Adrianna Freeman's JUST A GIRL Named National Network for Youth's Theme Song

The National Network for Youth (NN4Y), the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization that advocates for the needs of runaway and homeless youth and works to strengthen families, is partnering with country singer Adrianna Freeman to use her powerful new single "Just A Girl" as a theme song. An accompanying music video is being shown on NN4Y's website, www.NN4Youth.org.

Written by Bart Butler and Karyn Rochelle, "Just A Girl" paints a cautionary portrait of a neglected child whose father abandoned her, and is now being raised by a substance-abusing mother. It is just one example of the kind of dysfunctional family environment that can cause many children to run away.

"The majority of youth who are homeless either run away or are kicked out of their home," said Darla Bardine, Policy Director for NN4Y. "These youth leave home because they are being abused or they do not feel valued; not because they are bad kids or want to party with their friends. We believe 'Just A Girl' offers a powerful message about the importance of love and safety in every child's life."

"We are all products of our environment, especially children," Freeman added. "Hopefully, 'Just A Girl' will bring awareness to how parents' decisions can have long-term effects on their children's emotional health."

The music video depicts a troubled home life in which a young girl's mother is passed out "with a bottle by her head" and, at other times, brings home boyfriends. "She wishes one of them could love her, but they don't stay long enough," Freeman sings. Through it all, we catch glimpses of the singer as a guardian angel, dressed in white, protecting the child from things she is not old enough to understand.

"Just A Girl" is being played on a growing number of radio stations and has received enthusiastic response from programmers and listeners. Music critic Chuck Dauphin wrote on the country music website Roughtstock.com that "Just A Girl" has "dramatic power."

"Just A Girl" is the first single to be released by Freeman's independent record label, AFM Entertainment, Inc. It will be included on a new EP that is expected to be released this fall. Meanwhile, Freeman is continuing to promote her current debut album "Either You Do or You Don't," which was produced by Teddy Gentry of the Grammy Award-winning country music group Alabama.

As one of the few African American female singers in country music, Adrianna Freeman is helping to break down racial stereotypes in a field that has traditionally been associated with white artists and fans. She grew up listening to country music, and dreamed of singing like Dolly Parton, Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn. After struggling in Nashville for several years, she was discovered by Teddy Gentry, the bass player and co-founder of the country super-group Alabama. Gentry invited Freeman to record a song for a compilation CD he was producing for Cracker Barrel Old Country Store. He later produced her first full-length album, which was released in 2012. Freeman has performed at Loretta Lynn's Ranch in Tennessee, and has opened for country stars Shooter Jennings and Bo Bice. For more information, visit www.AdriannaFreeman.com.

The National Network for Youth (NN4Y), founded in 1974, is the nation's leading network of homeless and runaway youth programs. The Network champions the needs of runaway, homeless, and other disconnected youth through strengthening the capacity of community-based services, facilitating resource sharing, and educating the public and policy makers. NN4Y members serve over 2.5 million youth annually across the country, working collaboratively to prevent youth homelessness and the inherent risks of living on the streets, including exploitation, human trafficking, criminal justice involvement, or getting killed on the streets. For more information about the National Network for Youth, visit www.nn4youth.org.

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