hits . He was named the ACM Awards’ new male artist of the year in 2022 and his most recent single, “Handle on You,” peaked at No. 2 on theIn 2019, he signed with Universal Music Group — making McCollum a labelmate to his musical idol, George Strait — and issued his full-length, major label debut project,was produced by McCollum’s fellow Texan Jon Randall, known for his work with Miranda Lambert, Dierks Bentley and more.
McCollum is part of Texas’ long lineage of country artists, from Country Music Hall of Famers George Jones, Willie Nelson and George Strait to the 1990s Texas-to-Tennessee pipeline that included The Chicks, LeAnn Rimes and Clint Black. The 21st century has seen artists like Miranda Lambert and Kacey Musgraves rise to enduring prominence in country’s mainstream, as well as a surge of Red Dirt artists and bands including Pat Green, Randy Rogers Band and the Eli Young Band.
“Things I Never Told You” is a sweet and clever ode to parents, and is one of the few songs on the album you didn’t write. I’m sure it drives my record label up a wall, but I don’t care for it, although it’s a great tool that can be used well. But I don’t post a ton about my personal life. You basically only see me with my wife or me onstage and sometimes a hunting photo. A lot of that really goes back to George [Strait] — you really only see him onstage. At the same time, we’re in a different time in the world and in society.