Brantley Gilbert and HARDY Pay Homage to Toby Keith With Rowdy Performance of ‘How Do You Like Me Now?!’

Brantley Gilbert and HARDY pay tribute to Toby Keith with a high-energy performance of his revengeful anthem, “How Do You Like Me Now?!”

Prior to taking the stage inside Nashville Bridgestone’s Arena for the NBC special, “Toby Keith; American Icon,” Gilbert told Country Now that he and his fellow country star planned to “get up and rock a little bit” in order to bring the song’s message to life in the way Keith always intended it to be sung. 

“How Do You Like Me Now” was penned by Keith with Chuck Cannon and unveiled in November of 1999 as the second single from his album of the same name.  

Before starting their performance, Gilbert addressed members of Keith’s family who sat on a couch side-stage watching as today’s country stars brought their dad’s critically acclaimed catalog of hits to life. 

“It’s an honor for me to be here tonight. I just want to thank you guys so much for sharing your husband and your dad, and your brother with folks like us and the rest of the world. It’s a better place for it. We’re gonna try to sing a little bit for you, Mrs. Tricia.” Gilbert said.

HARDY then added, “Let’s have a little fun.” 

After setting the tone for the next few minutes, the country-rockers appeared to be having a blast taking turns singing out the story of redemption. Keith’s idea for the song centered around someone who was once made fun of and overlooked in their younger years by a girl who later tried to win over his heart once he got famous and finally met her standards. However, by the time that day came, the male character wanted nothing to do with her and instead was proud to show off the success he had achieved. 

“How do you like me now?/ How do you like me now?/ Now that I’m on my way/ Do you still think I’m crazy standing here today?/ I couldn’t make you love me but I always dreamed about livin’ in your radio/ How do you like me now?” they belted out in a string of gritty harmonies. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Country Now (@countrynow)

As the pair sang, a photo of them sitting on either side of Keith appeared on the screen behind them. This image was taken back in 2021 when Gilbert and HARDY had the pleasure of working with Keith as a featured guest on their hilarious collaboration, “The Worst Country Song Of All Time.”

The idea for this song started off as a joke from HARDY during a writer’s retreat, but the more he and his fellow songwriters got to thinking, the more they realized this could turn into something that people would want to hear. The addition of Gilbert and Keith sealed the deal as all three of them teamed up to sing a track that highlights everything that goes against what country music fans love. 

Although Toby Keith wasn’t present for HARDY and Gilbert’s recent performance, the trio likely have some fond memories from their time working together and this delivery allowed them to honor that friendship. 

This performance took place during tonight’s two-hour NBC tribute special dubbed, “Toby Keith: American Icon.” The show also included performances and special appearances from artists such as Trace Adkins, Priscilla Block, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Jordan Davis, Scotty Emerick, Brett Favre, Brantley Gilbert, Riley Green, HARDY, Tyler Hubbard, Jamey Johnson, Krystal Keith, Ella Langley, Mac McAnally, Ashley McBryde, Parker McCollum, Leanne Morgan, Darius Rucker, Carrie Underwood, Clay Walker, and Lainey Wilson.

In addition to the star-powered musical performances spotlighting Keith’s incredible music and songwriter, the country music community gathered together to carry on his love for philanthropy as the event supported Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and The Toby Keith Foundation’s OK Kids Korral. Families from both organizations appeared to share their stories of receiving vital care and support during their most challenging times.

Toby Keith: American Icon aired on Wednesday, August 28 at 9 pm ET/PT on NBC. The show will be available to stream the following day on Peacock.

Country music legend Toby Keith passed away on February 5, 2024, following a battle with stomach cancer. Throughout his career, he earned an impressive 32 No.1 singles and sold a whopping 40 million albums. 

It’s no surprise that he is regarded as one of country music’s biggest hitmakers after earning a chart-topping hit every year for 20 consecutive years, including “How Do You Like Me Now?!,” “Courtesy of the Red, White, & Blue (The Angry American),” “I Love This Bar,” “Beer For My Horses,” and “As Good As I Once Was.”

He is a recipient of the National Medal of Arts, he’s been inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (following his induction into the all-genre Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015), and has been honored with the Academy of Country Music’s esteemed Merle Haggard Spirit Award.

Throughout his career, the Oklahoma native received the BMI Icon Award as well as the BMI Country Songwriter of the Year award three times, and his hit single “As Good As I Once Was” was awarded BMI’s Country Song of the Year in 2006.

Toby Keith’s music has garnered more than 10 billion streams and 100 million terrestrial radio spins to date.