Phoebe Ryan ‘Lost Her Mind’ Over New Kaskade Collaboration ‘Almost Back’

Phoebe Ryan isn't a bona fide household pop name just yet, but the New Jersey-born singer-songwriter is well on her way to becoming one.

In 2016, Ryan collaborated with The Chainsmokers on "All We Know," which peaked at No. 18 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. She's also worked with some of the biggest and most exciting names in the industry, from singing with The Knocks to writing a track for Britney Spears' 2016 album Glory, something she calls "a once in a lifetime experience."

"It was so wild. I was in the jungle in Nicaragua when I heard Britney sing ‘Man on the Moon’ for the first time," Ryan recalls. "I got an email with the link to the song and I was like, this is a moment I will never forget. This is a woman I've grown up with and have idolized so much. That song is just so special to me."

The pop artist is, as it turns out, a little bit of a pop culture junkie, gushing about Ariana Grande's "amazing" new song; why Charli XCX doesn't get the credit she deserves; how Jersey Shore Family Vacation has "improved the quality" of her life; and fellow Jersey Girl Halsey, who she says she'd like to collaborate with eventually.

On Friday (April 26), Ryan returned with yet another collaboration: "Almost Back" alongside Kaskade and LöKii. Featuring a big, cathartic pop chorus set against a synth-padded electronic soundscape, "Almost Back" is a shimmering celebration of strength written while Ryan was going through a break up.

"I had a demo sent to me, and I remember sitting in my car and putting it on and losing my mind during the chorus," she shares. "I was like, ‘This is exactly how I feel right now!’

The track also marks the first time Ryan has worked with the famed DJ and producer, who she was initially nervous to meet. "Kaskade's huge, obviously, so I was like, I don't know what this is gonna be like! But meeting him could not have been a better experience. He's a really good guy. He has so many old pinball machines and crazy arcade games at his studio in Santa Monica... I was geeking out really hard."

Aptly, "Almost Back" also marks another sort of return for the recently sober songwriter, who quit drinking and smoking this past year in an effort to embrace self-care and prioritize her health. She's also finally back in the studio after taking some much-needed time off from writing.

“I feel things differently now, so I have to take a different approach,” Ryan shares. "The music that I've been writing lately is just a lot better in a really big way. I'm really excited to keep exploring this crazy new energy, and hope I can get an album together in a few months. That’s been my focus.”