Brett Eldredge

There’s plenty of Nashville sound in Brett Eldredge’s polished country, but there’s also an affinity for smooth crooners and classic vocalists. You can trace that back to the singers Eldredge listened to as a kid in the small town of Paris, Illinois. Born in 1986, Eldredge was initially most passionate about performers like Frank Sinatra and Ray Charles, and went on to discover Brooks & Dunn—and the country songs that eventually steered him to Music City—in his teens. After some time making the songwriter-night rounds in Nashville, Eldredge signed with Atlantic Records and released debut single “Raymond,” a heartbreaker about a woman’s dementia that stood miles apart from the good-time fare of country radio. “Raymond” was a fine introduction to Eldredge’s husky baritone, but “Don’t Ya”—a bright and bouncy summer-fling number—topped charts and saturated airwaves, setting up his first album, Bring You Back, for success. These early victories were propelled by tours with Taylor Swift and Darius Rucker. Eldredge’s subsequent efforts have found him honing poignant songwriting and impressive vocal performances, even committing fully to his love of crooning with the suave Christmas record Glow. In 2020, he set the stage for his fifth album, Sunday Drive, with “Gabrielle,” a nostalgic track about an old flame that deftly marries his early love of soulful pop with country charm.