Riley Green Admits He Didn’t Realize He Was ‘The Mustache Guy’

Riley Green didn’t realize he’d become the mustache guy until he shaved it off and the internet practically had a meltdown.

“I didn’t realize that I’m a mustache guy now, so people expect a certain level of mustache from me, and when I shaved, it really, it hurt some people’s feelings,” he told Audacy’s Katie Neal.

The “Worst Way” singer caused a social media stir on May 21 when he posted a picture revealing he was suddenly clean-shaven, ditching his signature facial hair. Fans panicked as word spread, and Green admits he was surprised by the amount of commotion that broke as a result.

“I thought people might mention it,” he said before noting how people suddenly didn’t recognize him in public. “It was like, these people have nothing to talk about, but it was nice that day. I walked in the bar and nobody knew. I was like, I was about 14 when I shaved it off.”

The Real Reason Behind The Shave

He now says that “people can relax” as the mustache is slowly growing back. So what was the reason for the unexpected change? It turns out it had nothing to do with a new relationship or persuasion from others as many fans theorized. Instead, Green explained that he simply shaves his facial hair every summer when the temperatures start to heat up.

“I shave every year just to get a little sun on my face. It starts to get hot. It just feels nice for a little change,” he revealed.  

In another conversation about his facial hair with Big D & Bubba, the Alabama native said the experience made him realize just how much weight a mustache can carry in his everyday life.

“A constant reminder is the respect I get on a daily basis. When you have a mustache like this, I always describe it when you pull up to a four-way stop with four stop signs and you another car get there at the same time, you always go first if you have a mustache,” he joked. “I’ve seen guys put it in park, get out of their car, take the keys out, like, ‘Hey, I’m not going.’”

Bubba also pointed out how young the country act looked without the mustache. “You looked like you were 15 years old.”

Green responded, “Isn’t that crazy? There was quite a bit of talk about it. Somebody said, I went from tombstone to finance.”

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While the fans’ focus remains on the status of Riley Green’s facial hair, he is honing in on his new music. He told Katie Neal that as his steamy tune “Worst Way” continues making its way up the charts, he’s been busy in the studio and has cut around six songs that will drop “at some point.” He even teased that an acoustic project might be in the works.

Green is also currently making his way from stage to stage and drawing massive crowds on his Damn Country Music Tour . Produced by Live Nation, the U.S. leg of the tour launched on May 1st in Athens, GA and is set to continue through November 21 when he will make his final stop in Oklahoma City, OK.