The Art of Picking a Hit: Dustin Lynch Tells All

Co-hosting alongside Elaina Smith for a whole week at Backstage Country, Dustin Lynch recalled the surprisingly chaotic process of selecting the track destined to be his next big hit.  

Smith asked if it’s challenging to pick a single due to the pressure to prove himself as a hitmaker. The Tennessee-born musician admitted, “Yeah, there is. There's pressure. I think of how do we stay in our lane but not do the same thing again and again. So, I really look up to the guys ahead of me that have been able to have hits over decades of time and not feel like they're saying the same. It's tough because when we play a show, you want to take the fans on a ride, and that journey is a part of our hits. We've had enough hits now where we have to play most of the shows as hit songs, introducing some new songs here and there.”  

Lynch revealed that, through the years, identifying what could be a hit song has gotten easier. “I think [it] comes a little bit easier than when we started out. We don't know what we're doing. I'm fine making music and still am. But I think narrowing that bullseye down is kind of been what's evolved.”  

The “Cowboys and Angels” singer also admitted that his brain works completely different now than when he debuted in 2012, saying, “[Back then] you're trying to prove yourself as an artist. You're making sure you're a great team player with the label, and sometimes not speak your mind, just play along. I think through the years that confidence comes and become a better communicator in the studio, and it shows.”  

Smith asked Lynch when he became more confident in speaking his mind. Lynch chuckled, “Yeah, um, gosh, probably 2015 or '16, like the Current Mood album. It really was the first time I was leaning in and feeling the music and not bouncing everything off the label. So that record was a little bit more unique, uniquely me.”  

He added, “So after that, I was like, ‘Oh, wow, this is great.’ I had a lot more fun making the album because of that. Since then, it's kind of been how we operated.”  

Tune in to Backstage Country for more behind-the-scenes stories from Dustin Lynch.