Neo-traditional country artist Braxton Keith has finally released his version of George Strait’s “The Chair” (LISTEN HERE) after a live performance of the song that set social media ablaze. With an accompanying music video slated for this Friday (10/10), the release is on track to be the best of Keith’s career yet. The song is trending to finish the week north of two million streams worldwide, having already surpassed one million global streams since its release on Friday. “The Chair” celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, with Strait originally recording the country music masterpiece in 1985.
Keith is out on the road now for his “This Ain’t My First Tour” headline tour, visiting various cities across the country including a hometown show in Midland, TX on October 16. In addition, he was also recently announced to make his Grand Ole Opry debut in Nashville on Tuesday, October 28th.
Appointed as one of Nashville Briefing’s 25 Artists to Watch in 2025, Keith was also named to Dickel Whisky’s Class of 25 earlier this summer. He was selected as one of the “fresh faces…paving the way for the genre’s future” alongside fellow country music peers Kaitlin Butts and Tyler Halverson. Talking with Rolling Stone about the partnership, he explained his process of taking inspiration from the legacy acts on whom he was raised, with the outlet praising his music as “country gold for the modern age.”
Last year, Keith released his debut EP, Blue, featuring a selection of songs that Rolling Stone regarded as “hardcore, traditional country music” and Billboard lauded as “a slab of stone-cold country…forged from the depths of the Texas honky-tonk circuit, [which] highlights Keith’s unmistakable, conversational singing style.” American Songwriter is also decidedly a fan, declaring: “With his smoky baritone and aching ballads and mids, Braxton Keith marries crooning with Texas twang to recall the neo-traditional stars of decades passed.”
Keith, part of a new generation of country singer-songwriters leading a revival of its core creative tenets, is slated to headline over 130 shows this year, in addition to supporting artists like Cody Johnson, Gavin Adcock, and Luke Bryan on the road. Visit braxtonkeith.com for tickets and additional information.