Thomas Rhett Is Anticipating a Reaction to EDM-Styled Song ‘Leave Right Now’
Thomas Rhett will always have a home in country music, but that doesn't mean he won't dabble in other genres. Rhett's new album, Life Changes, finds him experimenting with different sounds and producers, particularly on a track titled "Leave Right Now," and he expects to get some mixed feedback on the EDM-infused song.
"I'm pretty sure that when this album comes out, I'm probably going to get a ton of comments on the song 'Leave Right Now' because it is so progressive," he admitted to Taste of Country and other media prior to the album's release. Rhett co-wrote the song with L.A.-based writers Julian Bunetta, Edward Drewett and John Henry Ryan at a time when he was listening to the Chainsmokers frequently "and was obsessed with that kind of music and the way it made me feel," he explains.
The singer reveals that he never intended on adding an EDM beat drop in the song, and it almost didn't make it on the album.
"Never in a million years did I think it was ever going to make the record, and the more I just started listening to it I was like, 'Why would I not want a song of mine that makes me feel incredible to not be on the record?'" he says.
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With his sound progressing and career taking off at light speed, Rhett can't help but notice that his fanbase is getting younger, with fans as young as four and five coming to his shows.
It may be a reaction to the blending of progressive sounds in country music, a common theme in today's landscape, with country stars often playing today's Top 40 hits to warm crowds before their set, and Rhett following suit.
"I just got tired of my intro being way cooler than my show," he admits. Incorporating the likes of Bruno Mars and Justin Timberlake into his own style, Rhett would absolutely jump at the chance to work with his idols, even if they're out of the country genre. Rhett and his Home Team Tour openers Kelsea Ballerini, Ryan Hurd and Russell Dickerson often cover Mars' "24K Magic" and the singer's revolutionary style draws comparison to Timberlake.
"I love being able to challenge myself, and to be able to write songs with artists in other genres is definitely a goal and dream of mine, because why wouldn't you?" Rhett says of his openness to working with artists like Mars and Timberlake. "Those people definitely influence everything that I do, so of course I want to work with them."
Life Changes dropped on Sept. 8 and includes the chart-topping track, "Craving You" featuring Maren Morris, and Rhett's current single, "Unforgettable."
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