As one of the most prominent and successful names in country music of the 21st century, since the release of his first major hit, “Hurricane” in 2016, Luke Combs hasn’t known a life outside of the spotlight.
The never-ending exposure of being a public figure is obviously a taxing endeavour, but the 35-year-old singer-songwriter has recently come out about how body image has continued to haunt him throughout his career. Combs recently appeared on the New York Times’ Popcast for an hour-long conversation that spanned from politics, his journey in music, and, most vulnerably, his struggle with his weight.
Hosts Jon Caramanica and Joe Coscarelli sparked a conversation about whether he had any self-doubt leading into his career, and Combs opened up about his original fear that he wasn’t going to get a shot in the industry because of how he looked. “I knew I could perform as good as anybody I felt like, and put on a good show and write songs that I feel like people would enjoy. And I was just like that was one of my biggest fears, like man, maybe like I don’t get a shot just because of the way I look.”
Combs goes on to say that it was difficult because people can’t really change the way they look, which sparked a conversation about whether anyone has tried to give him a makeover along the way and if the new weight loss drug technology ever tempted him. Coscarelli asked, “Did you ever wake up and think like I have to look like Sam Hunt,” to which Combs honestly replied, “Bro, every day, I wake up every day and think that still.”
Combs admits that he’s still actively trying to reach new weight goals, saying, “I do the fasting thing and the gluten-free thing.” The “Beer Never Broke My Heart” singer opened up about his switch to a gluten-free lifestyle late in 2024 and told the podcast that it wasn’t an attempt to change his appearance but rather, “the gluten free thing started for mental health, I have a really rare form of OCD that I have struggled with quite a bit for mostly my whole entire life.”
While the gluten-free lifestyle has helped lower the frequency of Combs’ intrusive thoughts, it also, in turn, aided with weight loss, further enhanced by the addition of fasting to his diet. “One of my biggest problems was insulin resistance, so one of the best ways to overcome the insulin resistance is to do the fasting. So I’ve been doing the fasting for close to a year now.”
Despite these changes, Combs very openly stated that it still hasn’t been enough to wean his fears about physical appearance, saying, “I’ve always struggled with my weight; it bugs me a lot that I can’t figure it out.” Touching on a conversation had earlier in the episode where he discussed his moderate political views, he hilariously adds, “There’s gonna be people that watch this and go, ‘Oh, this liberal can’t even lose weight.’”
He alludes to it as being an unsolvable puzzle that goes far beyond the simple advice of “just eat less.” Very candidly, he admits, “trying to wear all the hats is really difficult, trying to be the best version of myself physically and mentally is a job. The job I have is a job, you know, my kids are a job.” However, he’s not giving up on tackling the heavy load, adding, “I don’t want my life to be like this life of ease and like everything’s easy, I like when stuff is hard.”
In terms of assistance through GLP-1’s Combs says he’s trying to avoid it, “That stuff scares me more than I think I would enjoy the benefits of.” He emphasizes that in terms of this ‘impossible nut to crack’, that is, weight loss, “I will do it, but I’m not going to do it the short way.”
This conversation highlights a struggle many people face, even outside the entertainment industry: balancing body image concerns alongside the demands of everyday life. While it must be incredibly difficult to carry this self-doubt while constantly in the public eye, hearing someone like eleven-time CMA Award winner, Combs, open up about his own personal battles makes him even more relatable and reinforces his reputation as one of the industry’s most admirable stars.
As he continues to work towards his goals, the hustle doesn’t stop as Combs amps up to the release of his sixth album, The Way I Am, on March 20. Not to mention the North Carolina native has a heavy schedule of summer dates lined up for his 2026 My Kinda Saturday Night Stadium Tour across North America and Europe. Joining him on the road the day after the album’s release on March 21 in Las Vegas are special guests Dierks Bentley, Ty Myers, Jake Worthington, The Castellows, and more.
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
Watch the full episode: