It’s definitely something to be proud of.
Riley Green released his new album That’s Just Me a couple weeks ago, which features a pretty lengthy 19-song tracklist. It also features collaborations with Hannah McFarland, Jake Worthington, Alabama’s Randy Owen, and my personal favorite, Brooks & Dunn.
Riley’s career has blown up over the last few years, and while all artists evolve, he hasn’t changed who he is fundamentally as an artist. Fans can always count on him to deliver really quality songs with beautiful lyrics and great production, and that’s what he delivered here.
In addition to consistently putting out great music, Riley is an artist who basically stays on the road year round, and I think that has a lot to do with his current success. He’s spent years and years putting on shows all over the country, earning fans by delivering concerts that never disappoint, and I think that organic connection with his fans is paying off in a huge way now.
To give you an example of just how popular he’s become, Riley earned his highest charting album ever and first ever top 10 on the Billboard 200 chart as That’s Just Me came in at #3 on the all-genre chart.
And of course, with his incredible popularity comes a lot of interest in his love life… and the ladies LOVE Riley. Who he’s dating or what’s going on in his personal life is a constant topic of discussion, and he’s of course been linked to fellow artists like Ella Langley and Megan Moroney, as well as other influencers and public figures.
But during an interview with Kelleigh Bannen earlier this year, Riley was asked what he would “brag about” on a date now.
Before his country stardom, Riley worked on houses in his home state of Alabama, and that used to be something he could tell girls about to impress them, but obviously that’s changed a lot. Now, he says he’s most proud of his farm back home, which his family uses while he’s away and he thinks about often on the road, calling it his “sanity” in this crazy world he’s now:
“My farm, probably. I mean, I’ve got a great place down in Alabama, and when I find myself on the road, that’s what I’m thinking about.
I’m thinking about what I can when I get back there. My sisters are sending me pictures of their kids swimming in the lake or fishing or whatever. I think that that’s my sanity, is that place.”
He explained that it has nothing to do with the money it took to buy it, but rather the pride and fulfillment he gets from his family enjoying it, as well as being able to put in his own sweat equity into making it just how he dreamed of:
“It’s not necessarily a purchase as much as, just what I’ve done to the place. I love to show somebody before and after pictures, you know, we dug a lake out there, and this is what it looked like before that. So I think that’s probably what I’m most proud of.”
Even though Riley has earned incredible success, winning awards and scoring chart-topping hits, it’s clear that he still values his family and his hometown above everything else, and that’s the kind of thing that keeps someone grounded in an industry that can chew you up and spit you out like it’s nothing:
Riley just announced his extensive 2027 That’s Just Me tour, named for the new album, and I have to imagine he’ll be adding more dates at some point too.
That’s Just Me Tour Dates
April 1 – Spokane, Washington
April 2 – Seattle, Washington
April 3 – Eugene, Oregon
April 8 – Edmonton, Alberta
April 9 – Calgary, Alberta
April 10 – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
April 29 – Raleigh, North Carolina
April 30 – Knoxville, Tennessee
May 1 – Greenville, South Caroline
May 6 – Fort Worth, Texas
May 7 – Wichita, Kansas
May 8 – Rogers, Arkansas
May 20 – Tulsa, Oklahoma
May 21 – Dallas, Texas
May 22 – Lafayette, Louisiana
June 3 – Brandon, Mississippi
June 4 – Orange Beach, Alabama
June 10 – Mt. Pleasant, Michigan
June 11 – Toronto, Ontario
June 18 – Gilford, New Hampshire
June 25 – Clarkston, Michigan
July 15 – Syracuse, New York
July 16 – Allentown, Pennsylvania
July 22 – Columbia, Maryland
July 23 – Bethel, New York
July 24 – Mansfield, Massachusetts
July 29 – Evansville, Indiana
July 30 – St. Louis, Missouri
July 31 – Milwaukee, Wisconsin
