BRELAND.Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty
A year and a half after moving to Nashville,BRELANDknew he’d pulled off the impossible dream on Tuesday night.
“I never thought I’d be able to sell out the Ryman this early in my career!” he told the packed house at Ryman Auditorium, country music’s “Mother Church” that stands as perhaps the most symbolic benchmark of success in this notoriously 10-year town.
Of course, BRELAND was quick to add — to audience laughter — “it only took 17 other artists to help me do it.”
Indeed, the “BRELAND and Friends” bill was packed with names far more familiar than the headliner. (Just for starters:Dierks Bentley,Kane Brown,Sam Hunt,Nelly,Lady A’sCharles Kelley,andRussell Dickerson.) And sure, the show was a fundraiser forthe Oasis Center,a local nonprofit for at-risk youth, so that must have helped sell some tickets, too.
But none of that is reason to doubt the 26-year-old artist’s own magnetic superpowers these days. Granted, he may not have sold out the 2,300-seat Ryman on his own, but that’s not the point. Who else with so little history in this dues-paying city could have ever attracted such a star-packed bill?
The fact is, the Nashville music community has found BRELAND’s fresh talent absolutely irresistible almost from the day of his 2020 arrival from Atlanta, and for 90 minutes on Tuesday night, he put on a show that exquisitely displayed why.
Undeniably, BRELAND was the star of the evening, singing, dancing and sparkling his way through collaborations on 17 of the 18 songs performed. But part of his magic was also how he curated this one-of-a-kind show, filling it with a masterful combination of surprises, sure-fire crowd-pleasers and welcome new sounds. The man knows how to entertain, and that was apparent from the moment he invited his first guest, Kelley, to the stage and the two launched into a jaw-dropping — and thrilling — duet ofLady A’ssignature torcher “Need You Now.” Don’t ask why or how, but it worked.
Charles Kelley and BRELAND.Jason Kempin/Getty
Throughout the evening, BRELAND also proved he hasn’t made his friends simply on his showmanship. He’s also put in the work. The people he brought out on stage were invariably the ones he’s also collaborated with, either in songwriting or recording sessions.
He and Kelley segued into debuting their country-pop co-write, “I Told You I Could Drink” — and the songwriting collaborations just kept coming as BRELAND showed off his ability to explore all the creases between country, R&B, pop and hip hop with a variety of musical partners.
BRELAND and Brittney Spencer.Jason Kempin/Getty
Australian duoSeaforththen teamed with BRELAND on their “Alone at the Ranch,” which BRELAND described as “a country sex jam” — and the three men delivered it with Luther Vandrossian heat. (BRELAND promised the song would be on his upcoming debut album, due out in June.)
Seaforth and BRELAND.Jason Kempin/Getty
For another song debut, BRELAND brought outTyler Braden,who’s been making waves as a semifinalist on NBC’sAmerican Song Contest. Their soulful ballad, “Good for You,” came out of their first songwriting session.
Tyler Braden and BRELAND.Jason Kempin/Getty
Rapper Nelly, who’s been following his own country beat, turned up the volume — and lifted the audience to their feet — when he joined BRELAND on a romping “High Horse,” a BRELAND-Nelly co-write that Nelly featured on his 2021 EP,Heartland.
BRELAND and Nelly.Jason Kempin/Getty
Evoking another strong crowd reaction, Jimmie Allen joined BRELAND andLathan Warlickfor the jazz-infused “Somebody,” which the three wrote for Allen’s2020 album,Bettie James.
Jimmie Allen and BRELAND.Jason Kempin/Getty
BRELAND, Jimmie Allen and Lathan Warlick.Jason Kempin/Getty
Mickey Guytonbrought her stellar pipes to “Cross Country,” a BRELAND duet they released as a single last year.
Mickey Guyton.Jason Kempin/Getty
Dierks Bentleymade his stage appearance for “Beers on Me,” his current collaboration with BRELAND andHARDYthat the three co-wrote. Now that the song is poised to become BRELAND’s first No. 1, Bentley joked that the beer was on BRELAND, and they changed the lyrics to reflect it: “The beer’s on BRE.”
Dierks Bentley and BRELAND.Jason Kempin/Getty
Thomas Rhettwas an unbilled surprise: He showed up, filled with the spirit, to duet on BRELAND’s new gospel-steeped single “Praise the Lord,” the co-write that they recently performed at the ACM Awards.
Thomas Rhett.Jason Kempin/Getty
Then Russell Dickerson, who’s just completed his headlining tour with BRELAND, came out withFlorida Georgia Line’sTyler Hubbardin tow, surprising everyone — including BRELAND.
The three men took turns on Dickerson’s “It’s About Time” (a single that featured FGL). Then Dickerson, standing in forKeith Urban,brought his own electricity to “Throw It Back,” which BRELAND and Urban released as a single last year.
Russell Dickerson and Tyler Hubbard.Jason Kempin/Getty
Throughout the evening, BRELAND made sure other music besides his own was in the mix, though he ceded the stage only once, to Allen, who performed his No. 1 hit (andBrad Paisleycollab), “Freedom Was a Highway,” as an acoustic solo.
RaeLynn and BRELAND.Jason Kempin/Getty
Otherwise, BRELAND kept the duets going, merging his expressive voice with Bentley on his No. 1 hit, “Riser”;RaeLynnon her recent single withMitchell Tenpenny, “Get That All the Time”;Restless Roadon their current single, “Growing Old with You”;Lily Roseon her single “I Don’t Smoke”; andKane Brownon his No. 1 hit withChris Young, “Famous Friends.”
Lily Rose and BRELAND.Jason Kempin/Getty
Kane Brown and BRELAND.Jason Kempin/Getty
The encore was reserved for BRELAND’s 2020 breakthrough platinum-selling single, “My Truck,” and Sam Hunt — who appeared on a remix of the song — emerged for the raucous finale that had the audience thundering back the chorus' now-famous command, “Don’t touch my truck!”
BRELAND and Sam Hunt.Jason Kempin/Getty
These days, does anyone doubt that BRELAND’s command over country music is even louder?
source: people.com
