Chris Stapleton was already an established songwriter for Kenny Chesney, George Strait, and other greats when he released his 2015 debut, Traveller. Next to the era's charged-up tunes about bikinis and tailgating, Stapleton seemed like he was from a different time: in his mid-thirties, with a rawhide Kentucky voice, and unfashionably long hair beard. His mixture of Southern rock, classic country, and blues didn’t sound like anything else on the radio, and the songs were dark explorations of hard times ("Nobody to Blame") and boozy unhappiness (“Whiskey and You”). He's only gained more fans—from both sides of the mainstream/alt-country divide—as he's continued to hone his songwriting: Hear the focused reflection on "Broken Halos" (from 2017's From A Room: Vol. 1), the gorgeously tender title track on 2020's Starting Over, and the particularly soulful rocker "White Horse" (from 2023's Higher). But while his sound treasures the past, he's refreshingly undogmatic for a traditionalist: The fact that he's also recorded with Justin Timberlake ("Say Something") and with P!nk ("Love Me Anyway") just further underscores his appeal.