By Isabel Paris || Contributing Writer
Being from North Carolina, I have been a fan of country music all my life. I have always loved the traditional country music that goes along with roots, family, and love. I have been trying to make my friends who like it too. I had lost all hope, until I found Thomas Rhett. His third album, Life Changes, is Rhett’s slow transition from country to country pop, allowing a broader audience to love his catchy lyrics and easy-going vibe.
The 27-year-old has been changing the scene of country music with R&B tracks, EDM beats, and classic country lyrics that only a country artist could write. His third album, Life Changes, speaks to his current life. Only months after adopting an 18-month-old baby, Rhett’s wife Lauren announced she was pregnant. Rhett learned this in the middle of the tour for his second album, Tangled Up. His third album is filled with sentimental moments between Rhett and his family while also playing up his love for new and fresh sounds like “Leave Right Now” that add some EDM drops. Other songs reflect his new taste for dance music like in to with the “Craving You” which includes a powerhouse disco duet with Maren Morris. Rhett also reveals the love story between him and his wife through songs such as “Unforgettable” and “Sweetheart” and the next new wedding song “Grave” that has lyrics that pull at the heartstrings. Even the life lessons in “Sixteen” and the harsh but relatable song “Gateway Love” prove to the audience that Rhett is not just a country music guy with a guitar but a talented artist that uses smart and lilting lyrics to bring the listener in closer. While he continues to grow his sound, Rhett still comes back to the bread and butter of country music in “Renegades” and “Life Changes.” As Thomas Rhett continues to mature when it comes to writing in the heart wrenching “Marry Me,” a song about a man whose love remains unrequited, ending with her wedding day.
Thomas Rhett continues to skyrocket through the charts with his many talented and brilliant songs that can only show his skill as an artist. Rhett was the artist that made my friends listen to more country music. This summer album will keep Rhett going up into country stardom and even bring in some more fans that were unwilling to hear a new sound.
First-year Isabel Paris is a contributing writer. Her email is iparis@fandm.edu.