Country music singer Nate Smith has reached his breaking point with the grind of the modern artist.
In the past, artists like Smith just had to focus on their music. Free time could be spent writing songs, practicing for gigs, or preparing for upcoming concerts and tours. In the modern age, a lot of that extra time has to instead be dedicated to social media: posting every day, keeping fans engaged, and always thinking of what picture, video or teaser is coming next.
It’s exhausting for all artists (especially those who are smaller and independent), and Nate Smith has had enough.
The “Whiskey On You” singer recently wiped his entire social media clean except for one video where he explains how he feels trapped on a “hamster wheel” of constantly having to roll out content. Smith first made sure to thank everyone who has helped him get this far… but admitted that he’s reached his wit’s end with it all:
“This video goes out to everybody that’s supported me for the last six or seven years. I appreciate you guys so much. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. I appreciate you always supporting me, showing up to my shows, playing my songs. That means the world to me. I’m so thankful for you guys… I don’t know where to go from here. I don’t know how to navigate this really weird world that we’re in right now.”
The “weird world,” through the eyes of Nate Smith, is the fact that music is taking a backseat to social media clicks, impressions, and views. He says that he’ll write a song that he loves, and create a video for it, only to then become obsessed with how much attention it gets on social media:
“I watch as my team goes, ‘Ah, shoot. Yeah, that one only got 20,000. We’re not seeing a big pull on that song. Oh, man. Probably not a hit. Probably not a smash.’ And then my worth is all determined based on likes and all this stupid stuff.”
That’s a dangerous and toxic way to ascertain one’s value.
Nate Smith hates it, and in his video plea to the world, he announced that he’s putting his foot down and changing the way that he goes about his life and career as a country music artist:
“I’m tired, you guys. I’m tired. I just want to make music. I just want to make music. I just want to play shows. I don’t want to play these games. That’s kind of what this all feels like. It feels like one big game and it’s old and it’s tiring and it’s mentally exhausting and I know I’m not the only person out there that feels like this. There just has to be a different way. I’m over it. I’m over the reels, and the weird teasing things.
Godspeed, Nate Smith. Godspeed.
Of course, Nate blew up on TikTok a handful of years ago, so there’s obviously some discovery value to playing the social media game. But at the same time, if you can’t help but have your self-worth wrapped up in the number of likes a post gets, it’s best to probably take a break.
Droves of fans and other artists have flooded the comment section of his post voicing support, saying he’s absolutely right, and giving Smith reassurance that his music is reaching people… whether the algorithm and insights show that or not. It’s good to see an artist stand up against the machine, and here’s to hoping that going against the grain works out for Nate Smith.
