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Thomas Rhett Gives Career Advice To His Younger Self: “You Are Not In Control”

Thomas Rhett reminds aspiring musicians not to sweat the small things and to stay focused on their craft.

It has been 10 years since Thomas Rhett released “Something To Do With My Hands,” the debut single that catapulted him to stardom. After learning the ins and outs of the country music scene, the multi-platinum artist caught up with Big Machine Label Group to reflect on his successful career and to share what he wished he knew as an aspiring musician in 2012.

The “Slow Down Summer” star told BMLG that he was a worrywart at the beginning of his career and would constantly sweat the small things. If Rhett could turn back time, he said he would and give his younger self a piece of advice.

“I would say that you are not in control, and you might as well let the control go,” Rhett would stress to the 22-year-old dream-chaser.

The multi-platinum artist continued to mention that he tirelessly tried to make himself a household name, without the help of others in the industry.

“I think for so long early on in my career, I tried to make it happen alone,” he explained. “You know, I thought that if I could just write a better song or if I could play a better show that, I would be able to do it at a high level.”

Rhett pointed out that being a micro-manager early on, got the best of him and impacted his mental health.

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“The anxiety and the wonder of, 'Is this record gonna do well? Where’s my song at on the chart? How many streams do we have?' I feel like I did that for like five years, and it was exhausting,” he said to the label.

Throughout the years, the hitmaker learned not to dwell on numbers and made it a priority to solely focus on his artistry.

“I just started to kinda let go of control and create. And I’m just in a lot happier, more content headspace,” said Rhett while also highlighting that his past experiences made him into the successful performer he is today. “I think that’s the reason we can’t go tell ourselves those things, is because I think we have to experience them to get to where we are today. But if I could, that’s what I would say.”

The father of four has come a long way since releasing the country-rock anthem, “Something To Do With My Hands” and scoring a record deal with Valory Music Co.

Rhett penned the high-tempo track alongside Lee Miller and country superstar Chris Stapleton, which lives on his 2013 12-piece collection, "It Goes Like This."

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Following “Something To Do With My Hands" – Rhett released “Beer With Jesus,” but it wasn’t until he dropped the title track “It Goes Like This” that he secured a spot on the top of the Billboard Charts.

In 2017, the country crooner jumped on his first headlining tour and released the critically acclaimed record “Life Changes.” After the successful year, Rhett made Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list, wrapped up his Life Changes trek, raked in several award show nominations, and dropped “Look What God Gave Her” in 2019 – the lead single from his fourth studio album.

It wasn’t long until Rhett earned his first GRAMMY Nomination with “Country Again,” a reflective ballad that found a home on his 2021 “Country Again (Side A)” album. The seasoned musician recently dropped his sixth studio album, “Where We Started,” which features unique collaborations with Katy Perry, Riley Green, Tyler Hubbard, and Russell Dickerson.

Breakout stars Parker McCollum, and Conner Smith has joined Rhett on his Bring The Bar To You Tour. The must-see show is currently hitting iconic venues across the United States and will wrap in Dayton, OH, on October 15. Tickets are available for purchase here.

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