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Thomas Rhett delivered an intimate performance in Nashville, Tennessee, celebrating the long-awaited release of his seventh studio album on Friday (August 23).
Rhett released About A Woman, a project he aimed to “exude joy and fun,” and to serve as a tribute to his wife, Lauren Akins. The 14-track album included a few previously-released tracks, including “Overdrive,” “Gone Country,” “Beautiful As You” and “After All The Bars Are Closed.” Rhett performed a few new About A Woman songs — in addition to some of his other career-spanning favorites — during the iHeartCountry Album Release Party with Thomas Rhett. The show was hosted by iHeartRadio personality Bobby Bones, who spoke with Rhett in an exclusive Q&A with Rhett between songs.
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Rhett said waiting to release About A Woman felt “like a daggone wedding ring in my pocket just waiting to propose.” He delivered a rendition of “Boots,” a high-energy, honky tonk-inspired country anthem from his newly-released project. Rhett told the intimate crowd that his producer advised him to channel a combination between Elvis Presley and Dwight Yoakam when recording the song. He also delivered renditions of the romantic title track and “Beautiful As You,” the first single he released from the project.
1. Fool
2. Overdrive
3. Gone Country
4. Beautiful As You
5. Can’t Love You Anymore
6. After All The Bars Are Closed
7. Church
8. Back To Blue
9. Country For California
11. What Could Go Right
12. Boots
13. Don’t Wanna Dance
14. I Could Spend Forever Loving You
In addition to his new About A Woman anthems, Rhett included some career-spanning hits in his set (fittingly, after marking 20 No. 1 singles with a collection that released last year. Rhett played “What’s Your Country Song,” a solo rendition of “Mamaw’s House” — a collaboration with Morgan Wallen — and “Die A Happy Man,” which prompted an audience singalong and a few slow-dancers in the back of the venue.
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“From top to bottom, I wanted to exude joy and fun with this project – and really just make people move,” Rhett said as he announced new details about his album in early June. “I went into making this record with a fearless attitude, put my blinders on and my head down to try and make really fun music. …I feel like if you were to ask me what this record is about, the answer would be it’s about one woman, my wife, and it gave me an opportunity to say ‘I love you’ in a lot of different ways.”
Rhett is one of many artists taking the stage at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Festival, returning to the T-Mobile Arena stage on September 20 and 21 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Other artists in the genre-spanning lineup include Big Sean, Camila Cabello, Doja Cat, Gwen Stefani, Hozier, Keith Urban, New Kids on the Block, Paramore, Shaboozey, The Black Crowes, Victoria Monét, and more. Ryan Seacrest will host the two-day festival. Tickets are available to the general public now on AXS.com.