Thomas Rhett

Biography

Thomas Rhett Akins Jr. (born March 30, 1990) is an American country music singer-songwriter. He is the oldest son of singer Rhett Akins.
Rhett has released seven studio albums for Big Machine Records' Valory Music imprint: It Goes Like This×It Goes Like This29 October 2013 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Whatcha Got in That Cup2:572Something to Do with My Hands3:213Get Me Some of That3:084Call Me Up3:165It Goes Like This3:076Makes Me Wanna3:467Front Porch Junkies3:448In a Minute3:429Take You Home3:3810Sorry for Partying3:2811All American Middle Class White Boy2:5812Beer with Jesus4:14 (2013), Tangled Up (2015), Life Changes (2017), Center Point Road (2019), Country Again: Side A (2021), Where We Started (2022) and About a Woman (2024). He has received four Grammy Award nominations with two albums being nominated for Best Country Album in 2017 and 2019.
His six albums have produced 21 singles on the Billboard Hot Country and Country Airplay charts, with 20 reaching the No. 1 position on the latter: "It Goes Like This", "Get Me Some of That", "Make Me Wanna×Make Me Wanna24 July 2014 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Make Me Wanna", "Crash and Burn×Crash and Burn7 April 2015 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Crash and Burn3:12", "Die a Happy Man×Die a Happy Man28 September 2015 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Die a Happy Man3:47", "T-Shirt", "Star of the Show", "Craving You×Craving You31 March 2017 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Craving You3:44", "Unforgettable×Unforgettable27 July 2017 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Unforgettable2:38", "Marry Me", "Life Changes×Life Changes8 September 2017 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 17 tracks1Craving You3:422Unforgettable2:373Sixteen2:594Drink a Little Beer3:345Marry Me3:266Leave Right Now3:167Smooth Like the Summer2:488Life Changes3:109When You Look Like That3:2310Sweetheart3:2611Kiss Me Like a Stranger3:4712Renegades3:4313Gateway Love3:2614Grave3:1115Country Gold3:4916Cardboard Heart2:4517When We’re 802:56", "Sixteen×Sixteen17 September 2018 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Sixteen", "Remember You Young×Remember You Young7 July 2019 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Remember You Young3:08", "Look What God Gave Her×Look What God Gave Her1 March 2019 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Look What God Gave Her2:48", "Beer Can't Fix", "What's Your Country Song", "Country Again×Country Again12 April 2021 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Country Again3:38", "Half of Me×Half of Me31 May 2022 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Half Of Me3:00", "Angels (Don't Always Have Wings)", and "Mamaw's House".
In addition to much of his own material, Rhett has written singles for Jason Aldean, Lee Brice, Florida Georgia Line, LoCash, and Michael Ray, among others.

Early life

Thomas Rhett Akins Jr. was born in Valdosta, Georgia, to mother Paige (née Braswell) and father Rhett Akins. Rhett Akins had hit singles in the 1990s with "That Ain't My Truck" and "Don't Get Me Started" before becoming a songwriter at the beginning of the 21st century.
He was raised in Hendersonville, Tennessee. He grew up knowing other singers including Tim McGraw and Brooks & Dunn. He has one younger sister, and two younger half-brothers; one on his mother's side, and one his father's side.
After learning to play drums while attending junior high school, Rhett later would go onstage with his father and play. In high school, he was part of a band named The High Heeled Flip Flops. Rhett went to Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, to study communications. He dropped out of college when he was 20 to pursue a career in music. He subsequently accepted a publishing deal by Big Machine Label Group to write songs.

Songwriting

Rhett co-wrote the song "I Ain't Ready to Quit" on Jason Aldean's 2010 album My Kinda Party and signed a recording contract with Big Machine Records' Valory Music Group division in 2011. The album's first 21 weeks were spent in the top 40 of the Billboard 200; it also has sold 1.7 million in its first years of release.
Rhett also co-wrote the 2013 singles "1994" by Jason Aldean, "Parking Lot Party" by Lee Brice, and "Round Here" by Florida Georgia Line. During the chart week of September 21, 2013, the Country Airplay chart included five songs within the top 10 that Rhett or his father had co-written, including "It Goes Like This×It Goes Like This29 October 2013 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Whatcha Got in That Cup2:572Something to Do with My Hands3:213Get Me Some of That3:084Call Me Up3:165It Goes Like This3:076Makes Me Wanna3:467Front Porch Junkies3:448In a Minute3:429Take You Home3:3810Sorry for Partying3:2811All American Middle Class White Boy2:5812Beer with Jesus4:14".

2012–2015: It Goes Like This

In early 2012, he released his debut single, "Something to Do with My Hands×Something to Do With My Hands5 June 2012 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Something to Do With My Hands3:21", followed later that year by "Beer with Jesus". Both of these made top 30 on the Hot Country Songs charts. His third single, "It Goes Like This×It Goes Like This29 October 2013 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Whatcha Got in That Cup2:572Something to Do with My Hands3:213Get Me Some of That3:084Call Me Up3:165It Goes Like This3:076Makes Me Wanna3:467Front Porch Junkies3:448In a Minute3:429Take You Home3:3810Sorry for Partying3:2811All American Middle Class White Boy2:5812Beer with Jesus4:14", topped the Country Airplay chart and also peaked at number 2 on the Hot Country Songs.

His debut album, also titled It Goes Like This, was released on October 29, 2013. The album's fourth single, "Get Me Some of That", became Rhett's second number 1 single in early 2014. The album's fifth single, "Make Me Wanna×Make Me Wanna24 July 2014 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Make Me Wanna", was released to country radio on August 4, 2014. It reached number one on the Country Airplay chart on March 7, 2015. In between the two singles, Rhett sang guest vocals along with Justin Moore on Brantley Gilbert's "Small Town Throwdown".

2015–2017: Tangled Up

On April 7, 2015, Rhett released a new single titled "Crash and Burn×Crash and Burn7 April 2015 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Crash and Burn3:12" which served as the lead single to his second studio album. The album, Tangled Up×Tangled Up25 September 2015 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Anthem3:132Crash and Burn3:103South Side2:514Die a Happy Man3:485Vacation3:436Like It's the Last Time3:107T-Shirt3:478Single Girl3:189The Day You Stop Lookin' Back3:2510Tangled3:3311Playing With Fire3:2612I Feel Good3:1613Learned It From the Radio3:39, was released on September 25. It reached at number one on the Country Airplay chart in September 2015. The album's second single, "Die a Happy Man×Die a Happy Man28 September 2015 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Die a Happy Man3:47" released to country radio on September 28, 2015. It reached at number one on the Country Airplay, Hot Country Songs, and Canada Country chart in December 2015. and January 2016. It stayed at number one on the Country Airplay chart for 8 weeks, becoming the second song in the chart's history to do so. The album's third single, "T-Shirt" released to country radio on February 16, 2016. It reached at number one on the Country Airplay in June 2016, but received poor critical reviews criticizing its lyrical content. The album's fourth single, "Vacation×Vacation28 August 2015 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Vacation" released to country radio on June 13, 2016. The album's fifth single, "Star of the Show", released to country radio on October 3, 2016.

2017–2020: Life Changes and Center Point Road

On September 8, Rhett released his third studio album Life Changes×Life Changes8 September 2017 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 17 tracks1Craving You3:422Unforgettable2:373Sixteen2:594Drink a Little Beer3:345Marry Me3:266Leave Right Now3:167Smooth Like the Summer2:488Life Changes3:109When You Look Like That3:2310Sweetheart3:2611Kiss Me Like a Stranger3:4712Renegades3:4313Gateway Love3:2614Grave3:1115Country Gold3:4916Cardboard Heart2:4517When We’re 802:56. It includes the chart-topping singles "Craving You×Craving You31 March 2017 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Craving You3:44" featuring Maren Morris, "Unforgettable×Unforgettable27 July 2017 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Unforgettable2:38", and "Marry Me". The title track was released as the album's fourth single on April 16, 2018. The album's fifth single was "Sixteen×Sixteen17 September 2018 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Sixteen".
On March 1, 2019, Rhett released "Look What God Gave Her×Look What God Gave Her1 March 2019 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Look What God Gave Her2:48" as the lead-off single to his fourth studio album, Center Point Road×Center Point Road31 May 2019 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1Up3:282Don’t Threaten Me With a Good Time3:363Blessed3:344Look What God Gave Her2:495Center Point Road3:376That Old Truck3:327VHS3:168Notice3:439Sand2:4310Beer Can’t Fix3:3011Things You Do for Love3:2712Remember You Young3:0013Don’t Stop Drivin’3:0314Barefoot3:0115Dream You Never Had3:2216Almost3:14. The following night, on Saturday Night Live, Rhett performed another new song from the album, called "Don't Threaten Me With a Good Time." The album was released on May 31. "Remember You Young×Remember You Young7 July 2019 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Remember You Young3:08" was the album's second single, while "Beer Can't Fix" featuring Jon Pardi was the third single.

In 2020, Rhett released the standalone single "Be a Light×Be a Light30 March 2020 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Be a Light2:54", a star-studded collaboration featuring Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott, Chris Tomlin and Keith Urban. All proceeds earned from the song are donated to the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund. Rhett won Entertainer of the Year at the 2020 Academy of Country Music Awards.

2021–2023: Country Again and Where We Started

In March 2021, Rhett announced a double album release, with the first part, Country Again: Side A×Country Again: Side A30 April 2021 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Want It Again2:532Growing Up3:013What’s Your Country Song2:514Where We Grew Up2:455Heaven Right Now3:486To the Guys that Date My Girls3:017More Time Fishin’3:058Country Again3:419Put It on Ice3:0410Blame It on a Backroad2:4711Ya Heard3:06, released on April 30, 2021. It includes the singles "What's Your Country Song" and "Country Again×Country Again12 April 2021 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Country Again3:38". The album sees Rhett return to his country roots, with stripped down songs that often include country elements, such as the fiddle. Six songs were co-written by his father, country singer Rhett Akins. Rhett released previews of some of the album's songs on Instagram during the COVID-19 pandemic. The second part of the album, Country Again: Side B, has yet to release. In March 2023, Rhett stated that the album had not come together because of his focus on releasing more high-energy music to play at live shows, but he still hoped to eventually release Side B.
In November 2021, he released "Slow Down Summer×Slow Down Summer5 November 2021 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Slow Down Summer3:35", which was the lead single from his sixth studio album Where We Started×Where We Started31 March 2022 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1The Hill2:472Church Boots2:583Bass Pro Hat2:564Anything Cold2:475Angels3:346Half of Me3:037Bring the Bar3:298Paradise3:089Death Row3:5110Mama’s Front Door2:4311Slow Down Summer3:3812Simple as a Song3:2213Us Someday2:2414Somebody Like Me2:5015Where We Started3:04, released on April 1, 2022. The album's second single, "Half of Me×Half of Me31 May 2022 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Half Of Me3:00," was released on June 6, 2022, as a collaboration with Riley Green. Rhett released the album's third single, "Angels (Don't Always Have Wings)" on January 23, 2023. The album's latter two singles reached number one on the Country Airplay chart. The album also features collaborations with Katy Perry, Tyler Hubbard, and Russell Dickerson.
On October 21, 2022, Rhett released his EP Merry Christmas, Y'all, featuring his take on four Christmas classics.
On September 29, 2023, Rhett released "20 Number Ones×20 Number Ones29 September 2023 · Album · CompilationSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 21 tracks1It Goes Like This3:082Get Me Some of That3:093Make Me Wanna3:464Crash and Burn3:115Die a Happy Man3:486T‐Shirt3:487Star of the Show3:038Craving You3:439Unforgettable2:3910Marry Me3:2611Life Changes (radio edit)3:0912Sixteen2:5913Look What God Gave Her2:4914Remember You Young3:0015Beer Can’t Fix3:3016Be a Light2:5417What’s Your Country Song2:5118Country Again3:4119Slow Down Summer3:3820Half of Me3:0321Angels (Don’t Always Have Wings)3:23," a greatest hits album, in honor of "Half of Me" becoming his 20th number one single on the Country Aircheck/MediaBase chart. The album includes the bonus track "Mamaw's House," which was released as a single and features Morgan Wallen.

2024–present: About a Woman

On May 10, 2024, Rhett released the song "Beautiful as You×Beautiful as You10 May 2024 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1Beautiful as You2:442Beautiful as U2:433Beautiful as U (VAVO remix)2:174Beautiful as You (acoustic)2:435Beautiful as You (live from the 59th ACM Awards)2:53". On June 5, 2024, Rhett announced that his seventh album About a Woman×About a Woman23 August 2024 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Fool3:012Overdrive3:383Gone Country2:434Beautiful as You2:445Can’t Love You Anymore3:356After All the Bars Are Closed3:127Church3:248Back to Blue2:519Country for California3:3710Somethin’ ’Bout a Woman3:3111What Could Go Right3:3212Boots2:2513Don’t Wanna Dance2:5814I Could Spend Forever Loving You2:48 would be released on August 23, 2024. In September 2024, Rhett co-hosted the 2024 Canadian Country Music Awards alongside MacKenzie Porter.
In 2026, Rhett joined Morgan Wallen as a direct support act on select dates of the Still the Problem Tour, performing in stadiums including Minneapolis, Las Vegas, Gainesville, and Ann Arbor.

Personal life

Rhett married Lauren Akins (née Gregory), on October 12, 2012. In May 2017, they announced via Instagram that they were expecting and also in the process of adopting a child from Africa. Shortly after, they brought home their first daughter from Uganda, who was born on November 1, 2015. They then welcomed their second daughter in August 2017. Their third daughter was born on February 10, 2020, and their fourth daughter was born on November 15, 2021. On August 26, 2025, the couple announced that they were expecting their fifth child. On February 27, 2026, the couple announced the birth of their fifth child, a son.
Rhett is a Christian. He has incorporated his faith into his music through singles like "Beer With Jesus" and collaborations with worship singers such as Chris Tomlin.

Television appearances

He also sang a duet with Elmo and the gang on Sesame Street.