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.[14] Rhett went to Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, to study communications.[15] He dropped out of college when he was 20 to pursue a career in music.[16] He subsequently accepted a publishing deal by Big Machine Label Group to write songs.[11]
Career
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.[17] 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.[18]
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".[19]
His debut album, also titled It Goes Like This, was released on October 29, 2013.[20] 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", 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" which served as the lead single to his second studio album. The album, Tangled Up, was released on September 25.[21] It reached at number one on the Country Airplay chart in September 2015. The album's second single, "Die a Happy Man" 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" 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. It includes the chart-topping singles "Craving You" featuring Maren Morris, "Unforgettable", and "Marry Me". The title track was released as the album's fourth single on April 16, 2018.[22] The album's fifth single was "Sixteen".
In March 2021, Rhett announced a double album release, with the first part, Country Again: Side A, released on April 30, 2021. It includes the singles "What's Your Country Song" and "Country Again".[28][29] The album sees Rhett return to his country roots, with stripped down songs that often include country elements, such as the fiddle.[30] Six songs were co-written by his father, country singer Rhett Akins.[31] Rhett released previews of some of the album's songs on Instagram during the COVID-19 pandemic.[32] 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.[33]
In November 2021, he released "Slow Down Summer", which was the lead single from his sixth studio album Where We Started, released on April 1, 2022.[34] The album's second single, "Half of Me," 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.[35] 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.[36]
On September 29, 2023, Rhett released "20 Number Ones," a greatest hits album, in honor of "Half of Me" becoming his 20th number one single on the Country Aircheck/MediaBase chart.[35] The album includes the bonus track "Mamaw's House," which was released as a single and features Morgan Wallen.
Rhett married Lauren Akins (née Gregory), on October 12, 2012.[40] 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.[41][42][43] Their third daughter was born on February 10, 2020,[44] and their fourth daughter was born on November 15, 2021.[45] On August 26, 2025, the couple announced that they are expecting their fifth child.[46]
Rhett is a Christian.[44][47][48] He has incorporated his faith into his music through singles like "Beer With Jesus" and collaborations with worship singers such as Chris Tomlin.[49]
^Caulfield, K. (October 25, 2014). Jason aldean puts on his boots at no. 1. Billboard: The International Newsweekly of Music, Video and Home Entertainment, 126, 80-81.
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