Op zijn nieuwe single laat Stapleton de spierballen rollen. Het nummer is een krachtige southern rocker met zowel vocaal als six string vuurwerk. Bijna niet te geloven dat Higher nog maar zijn vijfde full album is. Het heeft nl. even geduurd voordat de uiterst getalenteerde singer-songwriter/gitarist zijn eerste solo album uitbracht (2015) en oindertussen is het ook al drie jaar geleden dat zijn laatste worp - Starting Over - verscheen. Niet dat er hier iemand van wakker ligt, al zouden échte americana liefhebbers dat beter toch eens doen. De alom geprezen muzikant mag ondertussen wel als een benchmark in het genre worden gezien.
Higher verschijnt op 10 november 2023 via Sound Records / UMG Recordings.
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Chris Stapleton is a critically acclaimed singer-songwriter who got his start in the industry by writing an impressive collection of hits for well-known artists including George Strait, Kenny Chesney, Luke Bryan, Thomas Rhett, Darius Rucker, Josh Turner, Lee Ann Womack, and more. He was born a son of a coal miner on April 15, 1978, and raised in Lexington, Kentucky by Carol J. Stapleton and Herbert Joseph Stapleton, Jr. The country star and his two siblings grew up listening to and gaining a strong appreciation for country music, which eventually led him to find his true passion in life.
After graduating high school as class valedictorian, Stapleton moved to Nashville to study engineering at Vanderbilt University. However, after one year of being immersed in the culture of music city, he dropped out of school to pursue music full-time.
Shortly after settling into the town full of budding artists, Stapleton inked his first publishing deal with Sea Gayle Music. In addition to spending his time in the studio penning tracks for other artists, Stapleton also served as the lead vocalist for two bands – the three-time GRAMMY-nominated bluegrass band, The SteelDrivers, and a rock band, The Jompson Brothers. He strengthened his craft in performing and songwriting with The SteelDrivers for two years before stepping out into the limelight on his own.
Stapleton then released his debut album, Traveller, in 2015 via Mercury Nashville. This project eventually went platinum and earned Stapleton a win for Album of the Year (as artist and producer), Male Vocalist of the Year, and New Artist of the Year at the 49th Annual Country Music Association Awards. From this record, the track, “Nobody to Blame,” became Stapleton’s first country radio hit. In between accepting his wins at the CMA Awards show in 2015, the country star got the chance to share the award show stage with pop sensation, Justin Timberlake, when they performed a cover of George Jones’ “Tennessee Whiskey” and Timberlake’s “Drink You Away.”
The next year, Stapleton earned four GRAMMY nominations, which resulted in two awards for Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Album. He went on to make history with the number of accolades he received throughout his career. To date, Stapleton has racked up 20 CMA Awards, eight GRAMMY wins and 14 ACM wins.
During the 56th annual CMA Awards, the Kentucky native earned his sixth win for Male Vocalist of the Year, setting the record for the most wins in this category. In 2022, he scored his third No. 1 hit with his country song, “You Should Probably Leave,” which appeared on his fourth studio album, Starting Over. Stapleton’s other top-charting songs include “Broken Halos” and “Starting Over.”
Over the course of his successful career, Stapleton has stepped outside of the country music realm to collaborate with a variety of artists such as Justin Timberlake, John Mayer, Rage Against the Machine, Adele, and Tom Morello. In addition, he has contributed to the soundtracks of several movies, including Cars 2 and Valentine’s Day, and the hit TV series, Yellowstone.
(Bron: Country Now)
