Primarily written by Keith Richards, the hit song “Beast of Burden” originally hit airwaves in 1978 when the Rolling Stones released their album Some Girls. Gaining a great deal of praise from fans, the song eventually landed on Rolling Stone’s list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Although the Rolling Stones recorded numerous hit songs, when it came to Thomas Rhett, he couldn’t help but honor the legacy of the band by performing the “Beast of Burden.”
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Traveling all over the country, Rhett entertained fans with some of his own hit songs. But not wanting to just focus on his discography, the country singer turned to the Rolling Stones for inspiration. When taking over the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, Rhett offered fans a special treat.
Thomas Rhett Warns About The Pressure Of Chasing Popularity
Having spent over a decade in the music industry, Rhett knew the ins and outs of country music. And when speaking about the industry, the country singer warned aspiring artists about the dangers of pressure. “There’s always pressure, but I think it’s up to you to decide what that pressure does to your creative system. I think you can allow pressure to make you want to chase what is popular or you can allow the pressure to make you kind of hone in and do what you do best. I’ve definitely been guilty of both at times in my career.”
Admitting to succumbing to that pressure in the past, Rhett explained where it originated from. “The pressure does not come anymore from people loving or hating a song. The pressure comes from me of going like, did I make this out of real authenticity? Because I can die on that sword. If I put all my stamp and money and heart behind the thing and the world just decided that they hated it, I’m good failing there. But if I chased and tried to copy or tried to do what was working, and it failed, then I can’t live with that.’’
With Rhett knowing what chasing a trend can bring, he concluded, “I think what I’ve learned in 15 years of doing this is that the moment you start chasing, by the time you put out what you chased for, that trend is over. So you might as well do what is in your heart because what is in your heart can’t really go out of style.”
(Photo by Christopher Polk/Penske Media via Getty Images)
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