Thomas Rhett Reveals The Wise Word Of Advice He'd Give To His Younger Self

Thomas Rhett has come a long way in 10 years.

The “Where We Started” singer-songwriter is marking a decade since his debut single, “Something to Do with My Hands,” which released in early 2012. He’s since launched a superstar career, dropping six studio albums (with a seventh on the way later this year) and hit singles ranging from heartwarming ballads to upbeat party anthems.

Reflecting on the first 10 years of his career, Rhett ruminated on the advice he would give to his younger self if he could. Clinging to control seemed to take a toll on the “Slow Down Summer” artist, who considers himself in a happier headspace now. He said in a statement recently shared by his record label:

“I would say that you are not in control, and you might as well let the control go. I think for so long early on in my career, I tried to make it happen alone. You know, I thought that if I could just write a better song or if I could play a better show that I would be able to do it at a high level. And the anxiety and the wonder of, is this record gonna do well? Where’s my song at on the chart? How many streams do we have? I feel like I did that for like five years, and it was exhausting. Not that I don’t care about those things today, I just started to kinda let go of control and create. And I’m just in a lot happier, more content headspace. But I think that’s the reason we can’t go tell ourselves those things, is because I think we have to experience them to get to where we are today. But if I could, that’s what I would say.”

Rhett’s latest album is Where We Started, a 15-track collection that released in April. The project is packed with fan-favorite hits like “Church Boots,” “Angels,” “Bring The Bar” and others, along with collaborations with Riley Green, Katy Perry and Tyler Hubbard and Russell Dickerson. It’s the first of two albums Rhett plans to debut this year, followed by the highly-anticipated Country Again: Side B.