Since the release ofHurricane,Combs,33,has steadily established himself as something of a unicorn in the industry:a bona fide country music star with mainstream appeal. In 2019 his second album,What You See Is What You Get debuted at number one on the general Billboard charts,notching up the most single-week streams for a country album in US chart history.
It’s no small achievement considering country is a genre that usually exists in a kind of vacuum;there are music fans,and there are country music fans.
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“There are many people who won’t listen to something if it’s country;they hear the start of it and switch it off,” says Combs. Plenty of country artists have looked to counter that sentiment by teaming up with a pop star to try and win over a new audience. Think Tim McGraw and Nelly,Keith Urban and Pitbull,or Chris Stapleton and Justin Timberlake. Taylor Swift got her start in country,but it was her pivot to pop that cemented her status as one of the most popular and successful artists of all time.
But despite being a self-confessed Adele lover (“She’s incredible man,I love her”),Combs isn’t interested in shortcuts,nor does he need them.
“I’m not necessarily against it,but it seems like a lot of those[collaborations] are done to gain popularity,” he says. “I wouldn’t do it just to tap into a new audience,it would still have to feel like I was in my lane.”
Instead,he is bridging that gap by writing songs that are catchy,slick and,above all,relatable.
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Combs is the first person to admit that he isn’t exactly reinventing the wheel when it comes to country music. His back catalogue is full of songs about drinking (Beer Never Broke My Heart),heartbreak (Outrunnin’ Your Memory)and good times(1,2 Many).
What seems to set Combs apart is an air of authenticity. With his burly build and trademark trucker cap,he is the everyman singing about everyday things.
“Country music can get repetitive if you let it,but I try not to think about the ‘themes’ too much when I’m writing and instead think about what I’m feeling,” says Combs.
“I believe that great music is great music,so I just try to write songs that I love and that I think people will enjoy,and I’m lucky that some people who traditionally would not have listened to my music seem to like it.”
With a sold-out tour on the horizon and fans eagerly awaiting his new record,it’s safe to say Luke Combs star has definitely arrived.
If only someone had told the team atThe Voice.
Luke Combs new recordGettin’ Old is out Friday,March 24.
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