Born in Valdosta, GA, in 1990, singer-songwriter Thomas Rhett started out playing drums at an early age. He dropped out of college in Nashville to pursue music, and scored a songwriting contract, going on to write for hitmakers like Jason Aldean and Florida Georgia Line while kicking off a singing career of his own. His 2013 debut album, It Goes Like This, went platinum and established him as a star in his own right with hits like the groove-heavy “Make Me Wanna” and the slinky, romantic title track. With “Life Changes” and “Crash and Burn,” he showed off a pure pop approach full of industrial-strength hooks and melodic moves distinctly outside the country realm. But while his music often brings in elements of modern pop, R&B, and hip-hop, Thomas Rhett’s Georgia twang and his knack for nailing deep-down emotions in his songs—much like his dad, country star Rhett Akins—signal his reverence for country’s oldest traditions.