Fair warning to all of the aspiring TikTok musicians: Luke Combs is always watching…in the most wholesome way possible, of course.
Ahead of the highly anticipated release of his upcoming album, The Way I Am, set to drop Friday, March 20, Combs sat down for another interview with The Zane Lowe Show on Apple Music. Continuing on his heavily packed press tour for this 22-track project, Combs discussed his own excitement surrounding the release, as well as fatherhood and his experiences on social media.
Beyond detailing that his ‘For You’ page is mostly filled with golfing, dad content, and fart jokes, the 36-year-old singer-songwriter told Lowe that one of his favorite pastimes is lurking on social media and watching new artists. Basically spreading his fatherly wisdom to the internet, he noted that whenever he sees untapped talent come across his algorithm, he loves leaving some words of encouragement.
He shares, “Sometimes I get stuff come across, and it’s got two to three hundred likes, and I’ll fire a comment under it, and I’m like ‘Hey man, you’re unbelievably talented,’ like you need to hear this and not that my opinion really matters.” While it may only take Combs a minute to watch a 30-second clip and type up a quick reply, the impact of seeing support like this from a massive star is insurmountable for these young artists.
He notes this, adding on, “I do it as a fan but also as like I can imagine if ten years ago someone would’ve commented, you know if Eric Church would’ve commented on my video and said ‘Hey man, you’re super good.’ The confidence that would bring you or bring a kid, like, is that the difference between them going well, should I give up or not?” Further displaying why he’s such an incredible figurehead in country music, it’s beyond true that receiving a simple compliment from someone like Combs, who is a multi-platinum award-winning artist, would be a game-changer.
In a sea full of endless content, it’s extremely hard to stand out in today’s music industry as thousands of breakout artists, and even just casual content creators try to promote themselves on TikTok and Instagram. And unfortunately, the numbers don’t always translate to success, something that Combs recognizes and hopes to inspire these artists to keep pushing through, “Even if it gets them another week of keeping them going, dude.”
Combs refers to it as his own version of a “super power,” adding, “I’ve done what you’ve did and I’ve made it to where I’ve made it to, and just keep going dude, like you’re good, you’re really good.” While he may be quick to boost one’s confidence, he also said that he’s in no rush to take his generosity to the next level by offering publishing deals. He clarifies, “I don’t want to take advantage of you being good. You being good is great, and I would love to help people. I want to do that, but I haven’t quite figured out a way.”
So for now, until Combs takes his mentorship to the next level, he says he’s going to continue to spread his goodwill and encouragement via social media recognition. He does, however, warn that for these growing musicians on social media, it can be a brutal kickstarter to a career without the experience of being able to fail privately. He emphasizes that the ability to grow through doing “shi**y gigs” beyond the stringent spotlight of social media allows you to explore yourself on stage and make these crucial mess-ups.
The “Be By You” singer also spent years putting in long hours, practicing, and playing small shows before his career truly took off. He credits that grind with giving him the confidence that helped shape the artist fans know and love today.
That hard work certainly paid off. The North Carolina native has gone from playing dive bars to preparing to head out on his 2026 My Kinda Saturday Night Tour the day after releasing his sixth studio album. Kicking off in Las Vegas, the two-time back-to-back CMA Entertainer of the Year will headline 16 stadium dates throughout the summer, wrapping up on August 1 in London.
Tour Dates:
- March 21: Las Vegas, Nev. @ Allegiant Stadium*
- April 4: Charlottesville, Va. @ Scott Stadium†
- April 11: Ames, Iowa @ Jack Trice Stadium†
- April 18: South Bend, Ind. @ Notre Dame Stadium†
- April 25: Columbus, Ohio @ Ohio Stadium†
- May 2: Knoxville, Tenn. @ Neyland Stadium†
- May 9: Norman, Okla. @ Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium†
- May 16: Green Bay, Wis. @ Lambeau Field†
- May 30: Montréal, Québec @ Parc Jean-Drapeau†
- June 6: Toronto, Ont. @ Rogers Stadium†
- July 4: Gothenburg, Sweden @ Ullevi‡
- July 7: Paris, France @ Accor Arena§
- July 11: Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Johan Cruijff Arena‡
- July 18: Ireland @ Slane Castle‡
- July 25: Edinburgh, U.K. @ Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium+
- Aug. 1: London, U.K. @ Wembley Stadium#
*with special guests Dierks Bentley, Ty Myers and Thelma & James
†with special guests Dierks Bentley, Ty Myers, Jake Worthington and Thelma & James
‡with special guests The Script, Ty Myers and The Castellows §with special guests Ty Myers and The Castellows
+with special guests The Teskey Brothers, Ty Myers and The Castellows
#with special guests Thomas Rhett, Ty Myers and The Castellows