I’ve known SJ McDonald since 2018, long before her name started popping up in the same sentences as some of the biggest rising stars in country music. From day one, she’s been the real deal. 100% authentic, driven, and endlessly talented. Her new video for “Wild Women” might just be the most SJ thing she’s done to date, and in my opinion, it’s a huge moment in her career.
Shot on her family farm in Rockbridge Baths, Virginia, the video features her actual family, the women who raised her, shaped her, and inspired the song itself. It’s not a concept dreamt up in an office somewhere. It’s real life. And that’s what makes it powerful.
“I wanted to give the women that inspired this song a place to shine!!” SJ shared. “The bond between women is such an important lifeline, and mine happen to be in my bloodline. I hope women of all ages can be inspired by this video to blaze their own trail and be unapologetic.”
That’s exactly what “Wild Women” is, a celebration of the kind of women who roll their sleeves up, love hard, and lead with their heart. It’s honest, raw, and completely in line with who SJ is as an artist and a person.
Watch the “Wild Women” video here:
From Broadway Bars to Big Stages
When SJ moved to Nashville at 18 years old, she didn’t waste a second. She got to work, grinding it out on Lower Broadway, playing cover gigs, fronting bands, and earning every dollar and ounce of respect the hard way. That grind is what built her. Learning how to win over crowds of tourists, some times empty rooms and having the motor to run for long periods of time on stage.
Now, she’s in an era where she’s finally releasing the music she’s meant to be making. She’s taking that same work ethic out on the road, sharing stages with legends and heavy-hitters like John Anderson, Diamond Rio, Cooper Alan, and Emily Ann Roberts. And with every release, she’s showing that she’s not just another voice in Nashville, she’s one of the ones to watch.
“Wild Women” feels like a turning point, a moment where everything that SJ has been working toward starts to align. It’s as on-brand and honest as anything she’s ever done, and you can feel the pride, the roots, and the purpose behind it.
With her debut EP, produced by Andy Sheridan, dropping later this month, SJ’s trajectory is undeniably a rocket ship, and the future is very, very bright. We couldn’t be more proud of her or more excited to see where this ride takes her next.
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