WATCH: Thomas Rhett, Cole Swindell and Conner Smith Prompt Massive Sing-Along with ’90s Country Cover

Thomas Rhett rang in the new year with thousands of country music fans at XCel Energy Center in Minneapolis, and…

By

Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

January 3, 2022

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5:07 pm

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Thomas Rhett, Cole Swindell, Conner Smith; Photos via Instagram

Thomas Rhett rang in the new year with thousands of country music fans at XCel Energy Center in Minneapolis, and he brought a few of his buddies to the Twin Cities along with him.

Joined by his friends and fellow artists Cole Swindell and Conner Smith, the country superstar performed a cover of an iconic Garth Brooks hit on Friday (Dec. 31) in Minnesota.

Following Rhett and Swindell’s performance of “Beer Can’t Fix,” a duet that originally features Jon Pardi, Rhett began singing Brooks’ chart-topping hit “Friends In Low Places.”

After singing the opening lines of the song, Rhett welcomed Smith to the stage and the three hitmakers led a roaring sing-along with the capacity crowd to fan-favorite anthem.

Watch the star-studded performance below.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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The father of four adores the Brooks hit, so much so that he has even name-dropped it in his seventeenth No. 1 hit, “What’s Your Country Song?” 

Thomas Rhett’s final concert of 2021 capped off another incredible year for the singer/songwriter, who recently welcomed his fourth daughter with wife Lauren Akins. 2022 will surely be another milestone year for the country hitmaker as he previously shared plans to release his sixth studio album, Where We Started, in the coming months.

Rhett, whose current single “Slow Down Summer” is in the Top 30 at Country Radio, shared his goals for 2022 with fans via Instagram stories on Sunday evening (Jan. 2).

“As I look ahead into this upcoming year I just wanna be better. A better husband, better dad, better friend, better songwriter, better entertainer haha,” Rhett shared. “I hope this year is incredible for all of you. Thank you for loving and supporting me and my family for so long. Happy new year everyone. God bless!”

Cole Swindell will soon embark on his headlining Down To The Bar Tour featuring special guests Travis Denning and Ashley Cooke. Kicking off on February 17, 2022, the tour will visit several cities around the U.S. before wrapping in early April.

Meanwhile, Conner Smith, who was named a Country Now Artist to Watch in 2022, is set to join Ryan Hurd on the Tour de Pelago beginning this month and in March, he will head south of the border to Cancun, Mexico to perform alongside Sam Hunt.

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Lauren Jo Black

Written by

Lauren Jo Black

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.