Kane Brown burst onto the music scene with his “Used to Love You Sober” in 2015, and has followed with hit after hit, including his “What Ifs” duet with Lauren Alaina and his recent No. 1 single, “Lose It.” Brown unashamedly tests the genre boundaries of country music, which he says he may not have had the courage to do without some of his musical role models.
“I just think that it’s a different time,” Brown told PopCulture.com. “I didn’t really forge my own path. I think [Florida Georgia Line], Sam Hunt and Thomas Rhett helped me forge my own way. I’m just here doing my own thing now, and my fans are helping me.”
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Brown doesn’t rely on just his own ears to figure out which song to release. The 25-year-old also depends on his wife, Katelyn, as well as his more than three million Facebook followers.
“I listen to it about 100 times, and if I don’t get tired of it, then I usually think it’s a pretty good song,” Brown explained. “I usually get my wife’s input and my team’s input, my band’s input. I always put my stuff on Facebook, so I know if it’s going to be good or not before it comes out.”
Brown will soon hit the road with Jason Aldean, on Aldean’s Ride All Night Tour, where Brown is looking forward to what happens off-stage almost as much as on.
“Aldean’s like a brother to me, always looks out for me,” boasted Brown. “If I ever need anything, he’s always there. He’s upset that I’m about to move an hour away from him. We’re going to be on the road together just kicking it and watching the Georgia Bulldogs.”
Brown and Aldean will both likely head to Las Vegas in a few weeks, since they both earned ACM Awards nominations, with Brown in the running for Single of the Year, for “Heaven.” The singer already has several awards under his belt, with even more nominations, and although he’s getting used to the fanfare that accompanies the ceremonies, he promises he will never take it for granted.
“We’ve been to so many now, it’s routine,” Brown said. “I’m excited I’m nominated. I didn’t get it last year, so it’s cool to get nominated for something this year. I’m just grateful.”
The ACM Awards nomination isn’t the only honor Brown has recently received. He also has some of his items on display at the American Currents exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame.
The 2019 ACM Awards will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 7, at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.
