COUNTRY STAR OF THE MONTH: CONNER SMITH

Right now there are a number of young country artists that have their roots deep in more classic Country Music. You get more of a vibe from the Outlaw Country days of the 1970s and the touchstone of early 90s music that was a little more fun. Conner Smith is another one of those artists. When I listen to him you here less of the Pop Country that is most prevalent on the radio. Also, like the other artists he has been discovered through on-line and social media channels even though he grew up in Nashville with his mother working in the industry. He recorded a song called I Hate Alabama that got him viral interest and then got him signed to a label where he recorded it. So, where has he been?

He released a song in 2022 called Learn From It that did chart, but didn’t go too far up the charts. He also put out Take It Slow in 2023 that didn’t break the Top 50. Recently he put out a song called Creek Will Rise and that has been getting plenty of traction. It’s a playful take on a young man hoping the date will last longer due to a dead battery, an impassable road, or a creek bed getting too high. Not only does it have some fun lyrics, but an upbeat melody that makes you want to dance and yell it at the top of your lungs at the bar or concert. Creek Will Rise along with other songs readily available like College Town have that classic sound mixed with a bit of an updated feel. He even has one that could almost be an “answer song” to Megan Moroney’s Tennessee Orange called Orange and White where he has fallen for a Georgia Bulldogs fan girl. He’s still a young artists, but he seems primed to have a bit of a moment soon with his latest single making some move towards the top.