Don’t sleep on Matt Stell.
If you were a country music fan in the late 2010s, the name Matt Stell is sure to ring a bell. After cutting his teeth throughout the decade, scoring opening spots for the likes of the Chief himself, Eric Church, and Luke Bryan, Stell gained some major momentum in the final year of the decade.
In 2019, the Arkansas native caught fire upon the release of his 2x platinum debut single, “Prayed For You,” which quickly rose to #1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart in October and would later receive a 2x platinum certification from the RIAA. A year later, he’d score another #1 hit on the chart with his second career single, “Everywhere But On,” which was also certified platinum. In turn, he became one of the select few artists in the genre’s history to debut with two #1s with their first two singles.
In the 2020s, he’s quietly stacked up some big moments. In addition to headlining his own tours, such as 2022’s Man Made Tour, he’s also supported major stars like Miranda Lambert, Old Dominion and Chris Young. He’d also score some major features, appearing on Dierks Bentley and HARDY’s “Hometown Boys” in 2021 on HARDY’s second HIXTAPE album, Tenille Arts’ “Over You is You” in 2021 and employing Chase Matthews on 2023’s re-release of “One Of Us.”
After staying relatively quiet in 2025, only dropping two singles throughout the year, 2026 has been quite a successful year for the “Breakin’ in Boots” singer. In addition to becoming a first-time father back in July, he recently scored an opening spot on reigning ACM Album of the Year winner Parker McCollum’s tour later this month. In case that wasn’t enough, he would also team up with popular R&B singer, Ne-Yo, who has been exploring country music for the past year, on “Better Angels,” which has already amassed over half a million streams on Spotify alone since its release on May 29th.
Trying to keep the momentum going towards the back half of 2026, Stell is returning today with another brand new single, “Where I’ll Be,” which was announced back on August 21st.
Ultimately, “Where I’ll Be,” which was written by Stell, Spencer Jordan, Cole Miracle and Brett Truitt, feels like a throwback to the glory days of country music in the 2010s, particularly before the stranglehold bro-country put on the genre towards the middle and back-half of the decade. Backed by some simply infectious percussion that truly gives the track a sense of motion, Stell wears his small-town roots on his sleeve.
Painting a picture of a simple, southern life that can only be described as a dream for many in the chorus, the Arkansas native reminds his lover that if she ever needs him, she knows exactly where to find him.
“I’ll be sittin’ on the front porch sippin’
Out a jug with some mud on my Redwings, baby
I’ll be fishin’ in the same hole livin’
Like a king, ain’t a thing in the world ‘gon change me
If it ain’t all that you thought it’d be
If your grass ain’t greener, where the tea ain’t sweet
If some back on a back road is what you need
Well, that’s where I’ve been and that’s where I’ll be”
Overall, if you’ve grown tired of the incredibly pop sound that’s been pushed to the top of country radio lately and are looking for a breezy, straightforward ode to small town living, look no further than Matt Stell’s “Where I’ll Be.”
“Where I’ll Be”
Matt Stell Tour Dates
September 5 — Madison, Wisconsin — Taste of Madison
September 8 — Nashville, Tennessee — Grand Ole Opry
September 12 — Riverside, Missouri — Morton Amphitheater
September 17 — Abingdon, Virginia — Washington County Fairgrounds
