A return to form in 2025?
There’s no denying that Parker McCollum has reached star status at this point. With three #1 hits under his belt, four certified platinum tracks and a headlining appearance at nearly every country festival over the past year, the “Hell of a Year” singer has undoubtedly made an impact in the mainstream after years of being a Texas country darling.
The major success hasn’t come without its share of criticism, however. Despite not changing his sound dramatically, much in the vein of many artists currently occupying country radio’s Top 10 list, many have accused McCollum of “selling out” and deviating from his classic sound present on the early records, mainly his 2015 debut album, The Limestone Kid.
It seems as if McCollum and his wife, Hallie, are trying to put those criticisms to rest in preparation for the release of his upcoming album which is rumored to drop at some point in 2025.
In an Instagram post recapping his recent Oklahoma City and Little Rock shows, an Instagram user commented, “the limestone kid is back!” In response to the comment, Hallie said, “wait till you hear the new album. The kid is 100% back.”
Her comment echoed a tweet from McCollum himself back in March when he gave an update on the status of his latest album, “Studio tomorrow. Crazy to be recording my 5th studio album. I know for 100% fact that these songs and this record is best I’ve put together since the kid. Took me a long time to get back to this place as a songwriter. Feels good to be happy about my songs again.”
As previously mentioned, it would be false to say that McCollum has truly “sold out” since his emergence in the mainstream. With that being said, however, there’s something special present in his early records that day-one fans have been craving. If he can mix in The Limestone Kid sound on his upcoming record, it’ll be an easy contender for Album of the Year.
Along with the upcoming album, McCollum will also be hitting the road on his What Kinda Man Tour alongside Kameron Marlowe throughout the year. Upcoming dates include the following:
- 1/23 Athens, GA
- 1/24 Charleston, WV
- 1/30 Kingston, RI
- 1/31 Portland, ME
- 2/1 Amherst, MA
- 2/6 Duluth, MN
- 2/7 Minneapolis, MN
- 2/8 Champaign, IL
- 2/13 Tupelo, MS
- 2/14 St. Louis, MO
- 2/15 Louisville, KY