting towards the possible release of new music.<ref name=countrynowinterview /> On July 30, 2021, Clark debuted at the Grand Ole Opry. She shared the news on her Instagram page on July 16, writing that "this is an absolute dream come true".<ref>{{cite news |title=Callista Clark To Make Opry Debut: "This Is An Absolute Dream Come True" |url=https://musicmayhemmagazine.com/callista-clark-to-make-opry-debut-this-is-an-absolute-dream-come-true/ |access-date=26 July 2021 |work=Music Mayhem |date=16 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210726022839/https://musicmayhemmagazine.com/callista-clark-to-make-opry-debut-this-is-an-absolute-dream-come-true/ |archive-date=26 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> Clark will be opening on the majority of dates of Chris Young's ''Famous Friends'' tour.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hudak |first1=Joseph |title=Chris Young Announces Famous Friends Headlining Tour |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/chris-young-2021-tour-dates-famous-friends-1205744/ |access-date=2 August 2021 |work=Rolling Stone |date=2 August 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210802234227/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/chris-young-2021-tour-dates-famous-friends-1205744/ |archive-date=2 August 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> On October 14, 2022, Clark released her debut album ''Real to Me: The Way I Feel''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/anniereuter/2022/10/14/callista-clark-shares-whats-real-to-me-on-debut-album|title=Callista Clark Shares What's 'Real To Me' on Debut Album|author=Annie Reuter|magazine=Forbes|date=October 14, 2022|access-date=October 17, 2022|archive-date=October 16, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221016234726/https://www.forbes.com/sites/anniereuter/2022/10/14/callista-clark-shares-whats-real-to-me-on-debut-album/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Musical influences=== Callista Clark has said that, while growing up, she listened to country music from the 1980s and the 1990s, citing artists such as Travis Tritt, Randy Travis and The Judds as inspirations, also mentioning that she was a fan of Ingrid Andress' songwriting and confidence. Clark has named Luke Combs and Thomas Rhett as musicians that she admires, saying that "it would mean the world to me to be successful as a writer of my own songs and even for other artists, just like [Combs and Rhett] do".<ref name=iheartinterview /> Clark stated in an interview that she had "grew up singing LeAnn Rimes and Taylor Swift songs and admired them in their careers".<ref name=songwriteruni />

==Discography==

===Albums=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |- ! scope="col"| Title ! scope="col"| Details |- ! scope="row"| ''Real to Me: The Way I Feel'' | * Released: October 14, 2022 * Label: Big Machine * Formats: CD, digital download, streaming |}

===EPs=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |- ! scope="col"| Title ! scope="col"| Details |- ! scope="row"| ''Real to Me'' | * Released: February 12, 2021 * Label: Big Machine * Formats: CD, digital download, streaming |}

===Singles=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year ! scope="col" colspan="3"| Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album |- ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| US<br>Country<br>Songs<br><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/country-songs/2021-11-06|title=Hot Country Songs Chart: Week of November 6, 2021|magazine=Billboard|access-date=November 2, 2021}}</ref> ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| US<br>Country<br>Airplay<br><ref name=countryairplay/> ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| CAN<br>Country<br><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/canada-country/2021-11-13|title=Canada Country: November 13, 2021|magazine=Billboard|access-date=November 9, 2021|url-access=subscription}}</ref> |- ! scope="row"| "It's 'Cause I Am" | 2021 | 30 || 20 || 43 | rowspan="2"| ''Real to Me: The Way I Feel'' |- ! scope="row"| "Gave It Back Broken"<ref>{{cite web |title=Future Releases for Country Radio Stations |url=https://www.allaccess.com/country/future-releases |website=AllAccess |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220509201519/https://www.allaccess.com/country/future-releases |archive-date=May 9, 2022 |url-status=dead}}</ref> | 2022 | — || — || — |- |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clark, Callista}} Category:Big Machine Records artists Category:American women country singers Category:Country musicians from Georgia (U.S. state) Category:People from Zebulon, Georgia Category:2003 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century American women