Fifteen-year-old Nashville-area native Maddox Batson made his Grand Ole Opry debut this week – a moment he calls “very surreal.”
“It was absolutely, like mind-blowing,” Batson told American Songwriter of his Opry experience. “I didn’t feel like I belonged there, but it was really cool.”
Batson’s entire family was present to watch him perform. The viral teen singer called it “the coolest night.”
Batson’s Opry debut comes on the heels of his new EP, First Dance. He co-wrote each of the seven songs on the collection, some of which have already garnered millions of streams. “I Don’t Like You Anymore” has accumulated 1 million Spotify streams, and its video has amassed 2.6 million YouTube views. “X’s” has notched 5.7 million Spotify streams and fans have viewed its music video 11 million times on YouTube.
The singer performed “I Don’t Like You Anymore,” which he wrote with Hunter Phelps, David Garcia, and Ashley Gorley, from the Opry’s famed circle on the stage.
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“Ashley Gorley is arguably the greatest songwriter in Nashville,” Batson said. “I don’t even know if it’s an argument. But Ashley, Hunter, and David are just a great trio. And it’s just one of my favorite songs to perform.”
The audience agreed. Full of Batson’s preteen fanbase, the crowd emitted high-pitched cheers when he walked on stage. He followed “I Don’t Like You Anymore” with “It Was You.”
“It just sounds gorgeous live when me and my and my band plays it,” Batson said. “We try to slow it down a little bit from the actual record, so it sounds super awesome. It’s an absolute banger.”
The singer started his Opry debut day with an interview at WSM with Bill Cody, who grew up in Batson’s hometown, Cross Plains, Tennessee. Cody’s wife was Batson’s preschool teacher. Then he got to go home and relax before returning to the Opry for soundcheck. He filmed some content and did a few interviews, stepping into the spotlight to make a lifetime memory.
After the performance, Batson said walking on stage and into the circle was “something I’ve wanted to do for my entire life.”
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“I haven’t lived a long time,” he quipped. “Growing up in the country music space and knowing the prestige of the Grand Ole Opry and coming out here to play it means the world to me.”
Batson has scored all these milestones about one year after releasing his first song. His introductory viral hit “Tears in the River” picked up about 12 million streams by the end of 2024. He released “I Wanna Know” around four months later, in April of 2024, and it reached number 19 on YouTube’s Trending page. Because of Batson’s age, appropriate topics are limited, and he writes most of his own songs.
“Being 15, I can’t even sing about trucks yet,” he laughed. “I can’t sing about beer or anything like that. I can’t sing about the normal country music cliché things.”
The teen said he has to “do a deep dive” for song topics for his young fan base.
“I just try to write relatable music that if I wasn’t in my shoes, and I was just a normal 15-year-old kid and someone else was me, what would they like to listen to, or what would I like to listen to?” he said. “What would I like to turn on the radio and actually hear that would actually resonate.”
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Batson still does plenty of things other 15-year-old boys do. He plays videos and sports, including basketball and golf. Batson said he helps with household chores and takes his dog for walks.
“My parents don’t find me a superstar, which is annoying sometimes,” he laughed. “I have really good relationships with both my parents. I get to talk to them about this kind of stuff; they just help me a lot with decision-making. Being 15 years old, I think I know everything, but I really, really don’t.”
Maddox Batson’s First Dance EP
- I Don’t Like You Anymore
Written by: Maddox Batson, Hunter Phelps, David Garcia and Ashley Gorley
Produced by: David Garcia - Girl In Green
Written by: Maddox Batson, Peter Fenn and Sam Romans
Produced by: Peter Fenn - X’s
Written by: Maddox Batson, Benjamin Negrin, Elysse Yulo, Jaxson Free, Josh Dorr and Nick Bailey
Produced by: Nick Bailey - God Talkin’
Written by: Maddox Batson, Josh Dorr, Elysse Yulo, Tiggi, Ned Cameron and Hallie Hertrick
Produced by: Ned Cameron and Tiggi - Problem
Written by: Maddox Batson, Johnny Simpson, Dan Henig, JKash, Jake Torrey and Sean Cook
Produced by: Johnny Simpson, JKash and Sean Cook - It Was You
Written by: Maddox Batson, Andy Sheridan Josh Dorr
Produced by: Andy Sheridan - Southbound
Written by: Maddox Batson, Benjamin Negrin, Nick Bailey, Brett Truitt, Josh Dorr and Elysse Yulo
Produced by: Nick Bailey and Brett Truitt
Maddox Batson Tour:
March 28 Columbus, OH The Bluestone*
March 29 Louisville, KY Mercury Ballroom*
March 30 Indianapolis, IN Egyptian Room*
April 4 Rosemont, IL Joe’s Live*
April 5 Rootstown, OH Dusty Armadillo*
April 6 New York, NY Irving Plaza*
April 9 Savannah, GA Victory North*
April 10 Charleston, SC Charleston Music Hall*
April 11 Raleigh, NC Lincoln Theatre*
April 13 Huntsville, AL Mars Music Hall*
April 17 Dallas, TX House of Blues*
April 18 Houston, TX White Oak Music Hall – Downstairs *
April 19 Austin, TX Emo’s Austin *
April 22 Denver, CO Summit
April 24 Phoenix, AZ Crescent Ballroom*
April 26 Indio, CA Stagecoach Music Festival
Sept 11 Baton Rouge, LA Raising Cane’s River Center^
Sept 13 Bossier City, LA Brookshire Grocery Arena^
Oct 16 St. Louis, MO Hollywood Casio Amphitheatre^
Oct 17 Rosemont, IL Allstate Arena^
Oct 18 Saint Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center^
*SOLD OUT
^Lainey Wilson Support Dates
Photo by Lexy Lovelace
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