NEED TO KNOW
Brett Young always seems to have all his bases covered — from being a good father to a good husband to a good son to being a good country music artist.
“I’m trying my best,” Young, 44, says with a laugh during an interview with PEOPLE. “I’m not trying to get it perfect, but I’m just trying to do my best.”
And his best looks mighty fine these days as the native Californian and diamond-selling country artist prepares to head out on his 18-date 2.0 Tour, which kicks off Thursday, Jan. 22 at the legendary Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
“My first experience at the Ryman was sneaking into a Keith Urban performance there,” recalls Young. “I remember just thinking, ‘What would it be like one day to play in this room?’ I mean, I’ve gotten to do some pretty cool things there. I’ve gotten to jump up [onstage] with Darius [Rucker] for one of his shows and I got to perform in front of Tim McGraw, but I’ve not gotten to kick off a tour at the Ryman until now, so that’s going to be really special.”
Certainly the entirety of the tour has the chance to be extra special for Young, as it is this tour that will allow him to take the time to tell some of the incredible backstory’s behind his biggest songs such as “In Case You Didn’t Know,” “Mercy” and “Sleep Without You,” while also focusing on the stories behind the songs on his newest studio album 2.0.
“What made me fall in love with country music is the storytelling,” says Young, whose current single “Drink with You” continues to climb the charts. “And so, I feel like I’ve gotten to a place in my career where my fans are familiar with me enough that I can slow things down a little bit and dig in further than the three and a half minutes of the song. I always say it’s our job to pull back the curtain a little bit more every year.”
Seth Kupersmith
Pulling this curtain back has also meant that at this point in his life, Young finds himself being brutally honest with his fans, even sharing last year that he had quit drinking altogether at the start of 2024.
“It was a huge transition,” he says of the changes he made when it came to alcohol. “I wasn’t one of these people that had an addiction or anything like that, so it wasn’t me going through a process of letting go of alcohol, but it always seemed to be there to take the edge off or calm the nerves a bit. You don’t really realize you’re relying on it because it’s so baked into the culture.”
But it was what was happening away from the stage that Young really began to take notice of. “There was a bit of a routine that builds around it,” Young states. “Before you know it, it’s not just on the road.” He pauses, then continues. “It was difficult and a little uncomfortable and frustrating at times, but I think the performer that came out of it and on the other side is actually quite a bit better and more seasoned. I’m more confident now than I’ve ever been.”
His newfound healthy lifestyle has also had a direct effect on a notably chiseled physique that constantly has fans taking note. And while Young gets a little flustered at the attention his biceps have been getting as of late, he’s glad he’s made these sorts of changes.
“It was at the end of 2023 where I went, ‘You know what? I don’t feel like I’m doing everything I can to be around for my family as long as possible and be the best version of me and the healthiest version of me as I can for these little kids,'” says Young, who is dad to daughters Presley, 6, and Rowan, 4½, whom he shares with wife Taylor Mills Young. “I made a lifestyle decision to make a change and to prioritize my health. And it’s been wonderful. It shows up on the body, but it’s been incredible for mental health.”
And it wasn’t just his physical health that needed a reset.
“When you point all of your focus and energy at your kiddos, life opens up a little bit more — and it’s beautiful.”
