Good Mythical Morning host Rhett McLaughlin is venturing down a new career path. After being known as one half of the comedy duo Rhett & Link for the past two decades, the comedian and YouTube series host has launched his country music career, something that has been several years in the making.
McLaughlin first announced his new career path back in early July, sharing with his followers that he had “been working on a personal music project since 2019.” According to McLaughlin, he first began writing songs more than three years ago “as a way to process a lot of the thoughts/feelings I’d had during my spiritual deconstruction.” Although he had “no concrete intentions or ambitions for these songs,” he finally decided to release his first single, “Believe Me,” under the stage name James and the Shame on July 15 after realizing that “the music was doing a lot for me” and wondering “if it would be helpful to others from similar backgrounds with similar stories.” McLaughlin, who later gave fans a sneak peek of his first single in a TikTok video, went on to share, “now, here I am with a full-length album dropping in the fall and my first single dropping next week.” He concluded the post by teasing that there is “lots more to come.”
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Upon releasing his first single, McLaughlin said he “would be happy if this song resonates with just one person with a similar story to mine, just to let them know that they are not alone in trying to navigate this life.” He has since gone on to release an official lyric video for “Believe Me,” also later sharing a note on the significance behind the song, with a second single, “Where We’re Going,” set to drop on Friday, Aug. 19. Of the new single, McLaughlin shared, “my next single is about this lady that I’ve loved for a long time (even though she closes her eyes in 43% of all pictures).”
McLaughlin’s career move has been met with an outpouring of support. Commenting on his initial post announcing his move to country music, one person wrote, “it’s happening, oh my god it’s happening. EVERYBODY STAY CALM.” Another person commented, “I can’t wait to be able to listen! Thank you for sharing and express yourself in this beautiful way.”
While McLaughlin is venturing down a new career path, he isn’t leaving the Rhett & Link comedy duo, which consists of him and long-time friend Charles Lincoln “Link” Neal III. Self-styled as “Internetainers,” the pair are known for creating and hosting the YouTube series Good Mythical Morning, as well as several other projects. The pair are set to appear alongside one another at the upcoming Good Mythical Evening event on Moment House.
