Brett Eldredge

Brett Eldredge stepped forward in the mid-2010s just as bro-country started losing ground, already adept at shaping anthems yet increasingly drawn to his core identity as a country vocalist with a strong affection for romantic material. The peak successes of his early years produced three consecutive chart-toppers—“Don’t Ya,” “Beat of the Music,” and “Mean to Me”—from his 2012 debut album, while later romantic pop numbers such as the 2016 ballad “Wanna Be That Song” and 2018’s light “Love Someone” kept him inside the Country Top Ten for the remainder of the decade. After moving toward smoother, more mainstream territory on 2020’s Sunday Drive, he circled back to bright, upbeat songs with 2022’s Songs About You.

Born in Paris, Illinois, on March 23, 1986, Eldredge grew up immersed in the voices of Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, and Bobby Darin. Exposure to Brooks & Dunn at age sixteen ignited a lasting passion for country that accompanied him to Elmhurst College in Chicago. A Nashville visit during which he heard his cousin Terry Eldredge—a veteran of Dolly Parton’s band and member of the Grascals—perform at the Station Inn convinced him to transfer to Middle Tennessee State University, where he absorbed the vocal approaches of George Jones, Ray Price, and Vince Gill while writing original material and appearing at local songwriter nights. An introduction to producer and publisher Byron Gallimore followed; Gallimore placed Eldredge with his publishing company and urged him to continue developing songs.

Eldredge recorded several of his strongest compositions, and after a Nashville showcase he secured a recording contract with Atlantic Records. The first single, “Raymond,” a moving portrait of an Alzheimer’s patient, appeared in September 2010 and earned meaningful radio attention. Its 2011 successor, “It Ain’t Gotta Be Love,” performed modestly, yet 2012’s “Don’t Ya” became a genuine hit, exceeding one million units and reaching number five on the Country Singles chart. Bring You Back, his debut album, arrived in August 2013 and contained “Raymond,” “Don’t Ya,” plus the follow-up successes “Beat of the Music” and “Mean to Me.” Eldredge opened for Taylor Swift on her 2013 tour and shared bills with Darius Rucker in 2015. May 2015 brought another country hit, “Lose My Mind,” which climbed to number 12 on the Hot Country Songs chart, and “Just a Taste” followed in July 2015.

His second album, Illinois, released September 11, 2015, reinforced his standing when two singles—“Lose My Mind” and “Drunk on Your Love”—both reached number two on Billboard’s Hot Country chart. “Wanna Be That Song,” peaking at 17, sustained the project’s chart presence into 2016, and he issued the holiday collection Glow that October. February 2017 saw the single “Somethin’ I’m Good At,” six months before the August arrival of his self-titled third album. The Brett Eldredge album entered at number one on Billboard’s Country charts and yielded two Top Ten Country Airplay tracks, “The Long Way” and “Love Someone.”

An EP of material from his fourth album, Sunday Drive, surfaced in spring 2020, led by the single “Gabrielle.” By the LP’s July release, “Gabrielle” had reached 27 on Country Airplay. The full record debuted at five on Billboard’s Country charts and 42 on the Top 200. He next delivered the seasonal set Mr. Christmas in October 2021. Eldredge resumed his customary upbeat direction with 2022’s Songs About You.