Justin Moore Opens Up About Honesty On and Off Stage: ‘I’m Not Playing a Part. It’s Genuine’
With Moore, what you see is what you get.
Justin Moore; Photo by Cody Villalobos
Since bursting onto the country music scene in 2008, Justin Moore has never been one to chase trends or try to sound like whatever is dominating country radio at the moment. Instead, the Arkansas native has built his career on authenticity, and that has clearly paid off, as he’s remained a staple in the genre for nearly two decades.
With Moore, what fans see is exactly what they get, and that’s something he set out to establish from the very beginning of his career.
The “Time’s Ticking” singer recently opened up about the importance of authenticity in music, explaining that staying true to who you are matters more than following what’s popular.
“I’m not playing a part. It’s genuine,” he insisted. “I don’t care what you are, if you’re pop country, rock country, rap country, as long as you’re genuine and you’re real, people I think respond to it and they can be cool with it. When you’re out there trying to play a role or you’re trying to chase this or chase that or whatever and do what’s happening right now or what’s popular right now, people can cut through the crap.”
He continued, “Fans are pretty smart, and I think I’ve tried to be open and honest as an artist but more so as a human being with people because they want to know who you are as an artist and they want to see what you look like on TV and what you sound like on the radio but they want to know who you are as a person before they invest their money that they don’t have to come see you play or your album that they buy.”
For Moore, that honesty is what keeps fans coming back year after year, and this year, they will have the opportunity to see him live when he joins Riley Green’s 2026 Cowboy As It Gets Tour.
The upcoming trek will visit arenas and major cities across the U.S., including stops in Nashville, Alpharetta, Cleveland, Saratoga Springs, Salt Lake City, Hartford, and more.
For a full list of Justin Moore’s upcoming tour dates, visit his official website.
Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.
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