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One of the most engaging singles of Carrie Underwood’s early career was “Cowboy Casanova,” a warning to other women about a “snake with blue eyes” posing for his next victim in a barroom, delivered as big, KISS-quality guitars bashed out power chords underneath.
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Matt Stell’s “Breakin’ In Boots” is the male version of that song. Though the artist says, “I’ve never thought about that,” the similarities are all there: the night-spot locale, the exhortation to another guy about the danger an alluring female patron poses and even a reference to snakeskin. In this case, the serpentine comment is a note about the other man’s leather boots, but it’s easy to see the reptillian innuendo as an allusion to the woman’s forked tongue.
More than anything, it’s Stell paying homage to an item in his own closet.
“Years ago, I bought this pair of boots that I had no business buying,” he says. “It took them, I don’t know, about a year’s time to make ‘em. They drew ‘em to my foot and made ‘em and I remember when those boots came in. I’ll be married and buried in those boots. They’re python.”
The storyline of “Breakin’ In Boots” is personal, too. Stell had spotted a woman at a Nashville bar in March wearing boots that looked quite similar to his. He was in the process of closing his tab, and by the time he was free to go introduce himself and compare footwear, she was gone.
Within a few days, Stell staked out a writers room at Apple Music’s office in Nashville’s Wedgewood-Houston district for a local writing retreat. After a morning co-write, he shared the space that afternoon with writer-producer Joe Fox (“Last Night Lonely”); Los Angeles-based Nate Cyphert (“H.O.L.Y.”); and Ben Stennis (“’Til You Can’t,” “Make You Mine”), who presented the “Breakin’ In Boots” title. Everyone liked it, particularly Stell.
“The great thing about Stell,” says Stennis, “is he knows what he wants to do, and he’s very direct about it.”
The title allowed them to paint a barroom Barbie as someone who gets a kick out of using and abusing men’s emotions, and it was ideal for an aggressive musical framework, which would assist Stell’s concerts. With that in mind, Fox kicked into a four-chord progression on guitar that’s either in the key of C-major or the related A-minor; since each chord keeps rolling into the next, the home base isn’t as clear as it would have been if they were adhering to the rules that guided music-theory icon J.S. Bach.
“If you understand Bach, you could definitely understand Matt Stell,” Fox deadpans.
Stell wanted to drop John Anderson’s “Straight Tequila Night” in the opening line – that 1992 chart-topper documented a similarly bitter beauty – and it set a proper tone, but the writing wasn’t entirely linear. They bounced a bit between the opening verse and chorus.
“It’s like tightening up the lug nuts on a tire you’re changing,” Stell says. “You get them all started, and then you cinch ‘em down in kind of a star pattern. You don’t go one after the other. Somehow that kind of works.”
Midway through the chorus, they ID’d the woman as a “cowboy killer” who’s “shootin’” bourbon.
“Cowboy Killer” was a title Stell had tried to write previously – it’s also been the hook for album cuts by Jason Aldean and by Ian Munsick and Ryan Charles. And Dustin Lynch named his current album Killed the Cowboy.
“We all grew up talking about Marlboros being cowboy killers, at least in Georgia,” Stennis says. “We knew cigarettes are called cowboy killers, and so we kind of just thought calling a girl a cowboy killer instead was kind of cool.”
It certainly implies that she’s smokin’…
“Smokin’ cigarettes or just smokin’ beautiful,” Stennis quips. “Either one.”
The writing progressed without a lot of setbacks, but “Boots” still needed a bridge, and maybe a little more work on the second verse. Apple, unfortunately, was closing up shop for the day, and since they had maybe just a half-hour of work left, they went out to Stell’s Ford F-150 in the parking lot and kept writing there in public, undeterred by the prospect of passersby hearing their unfinished work.
“I didn’t really think about it at the time,” Cyphert says. “But I think we were excited about the song and were pretty wrapped up in it. We already had the chorus where we knew there’s something here. So I think that we didn’t even put that much thought into who could have heard or who was walking about.”
Despite that public-facing scenario, the parking lot is where “Boots” reached its most vulnerable moment. They fashioned a bridge that temporarily broke the repetitive chord structure, and the singer doubled down on his warning that the smokin’-hot woman would leave potential suitors broken. He implied that he had firsthand knowledge.
“Bridges are always my favorite part of the song,” Cyphert notes. “I think it’s nice to give a listener one more new little piece of something before you launch them back into a chorus, and in this case, I feel like the bridge is the most emotional part of the song. It’s kind of the soft side of the whole situation.”In the ensuing days, Stennis built a demo with a four-on-the-floor drum pattern that felt sort of danceable. Stell liked it, but had other ideas, and asked Fox to work something up with a little more of a rock tone. Fox infused more dynamics into it, paring back at the end of the first verse to a haunting piano background, which made the launch of the anthemic chorus even more pronounced. He also developed a down chorus for the post-bridge section, and rolled in a high-energy banjo part on the chorus to amp it even further.
“There’s a banjo on meth cranking through that song,” Stennis says.
Stell began using “Breakin’ In Boots” as the closer for his concerts almost immediately, replacing “Shut The Truck Up.” They subsequently recorded the final master at the Black River compound on Nashville’s Music Row during the summer with a cadre of studio musicians playing on top of Fox’s demo. Most of his playing on that demo bit the dust, though some of it remained intact.
“I would have programmed drums, but those would be replaced,” Fox says. “It was mostly the little things [that stayed in] — the baritone electric guitar that’s in there, that’s my guitar from the demo. Same with some of the other guitars that are in there, and there was my banjo from the demo.”
RECORDS Nashville released “Breakin’ In Boots” to digital service providers on Oct. 6, then shipped it to country radio via PlayMPE on Nov. 6. The woman who inspired it will likely never know she’s the subject.
And Stell still doesn’t know if she really is the heartbreaker the song implies.
“She could have very well been,” he allows. “I never got a chance to find out.”
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Tyler Childers just notched his first top 50 country radio hit with “In Your Love,” which peaks at No. 50 on Billboard‘s Country Airplay this week — and his longtime supporter, fellow singer/songwriter and “I Remember Everything” hitmaker Zach Bryan, offered up some thoughts on the milestone.
Bryan expressed his frustration that Childers is just now, after releasing music for more than a decade and becoming one of Americana music’s biggest artists, seeing a song break through on mainstream country radio.
On X (formerly Twitter), Bryan wrote, “‘First Ever’ is f—n insane, one of the best songwriters to ever do it.”
As several of Bryan’s fans chimed in to agree, Bryan added another statement, this time taking a shot at radio and mentioning a smash hit from singer/songwriter Walker Hayes.
“Imagine being radio (whoever the hell that is), hearing [Childers’] ‘Shake the Frost’ and being like, ‘no no let’s go with the Applebees song,’” Bryan wrote, referencing a line in Hayes’ TikTok-dance-fueled hit “Fancy Like,” which reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2021 and stayed atop the Hot Country Songs chart for 24 weeks.
Imagine being radio (whoever the hell that is), hearing Shake the Frost and being like ‘no no let’s go with the Applebees song’ https://t.co/8ZWuBXoBYM— Zach Bryan (@zachlanebryan) January 9, 2024
“In Your Love” is from Childers’ sixth studio album Rustin’ in the Rain, which reached No. 4 on Billboard‘s Top Country Albums chart and No. 10 on the all-genre Billboard 200 last year. “In Your Love” also peaked at No. 43 on the Hot 100 in December. The song is at No. 7 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart, where Childers previously had a top 40 hit with “House Fire” and saw his song “All Your’n” reach No. 16. “All Your’n” also reached No. 46 on the Hot Country Songs chart, which incorporates streaming data.
Since Childers released his debut album, Bottles and Bibles, in 2011, he’s earned an RIAA Platinum album with 2017’s Purgatory, along with two Gold albums (2019’s Country Squire and 2018’s Live on Red Barn Radio I & II) and steadily ascended to headliner status. In 2020, Childers earned the Americana Music Honor for emerging artist of the year. This year, Childers is nominated for multiple Grammys, including “In Your Love” being up for best country song, best country solo performance and best music video.
Bryan later clarified his statement after one X commenter criticized his mention of Hayes.
“not insulting anyone! Meant it with humor not malice, different strokes different folks was just bent about the first ever on mainstream radio thing my bad,” Bryan wrote.
not insulting anyone! Meant it with humor not malice, different strokes different folks was just bent about the first ever on mainstream radio thing my bad https://t.co/3LbcCSuHAr— Zach Bryan (@zachlanebryan) January 9, 2024
This year, Bryan has had his own smash hit, “I Remember Everything,” his collaboration with Kacey Musgraves. The song debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100, has topped the Hot Country Songs chart for the past 15 weeks, and is currently at No. 28 on Country Airplay.
Bryan and Childers have been chief among several more Americana, acoustic and/or roots-oriented artists, such as Dylan Gossett, Charles Wesley Godwin and Wyatt Flores, who have seen various successes on the charts and performance fronts over the past year or so, including leading a plethora of new festivals.
Jelly Roll‘s career has been on a swiftly upward trajectory since he earned his first Billboard No. 1 hit, “Dead Man Walking,” in 2021, gaining acclaim and commercial success including three Country Airplay No. 1s, earning the new artist of the year honor at November’s CMA Awards and more. In 2023, Jelly Roll was also featured on the cover of Billboard’s Country Power Players issue.
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But the Antioch, Tenn. native recently revisited the place where he spent some of his more troubled years…and the place that sparked inspiration for so many of his songs.
As part of a recent interview with CBS News Sunday Morning, Jelly Roll visited his former jail cell at Metro-Davidson County Detention Facility in Nashville. From the age of 14, Jelly Roll spent years in and out of juvenile and adult correctional facilities for crimes including drug dealing and aggravated robbery. But he also had a passion for music, making hip-hop mixtapes and giving them away to people he met.
“There was a time in my life where I truly thought this was it,” the singer-songwriter said, growing emotional as he spoke with CBS News Sunday Morning‘s Kelefa Sanneh. “And then, coming here after being nominated for two Grammys just hits different.”
He added, “I wrote hundreds of songs right here. I wrote [the 2010 song] ‘Ridin’ All Alone’ chorus right here.”
He signed with BBR Music Group’s Stoney Creek Records, after BMG Nashville president Jon Loba heard “Save Me,” which appeared on Jelly Roll’s 2020 album Self Medicated. In 2021, his song “Dead Man Walking” topped Billboard‘s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart. He followed with three consecutive Country Airplay chart-toppers, “Son of a Sinner,” “Need a Favor,” and a new version of “Save Me,” a collaboration with his BBR Music Group labelmate Lainey Wilson. His debut country album, Whitsitt Chapel, debuted at No. 2 on the Top Country Albums chart, and a No. 3 on the Billboard 200.
Heading into 2024, Jelly Roll is nominated for Grammys for best new artist, as well as best country duo/group performance, for “Save Me.” Later this month, his new single, “Halfway to Hell,” will impact country radio on Jan. 22.
Watch Jelly Roll’s full interview below.
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Three months after Maren Morris filed for divorce from her husband of five years, singer/songwriter Ryan Hurd, the couple have reached an agreement. According to People magazine, the former couple reached an accord on all issues regarding their divorce, with the two signing the notarized papers on Dec. 28 and Jan. 4, respectively, according to […]
Sports and music company The Familie has expanded to Nashville, and is set to make Music City the company’s national headquarters.
“Nashville is a city that is inspired by culture, diversity, arts and entertainment, and – from a business perspective – encourages entrepreneurship and growth with no state-income tax and a low barrier to entry for real estate, including commercial real estate,” The Familie founder/CEO Steve Astephen tells Billboard via email.
The Familie’s roster includes Machine Gun Kelly, Avril Lavigne, Jaden Hossler, Games We Play and sombr.
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Former Universal Music Group Nashville executive vp of promotion Royce Risser will lead the company’s new country music division and oversee the Nashville office’s operations. Chase Berlin has been hired as the company’s first artist manager in Nashville.
Risser has more than three decades of music industry experience, starting at MCA Records as an intern in 1991 before being hired as a promotion assistant. Risser rose through the ranks at UMGN, leading promotion efforts and rising to executive vp of promotion. Along the way, Risser worked with artists including George Strait, Vince Gill, Reba McEntire, Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Chris Stapleton, Sam Hunt, Eric Church, Carrie Underwood, Dierks Bentley, Jon Pardi and Brothers Osborne.
Berlin will work under Risser to sign and develop country artists and build out the genre’s division for The Familie. A University of Florida graduate, Berlin previously worked at management company The AMG and at WME.
“It’s been immediately clear to me that The Familie does things differently,” said Risser in a statement. “I appreciate the team’s non-transactional approach to management, thoughtfully building artist brands and legacies through collaboration and a vast network of cross-industry alliances. Steve Astephen could easily be the smartest, most connected person I’ve ever met and can’t wait to work alongside him in this role. I know this team will be a refreshing addition to the Nashville scene while also integrating with and honoring the history and pedigree of Music Row. I’m absolutely fired up and honored to be at the helm of The Familie’s arrival in Nashville.”
Astephen tells Billboard, “Diversity of thought and experience is what helped us transform sports representation in the 2000s and it’s what will help us do the same in music — which is essentially to not just think outside the box, but to create the box…I entered sports representation from a brand and retail perspective, then music management from a sports agency perspective. Royce has been in radio, which, of course, drives country music. He’s been in marketing and promotions. These are the types of things that add additional opportunities for an artist who signs with us. If you sign with The Familie as a musical artist, we’re looking at: How do we bring you into the sports world? How do we bring you into radio marketing? We’re not just managing an artist’s career, we’re expanding it.”
The first artist signed to the company’s country division is singer-songwriter Evanthia Theodorou.
“She’s the perfect example of the type of artist we look for, which is someone with a 360 degree brand, who is highly marketable, personable, has good values, and appeals to a wide audience through various channels of promotion,” Astephen says, estimating that the country music division could represent up to seven artists.
Astephen launched The Familie in 1998; the company also works with sports figures including football player Daniel Carlson, surfer Eli Hanneman, rally driver Oliver Solberg and tennis player Cooper Williams.
Looking ahead, Astephen says The Familie is making its move into Nashville at the perfect time. “I see the industry shifting to show how marketable the country music genre is globally,” he says. “Obviously, we have to respect what Nashville is to country music, but country artists are global superstars and only growing. So with us coming in–along with other companies–I think you’ll see more brand partnerships, more national television commercials. I’m really excited for us to be part of this and to help challenge the industry to do more than just traditional music management.”
This week’s Must-Hear New Country column features newcomers, legends and legends-in-the-making. Charley Crockett teams with Willie Nelson for a duet, while Brittney Spencer, Megan Moroney, Elvie Shane and more reliable favorites offer up stellar new releases.
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Charley Crockett and Willie Nelson, “That’s What Makes the World Go Around”
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Two of Texas’ most towering truth-tellers combine forces, as Crockett and the nonagenarian Red Headed Stranger team up for this sacredly country tale, which Crockett co-wrote with Kullen Fox, Rich Brotherton and Taylor Grace. Nelson’s music has been a key influence on Crockett’s own unique hybrid of styles, with Crockett having previously performed as part of Nelson’s Outlaw Music Festival. Here, the two convey the story of a woman torn between the allure of dark bars with a vibrant honky-tonk sound, and the wholesome appeal of lighthearted moments such as soaking in the joy of watching children playing outdoors. This unadorned track adeptly weaves Nelson’s distinctive voice and guitar playing with Crockett’s earthy, soulful sound.
Brittney Spencer, “Night In”
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This electrifying groove makes an evening staying in with comfy clothes, good friends and favorite tunes spinning as irresistible as any dressed up night on the town. Spencer mixes up rock riffs, vivid lyrics and her nimble, captivating voice, then further heightens the fun and girl power with backing vocals from her friend and fellow singer-songwriter Maren Morris. Written by Spencer, Jessica Cayne and Summer Overstreet, with production by Daniel Tashian, this makes for an alluring preview to Spencer’s upcoming album My Stupid Life, out Jan. 19.
Elvie Shane, “What Do I Know”
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Shane broke through with the tender stepfather/stepson ode “My Boy” in 2021. Since then, he’s issued songs that remind listeners of his affiliation for hard rock anthems. He continues that vision on his latest preview to his upcoming album, Damascus (out April 19). He wrote “What Do I Know” with Dan Couch, Jonathan Sherwood and Oscar Charles, with Charles producing.
Lyrically, Shane is in reflective mode, cataloging things he feels to be true, ranging from his preference for Coke mixed with Jack Daniels, a six-string guitar as the premier vessel for storytelling, and his belief that grudges mostly harm those who hold them. The production starts out more sparse than some of his previous efforts, but swiftly accelerates into his signature full-bodied, guitar-driven sound. His voice retains a world-weary edge, but it’s when the song draws to a close that he showcases the Southern rock rawness it possesses.
Tigirlily Gold, “I Tried a Ring On”
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Tigirlily Gold previously earned a Country Airplay top 40 hit with the feel-good anthem “Shoot Tequila.” Here, this harmonically savvy sibling duo unearths the nuance of reticence of moving on after a relationship that once held so much hope has fizzled. The duo’s sisters, Kendra and Krista Slaubaugh, wrote the song with Josh Jenkins and Pete Good. They describe the relational aspirations held to the heart — envisioning the wedding day, the dress and all the matrimonial ceremony details — before taking the blame for not seeing the relationship for the short-lived moment that it was.
Annie Bosko, Annie Bosko EP
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Bosko issues this self-titled, five-song EP, chock-full of ’90s country sounds and a stellar roster of writers contributing to the project, including Hannah Dasher, Wynn Varble, Bridgette Tatum and Trent Tomlinson. The sinewy R&B-country come-on of “Neon Baby” is superb, as the singer/songwriter sets up essentials for a romantic evening with candles and classic country tunes spinning. Meanwhile, “Boots On” is a countrified female empowerment anthem, a twangy celebration of hard-working ladies who know how to have fun when the workweek winds down. She continues her rollicking ways on “Honky Tonk Highway” and the Lainey Wilson-penned “He Gone.” Overall, Bosko’s vocal is energetic and competent, with a set of songs seemingly tailor-made for rousing live shows.
Drake Milligan, “Don’t Leave Me Loving You”
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Milligan has previously gained fans through his rowdy boot-stompers such as “I Got a Problem” and “Sounds Like Something I’d Do.” But here, he artfully employs his silky, hearty twang to this pleading ballad. He knows a relationship is coming to an end, but he asks not for another chance, but rather an irrefutable certainty to its ending. “Come leave me hurt, come leave me mad/ Come leave my heart broken in half,” he sings, on this solid throwback ’90s country arrangement, crafted by Ben Stennis, Bobby Pinson and Matt Rogers.
Megan Moroney, “What Are You Listening To?“
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It’s a tall order for any artist to take on a song previously recorded by lion-throated singer Chris Stapleton, but “I Ain’t Pretty” singer-songwriter Moroney puts her own introspective spin on this early 2013 Stapleton release. Moroney previously released a live performance video of the song and quickly followed with this studio version. Here, Moroney eschews any attempt to replicate Stapleton’s penchant for full-throated angst, but rather wraps her elegant voice, all purr and scratch, around the lyric, drawing out more sadness and resignation than agony. Her debut album Lucky has already proven her skill as a writer — this track further evinces her skill as a vocal interpreter as well.
Shaylen, “Been There Before”
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When a potential lover invites her back to his place, she turns him down, knowing his ruse makes him practically indistinguishable from suitors that have come before him. “I bet you’ll take my coat to show you’re a gentleman/ Hang it in the closet next to your skeletons,” she sings on this track that spills with specific, accusatory details, also noting a photoframe facedown in his room, a bottle of whiskey by his bedside and “dirty laundry all over the floor.” The song’s pop-country production gives off early Taylor Swift vibes at moments, but Shaylen delivers with strong, wisened confidence.
Grammy winner Chris Tomlin will embark on his first major global headlining trek in over a decade when his Holy Forever World Tour launches in April, Billboard can exclusively reveal.
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Since releasing his debut album in 1993, Tomlin’s name has become synonymous with modern worship music, as the Texas native has issued songs that have evolved into music standards sung by church congregations around the world. He has earned 11 Christian Airplay chart-toppers, including the 15-week No. 1 “Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies)” and the 18-week No. 1 “Made to Worship.” His 2013 album Burning Lights debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart, becoming the fourth Christian album to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
In addition to Stateside concerts in such cities as Boston, Seattle and Las Vegas, the Holy Forever World Tour will make stops in England, the Netherlands, Germany and Hungary. The trek follows Tomlin’s sold-out U.S. Evening of Worship fall 2023 tour, which wrapped in November.
“I’ve never played in Hungary or Dusseldorf [Germany] — those [cities] near the end of that European run will be brand new for me,” Tomlin tells Billboard of gearing up for the overseas shows. “There’s something about when I’ve played overseas, there’s something about the hunger to those audiences. In America, we have so much — especially even when it comes to Christian music, there’s so many concerts going on and churches on every street. But in a lot of places, that just doesn’t happen. I remember a few places we played around the world, we played a two-hour set and they’re like, ‘Are you kidding me? That’s all you’re going to play?’ So, we played for another two hours. It’s exciting to be part of that. Music is global. The church is global.”
Sibling trio CAIN, known for Christian Airplay chart-toppers “Yes, He Can” and “Rise Up (Lazarus),” as well as the top 10 hit “I’m So Blessed,” will open the U.S. shows on the tour.
“They are the hottest thing going, as far as our genre of music and all the new bands that are coming out,” Tomlin says of the trio’s Taylor, Madison and Logan Cain. “They are resonating with the next generation and their music is so good. They are siblings, so their harmonies are insane. They have such a heart for worship and for connecting with people.”
It also doesn’t hurt that Tomlin’s daughters are big fans of the group. “Every morning when I’m taking my girls to school, we have ‘I’m So Blessed’ cranked up in the car. So to have them on the tour will bring a really different dynamic than I’ve had on my tours.”
He says attendees can expect some onstage collaborations between Tomlin and CAIN. “I think it has to happen,” he says, recalling a recent jam session with the group. “We were playing and writing a bit; I had my guitar with me and the three of them were singing. It was so spontaneous and real and pure. I have a great expectation for those shows.”
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The Holy Forever Tour’s namesake is Tomlin’s 2023 six-week No. 1 Christian Airplay hit “Holy Forever,” which Tomlin wrote with Brian Johnson, Jenn Johnson, Phil Wickham and Jason Ingram.
“I think it’s one of those songs that probably will be one of the anchor songs of my career,” Tomlin says, noting that the writing session drew together separate song and melody ideas from Tomlin, Ingram and Johnson, melding them into “Holy Forever.”
“When it started crystalizing, it was like, ‘Wow, these different parts of songs we all had are coming together,’” Tomlin says, noting the key line from the song, “A thousand generations falling down in worship.” “Generation after generation, we’re just the next one to take the baton and every generation has done it differently,” he says.
Given the song’s global impact, Tomlin has a singular hope for every concert on the upcoming tour.
“I always pray when people are walking through those doors that they sense the grace of God, that on these nights people who are carrying heavy burdens are lifted up again in their soul and they’re reminded of God’s grace, to remind us of something greater than ourselves,” he says.
Pre-sale for Tomlin’s Holy Forever Tour begins Jan. 19, with general on-sale starting Jan. 22 at christomlin.com.
Holy Forever World Tour dates:
Thursday, April 18: Newark, NJ – Prudential CenterFriday, April 19: Hershey, PA – GIANT CenterSaturday, April 20: Boston, MA – Agganis ArenaWednesday, April 24: Tulsa, OK – Mabee CenterThursday, April 25: St Louis, MO – Chaifetz ArenaSaturday, April 27: Kansas City, MO – Cable Dahmer ArenaWednesday, May 1: Spokane, WA – Spokane ArenaThursday, May 2: Everett, WA – Angel of the Winds ArenaFriday, May 3: Portland, OR – Moda CenterThursday, May 9: Fresno, CA – Save Mart CenterFriday, May 10: Anaheim, CA – Honda CenterSaturday, May 11: Henderson, NV – Dollar Loan CenterSunday, May 26: West Sussex, UK – Winston House – Big Church Day OutMonday, May 27: Belfast, United Kingdom (UK) – SSE Arena BelfastTuesday, May 28: Rotterdam, Netherlands (NL) – Ahoy ArenaThursday, May 30: Düsseldorf, Germany (DE) – Mitsubishi Electric Halle – D.LIVESaturday, June 1: Szeged, Hungary -Hungary Szent Gellert Forom (Forum) Stadion – This Is The Day (separate from tour)
Over the past year, Texas native George Birge has steadily ascended Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, earning a top 5 hit with his debut single “Mind on You.” The song’s success represents a full-circle moment, given that the song was previously on hold for Jason Aldean.
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“This has probably been the wildest 12 months or so of my life,” Birge tells Billboard during an interview in Nashville. He wrote “Mind on You” in 2020 with Jaron Boyer, Michael Tyler and Colt Ford. At the time, Birge, previously half of country duo Waterloo Revival, was amid a career shift.
“I had been chasing the artist dream, and I had gotten close, had some failures to launch,” he recalls. “I asked out of a previous deal and there was an eight-month period where I was writing songs for other artists. We pitched ‘Mind on You’ to Jason, who’s a huge influence on me musically, and we got an email back, saying, ‘Jason wants it for his new record.’ He was by far the biggest artist to want one of my songs. I thought that was going to be the life-changer for me.”
In 2021, Birge began releasing snippets of music on TikTok. Birge happened upon a video from TikToker Erynn Chambers, which used the phrase “Beer, beer, truck, truck, girls in tight jeans” to lampoon the tropes used in many country songs. Birge based the chorus of his song “Beer Beer, Truck Truck” on the viral video (Chambers is credited as a co-writer). The song earned more than 5 million Spotify streams, and in the process, introduced Birge as a solo artist.
Birge parlayed the streaming surge into a record deal, signing with RECORDS Nashville in 2021. When RECORDS CEO Barry Weiss heard “Mind on You,” he made a pivotal phone call to Birge.
“He said, ‘We can’t wait to work with you, but that song you’re giving to Jason Aldean, that’s going to be your debut single. You need to ask for it back,’” Birge recalls. “That was a scary prospect. At the time, I was struggling to launch my career, barely scraping by monetarily, and I decided not to let one of the biggest artists in Nashville cut my song — which would have guaranteed me some money. Instead, I bet on myself and it was a one-in-a-million long shot.”
In 2024, the WME-repped Birge will tour with fellow Texas artist Parker McCollum. Below, Billboard’s January Country Rookie of the Month discusses his musical beginnings, the success of “Mind on You,” and the career wisdom he’s gleaned along the way.
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You recently released a remixed version of “Mind on You” featuring Charlieonnafriday and Kidd G. How did they come to be on the track?
I wanted to do a remix to give it the biggest pop it can possibly get when it’s at max visibility. I had seen an interview with Charlieonnafriday where he said he was new to country music but liked it. I had been a fan of his, so I sent him a note to ask if he would be on the song. Kidd G has one of the most authentic vocals of anybody I know. I sent it to Charlie and Kidd on the same day, hoping one of them would say yes. They both said “yes” in like 10 minutes, so we had both jump on the song.
Did you give them any guidance on their verses?
We didn’t give them any direction on their verses; we let them write what they wanted to write. Each artist looked at the song through a different lens. I wrote the song about my wife and how I feel about her. Charlieonnafriday wrote about a past love interest, where they still think about each other. Kidd G wrote about a full-on breakup, where he’s missing her. It was cool to see how “Mind on You” could translate to different people’s perspective and have us flip the hook on all three different verses.
Have you spoken with Jason Aldean since releasing “Mind on You”?
When I asked for the song back, he was unbelievably kind and gracious, but I never met him in person. About two months ago, we were both at a party and some of our mutual friends introduced us. He was like, “I’ve been watching the song and I’ve been rooting for you.” To have him say that was so gratifying.
He also filled me in on some parallels of what I’m doing and how he started his career — he told me about a failed record deal when he got started and later how one song changed his life and how at the time he had his first hit, [Aldean’s label home] Broken Bow Records was kind of a startup label. He talked about finding his lane, building a brand and scaling from clubs up to arenas and amphitheaters. I left that conversation feeling 10 feet tall, because it was so inspiring. I’m very thankful for the time I got to spend talking with him.
You were previously part of the duo Waterloo Revival. How do you think that experience prepared you for where you are now in your career?
I’m thankful for every second and learned more than I ever have during that time. We started as a bar band in Austin, Texas. I was working a desk job for a real estate company, but music was my passion. We started getting traction and sold out the Rattle Inn, a 300-400 person room, every time we would play there. Some Nashville industry folks flew down and before I knew it, I had a management deal, a record deal. It forced me to figure out who I want to be, what I wanted to say, how to put on a live show—because there’s a huge difference between standing behind a microphone in a club for 90 minutes and going on tour with Toby Keith, entertaining 30,000 people in an amphitheater.
What other lessons have you learned along the way?
In 2020, when I ended up asking out of that record deal, the only way I was going to do an artist project was if I was making the music that I wanted to make. RECORDS said they wanted to invest in giving me the best opportunity to be who I wanted to be as an artist, and they’ve been true to that. I feel like “Mind on You” is the first time I’ve gotten to be true to myself, storytelling-wise and sonically. Country fans are good at sniffing out what’s authentic and what’s manufactured. It’s gratifying to get to be myself and have it become the first thing that’s also ever taken off.
When did you find your passion for music?
My mom and dad weren’t musicians, but they loved music. My dad’s truck probably is where I fell in love with country music, listening to the radio. With it being Austin, there’s live music around all the time. I started writing songs in middle school. My freshman year of high school, I had started a band and we would go play on Sixth Street in downtown Austin. At the time, I thought everywhere was like that, playing on Sixth Street as a 14-year-old with “Xs” on your hand [for being underage] and having your friends coming out to shows.
The other cool thing about Austin was everybody had a garage band or music project, but nobody was in a cover band. We all wrote our own songs. I feel like that was the biggest head start my hometown gave me when I moved to Nashville: I had already had a foundation in how to write songs. Being in Nashville, with the best songwriters in the world, I’ve learned something new every day — but I at least felt like I could hang with other songwriters when I moved here.
What was the first concert you ever saw?
Bryan White and LeAnn Rimes at the Frank Erwin Center [in Austin]. She was fresh off [her breakthrough hit] ‘Blue,’ so that was cool.
Who would be your dream collaborator?
Gary Allan has had a huge influence on me. He’s got a lot of that grit and dark, smoky sound that I’ve tried to make my own.
You released your full-length album, George Birge: Mind on You, in 2023. What is next for you?
There’s a song that I just wrote called “Cowboy Songs” will come out as my next single. We started playing that live, and I’ve never seen a song react with fans like that one has.
You will be featured as part of Country Radio Seminar’s New Faces of Country Music Show in 2024, alongside Megan Moroney, Conner Smith, Dillon Carmichael and Corey Kent. What does that mean to you?
My friends at country radio, and at streaming, have changed my life this year. To be considered part of this class, with these artists, I feel so lucky — and to look at other artists and how they have gone from New Faces to selling out arenas and amphitheaters, it’s inspiring.
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