Drew Baldridge Reflects On Disappointment, Self-Doubt After ‘Rebel’ Was Pulled From Country Radio

Drew Baldridge is offering fans a candid look at the emotional highs and lows that come with being an artist. In a new video shared on social media, the country singer opened up about the disappointment of learning that his latest single, “Rebel,” has been pulled from country radio. While the song carried a message he deeply believes in, Baldridge is struggling with the fact that it didn’t achieve the kind of success he had hoped for.

Written by Baldridge and Adam Sanders and produced by Zach Crowell and Nick Schwarz, the songflips traditional idea of rebellion, with Baldridge embracing the title of a “rebel” not for breaking rules, but for standing firm in his faith, family values, and personal convictions.

Throughout the lyrics, he pushes back against the fact that in today’s world, people often choose to celebrate controversy and reckless behavior. Instead, he encourages listeners to take pride in living with integrity and staying true to what they believe in, regardless of popular opinion.

“Rebel” officially impacted country radio on November 3, 2025. Following the success of his similarly message-driven songs like “She’s Somebody’s Daughter” and “Tough People,” Baldridge strongly believed the track would continue that momentum and resonate in the same way with listeners. Unfortunately, he was sad to report that “Rebel” was not getting the kind of traction needed to sustain a spot on airwaves.

“…we just couldn’t get people excited about it. It wasn’t streaming enough. Radio stations weren’t playing it enough and it just broke my heart,” he admitted. “I love the message of this song. It is a big message. It is hard to hear this message millions of times and I will stand behind the message of this song, but it sucks. We didn’t even get top 50 with it, which is a bummer.”

He goes on to candidly admit that negative thoughts can sometimes overwhelm him, bringing fears that he may not be able to land another Top 10 hit. He reflects on the unpredictable nature of the music industry and how that uncertainty can leave him questioning what the future holds. While there’s plenty to be excited about, including new music and upcoming tour dates, he reveals that even during seasons of momentum, there are still difficult days happening behind the scenes.

“This business is so up and down, up and down. And so this is me just being honest, I’m a little down today and we have lots of new music coming out. We even have a new song coming out next Friday called ‘Diesel and Dirt’ that I hope you guys check out. We have a whole new tour we just announced and we’re about to start that in June called Farm, Faith and Family. And we’re out on tour with Luke Bryan, all this fun stuff all summer and we’re really looking forward to it. But just in my feels right now, I’m really just bummed out, was hoping to have another big hit. And I just hope that whatever we put out next is a hit.”

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At the end of the day, Drew Baldridge makes candid videos like these to remind himself that his true purpose is making music for himself and his fans in hopes that crowds will continue to fill up his shows and that his stories will still resonate deeply.

“I try to put real stories into songs and real heartfelt messages. And I hope that whatever I’m making next can be a success and can reach as many people as possible. And I do want to say thank you to Country Radio for getting top 60, all my friends out there that played it and believed in this song, thank you. And I hope whatever we bring next is a big hit and we can continue to have a career.”

Being a husband and a father of two boys has added even more pressure to the Illinois native to succeed and be able to provide for his family.

“All this stuff goes in your head of like, ‘Man, can I do it again? Can I have another hit? Can I provide for my family?’ And you start going down this rabbit hole, it’s real easy to do. But at the end of the day, I just have to remember I’m making music for you and the blessings that come from that are all from God. The songs that I make are from him,” Baldridge continues. “He brings the miracles into my life and the blessings into my life. And at the end of the day, that’s what I got to remember.”

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This video not only allows fans to see the real struggles that he faces on some days, but also lets other artists who may be experiencing the same doubt that they are not alone.

“These little videos are kind of for me. And I just want to say I’m having a down day for all the other artists out there that see everybody else’s videos and you just see ups, there’s a lot of downs, even an artist that have had hits in the past and so I’m struggling.”

Drew Baldridge will showcase songs like “Rebel” out on the road for his FARM FAITH FAMILY Tour, bringing live music directly to rural fans across the country. The trek launches June 11 in Omaha, NE and continues through October 18 with support from Alyssa Flaherty and Chase Wright.

This week fans can catch him around CMA Fest, including at his official fan club party on June 4 and at the Chevy Riverfront Stage on June 6.