Sometimes, the best songs come from the lessons you wish you’d learned sooner. For rising country singer-songwriter Onoleigh, those lessons have become the foundation of Love Bomb — and she’s ready to turn the page.
Out tomorrow (Oct. 9), Onoleigh’s sophomore EP traces the complicated journey of falling in love, losing pieces of yourself along the way and ultimately learning to choose yourself. Following her 2025 debut EP, First Rodeo, which has surpassed one million streams, the seven-track collection marks a more confident, deeply personal chapter for the singer-songwriter, who co-wrote every song alongside collaborators and worked with producers Paul Moak and ANTi.
“I finally understand that I’m allowed to take up space in my own life,” Onoleigh tells Celeb Secrets Country, reflecting on the growth that inspired the project.
And what better way to celebrate a new era than with a little Love Bomb of our own? CS Country is exclusively premiering the music video for the EP’s title track ahead of its wider release tomorrow, giving fans an early look at the focus track that’s setting the tone for release day.
Filmed at the historic Palace Theater in Gallatin, Tennessee, the vintage-inspired visual brings Onoleigh’s story of self-discovery to life, contrasting the more innocent version of herself with the confident woman she’s become. It’s a fitting reflection of an EP rooted in hindsight, hard-earned clarity and the freedom that comes with knowing your worth.
From the relationship advice behind “Never Beg A Man” to the full-circle leap that took her from working as a middle school guidance counselor to pursuing music full-time in Nashville, Onoleigh has plenty to say about the experiences shaping her next chapter.
“I’m not the girl who disappears in a relationship anymore,” she says. “This chapter is about knowing who I am, owning my story and having a lot of fun telling it.”
Keep scrolling to get a first look at the “Love Bomb” music video and full conversation with Onoleigh as she opens up about the stories, lessons and personal growth behind her most personal release yet. Don’t forget to let us know if you’re loving the track by leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sliding into our DMs on Instagram at @celebsecretscountry, too!
Celeb Secrets Country: You’ve described Love Bomb as a project about losing yourself in someone else and ultimately finding your way back to yourself. When you look at the Onoleigh who was writing First Rodeo versus the woman who made Love Bomb, what’s the biggest thing you think you finally understand about yourself now?
Onoleigh: “When I was writing First Rodeo, I was still trying to prove I belonged here. Making Love Bomb taught me that I can love someone with my whole heart and still keep a hand on my own. I finally understand that I’m allowed to take up space in my own life.”
CSC: The title Love Bomb is obviously a little cheeky, but there’s so much more underneath it. What does “Love Bomb” mean to you now that you’ve lived through the story behind these songs?
O: To me, ‘Love Bomb’ just means I know better now. The version of me who fell for the charm doesn’t really exist anymore, but I’m not mad at her. I have a lot of compassion for her because love bombing sneaks up on you when it comes from a master manipulator and you really don’t see it coming.”
CSC: “Losing Me In You” turns the heartbreak lens inward and asks, “Where did I go?” Was there a specific moment in your life when you realized you had been compromising so much of yourself that you needed to find your way back?
O: “Honestly, it wasn’t just one moment. It was a pattern I kept finding myself in, where I’d look up and realize I was having the same conversations with different people, like, ‘Oh, we’re here again.’ When I first wrote this song I wasn’t even in a toxic relationship and I still felt that stress, which is how I knew the problem was the pattern, not just the person.”
CSC: There’s a really interesting full-circle moment in your story: after graduating with a degree in social work, you became a middle school guidance counselor and found yourself telling your students to chase the things that scared them — only to realize you weren’t following your own advice. What did 16-year-old Onoleigh need to hear when she first started dreaming about Nashville, and what would you tell that version of yourself now?
O: “Sixteen-year-old me needed to hear that wanting something big isn’t silly or selfish. My drama teacher, Carol Allen, used to say, “If you don’t believe it, no one else will,” and I’d tell that girl to believe it a little louder. Telling my students to chase what scared them made me realize I had to go first.”
CSC: “Never Beg A Man” feels like it could become a real standout from Love Bomb. What is one piece of relationship advice you had to learn the hard way that you hope listeners can skip learning for themselves?
O: “If you have to convince someone to show up for you, that’s your answer. I learned that one the hard way, more than once! I hope this song saves somebody a few years of waiting.”
CSC: “Nothing At All” is the final preview of the EP, and the video has this gorgeous vintage, timeless feel — even though you were driving a vintage BMW with no power. What was the funniest or most chaotic moment from making the video that fans would never guess from watching it?
O: “That BMW was gorgeous, but it had zero power steering, so I was cranking that wheel around every turn while trying to make it look effortless. To fake breaking down on the side of the road, my creative director set off a leftover Fourth of July smoke bomb and fully committed to the bit, running around with it while I tried my hardest to stay in character. You’d never know it from how dreamy it looks!”
CSC: You’ve spent years learning how to command a room through your Broadway performances and live shows, but Love Bomb seems to let people hear a more intimate side of you. Did making this project change the way you think about being vulnerable as an artist, or even redefine what “strong” looks like for you?
O: “On stage I’ve always known how to hold a room, so I thought being strong meant having it all together, or at least making it look perfect. Love Bomb taught me that the bravest thing I can do is let people hear the parts I’m still figuring out, and that real strength is recognizing unhealthy patterns, being honest with myself and choosing myself anyway. Now strong looks a lot more like honest and I already feel it in my shows – it’s less of a command to be heard and more of a confidence to be heard.”
CSC: What are you hoping fans understand about you in this new chapter of your career now that the EP is out?
O: “I’m not the girl who disappears in a relationship anymore. This chapter is about knowing who I am, owning my story and having a lot of fun telling it. I’m so proud of this one.”
CSC: Celeb Secrets Country is also premiering your music video for your title track “Love Bomb.” Can you tell us more about the direction you wanted to take for this visual and how you executed it?
O: “We shot the ‘Love Bomb’ video at the Palace Theater in Gallatin, Tennessee and leaned all the way into that 1960s Hollywood feel with the marquee, the smoke, and the film grain. The idea was that the confident, self-aware version of me is sitting in the theater watching the more innocent, naive version of me up on screen, and seeing those two worlds collide was really cool. Hindsight is such a powerful perspective that only time can give you, and I felt every bit of it shooting this video.”
CSC: What are some of your favorite memories and behind-the-scenes moments from making the visual?
O: “I’d never had an entire theater to myself before, and this one was a gorgeous vintage theater, so it already felt magical. Sitting there in a fabulous dress while they pumped in smoke, with my ‘Waited Too Long’ music video playing up on the big screen for me to “watch back like a movie,” made the whole day feel so special. And after we wrapped, we went next door and had some of the best Mexican food ever!”
CSC: Since we‘re Celeb Secrets Country, can you share any secrets from making the project that we wouldn’t know just by listening to it?
O: “The track list is in a very specific order on purpose! I wanted people to listen top to bottom and go through the whole experience in order: the self-realization, the pain it takes to choose better, finally choosing better and then finally setting yourself free.”
