These days, most people would probably agree that smartphones are an essential part of our everyday lives. But, Brett Eldredge might say otherwise. At the beginning of the year, the platinum-selling country artist promised himself that he would exchange his smartphone for a flip phone without all the “bells and whistles.” His reason? To try to live life in the moment.
At the time, Eldredge announced his ambitious resolution in a lengthy Instagram post writing, “Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot of amazing things about a smartphone, but I gotta take a moment to experiment and see what it’s like to be here, right now, lost in the music and not in a screen. If [you] need me, I’ll be on the T9 text machine. Here goes the #FlipPhoneChallenge.”
Since creating his post, Eldredge has kept his word. He’s also embraced his new, and simple lifestyle, adding that he recommends “it to everybody,” despite the drawback of not being able to “use maps” or “take Ubers.”
“I know it’s a commitment,” Eldredge told People during a No. 1 party for his seventh single, “Love Someone.” “But I was the guy that was on [my phone] all the time. I think I got to the point that I wanted to connect at such a deeper level, and I thought, it’s gonna take a lot of self-awareness to do this. And that’s what I’ve done, and I feel so much better.”
Aside from facing the usual challenges, cutting out the noise has allowed Eldredge to have fewer disruptions and far more time to focus on other tasks. He now partakes in activities that range from playing the piano to enjoying the outdoors. Most importantly, the lack of technology is influencing his sound, as it offers him more “freedom” to dig into a deeper level of music creation.
“I think now I have the platform to tell even more of my story in a bigger way,” Eldredge explained. “I’ve given myself the freedom to do that, too, now more than ever. Like I said, changing things up in my life professionally and personally and just kind of focusing on myself, I think, makes me create something on a much deeper level. And I think a lot of people are going to notice a huge difference. Definitely, My fans will, for sure.”
Brett Eldredge is currently writing songs for his next project, which he promises will have a “very organic” vibe.
