Cody Belew

Cody Belew fuses a profound affinity for classic southern sounds with a penchant for dramatic stage presence, resulting in country-pop that balances broad appeal and personal quirkiness. His national profile rose sharply after competing on season three of The Voice in 2012, where he placed in the Top Eight during the year Cassadee Pope claimed victory. Although an album surfaced quickly in 2013, a decade of persistent songwriting and live performance was required before he discovered his distinctive voice, a span that overlapped with his open identification as a gay man. That country-pop direction surfaced with a self-titled EP in 2022. Original tracks like “Rodeo” highlighted his songwriting skill, yet his covers revealed greater creativity: Dolly Parton’s upbeat “Here You Come Again” became a somber, slow-burning rendition, while Brooks & Dunn’s barroom staple “Neon Moon” was transformed into new wave disco. The latter reflected Belew’s goal of merging disco, soft rock, and country.

Raised in Beebe, a modest rural Arkansas community, Belew began singing as a child in church. During his formative years he developed a passion for country via the Judds, the Mandrell Sisters, Reba McEntire, and Dolly Parton. After earning an early degree from Arkansas Tech University in the early 2010s, he relocated to Nashville and gained major exposure through his 2012 appearance on The Voice, where Cee Lo Green served as his coach. Near the conclusion of his stint, his interpretation of Queen’s “Somebody to Love” peaked at 34 on Rock Digital Song Sales.

Despite the visibility gained from The Voice, determining his musical direction required considerable time. He issued the 2013 album What You’re Looking For, co-written with Dustin Ransom, then toured as an opener for Rascal Flatts and Florida Georgia Line while collaborating in songwriter sessions with Waylon Payne, Deana Carter, and Hailey Whitters. Multiple recordings followed without commercial release, prompting a pivot toward country by the close of the 2010s.

Signs of that shift emerged in 2020 with a cover of Dwight Yoakam’s “A Thousand Miles from Nowhere” and the contribution of “Hang Your Hat on My Christmas Tree” to the LGBTQ+ holiday film Dashing in December, which starred Andie MacDowell. Following a relatively subdued 2021 marked by the release of the EP The East Side Covers, he delivered the self-titled EP in March 2022 and maintained a monthly residency at the Lipstick Lounge in East Nashville throughout the next year. Late in 2022 he unveiled the disco-infused version of Brooks & Dunn’s “Neon Moon,” which accumulated substantial streaming numbers. “Christmas for One” appeared during the 2022 holiday period, succeeded by the January 2023 duet “Married Alone” with Hannah Blaylock. The May 2023 single “Charlene” presented the gay Christian songwriter reflecting on an encounter in which a Christian acquaintance rejected both his identity and the sincerity of his beliefs.