With more than 20 #1 singles under his belt, you might believe Thomas Rhett has a sixth sense for hit songs, but according to the 33-year-old hitmaker that couldn’t be further from the truth. Rhett used his latest chart climber, “Mamaw’s House” featuring Morgan Wallen as an example saying he never imagined the song performing on the charts.

“I think because we wrote this song so long ago and when we released it, there was never a plan for it to go on a radio chart of any kind,” Thomas said of the reason why he was shocked the tune — which he wrote in 2020 with Morgan Wallen — was so well-received.  “It was just like, ‘This is cool that we did this together — let’s put it out.’ To see it organically making its way up the chart is really special.”

He continued on to share the song was a product of he and Wallen’s first time ever writing together and came to be after Wallen received a call from his Mamaw during the write. “The whole song literally sparked by a phone call that he got in the middle of that write from his grandmother — his Mamaw... We walked away from that like, ‘Cool, man. Glad we wrote a song about our grandparents. Moving on…’” Thomas laughed.

Having written the song in 2020, for four years it sat alongside hundreds of others Thomas says he has in the archives that may never see the light of day. Seeing the success of the song he almost didn’t release has Rhett overthinking (more than he already does) when it comes to the new album he’s got in the works. Typically seeking validation from those closest to him, Rhett says this go-around he’s decided to take a different approach.

“I’ve had it happen so many times where I’ve been like, ‘This song is a smash, this is my favorite thing I’ve ever written in my life.’ Then you play it for a friend and they go ,’Eh.’” Known to take opinions straight to heart, Rhett was very selective about who he shared songs for the new album with and made sure he stayed focused on what the fans would like.

“I was really careful this go-around not to let a lot of people in on the process because I was having so much fun — am having so much fun — making it,” Rhett shared before admitting he’s even kept his wife, Lauren, more on the outs that normal.

“I actually sat my wife down and was like, ‘Hey, let’s make a date for me to play you the album because she’s always gotten to hear it, all the way through but this one it’s sort of like — ‘Hey, these are the decisions that I have made.’”

So, with many on the outs — who did get to have input into Thomas’ new project? “There are three individuals that are not in the music business and they’re between the ages of 18 and 24 that are friends of mine that I sent everything to, in real time,” he shared. “They’re not jaded, they’re not so in the 615 [Nashville]. We can over-analyze a song to death… at the end of the day, people like a song, or they don’t.”

In addition to gatekeeping the opinions, Rhett is also giving himself the gift of time with this project — something that’s never been on his side in the past as he’s written albums while on the road. “I’m doing like, 30 shows this year, so this is the most time — on purpose — that I’ve ever had to actually make an album,” he said. Allowing himself time to get things right, Rhett is excited to uncover the final product.

While time is on his side for once with his career, the father-of-four says it’s a completely different ballgame when it comes to watching his daughters grow up. “It’s starting to get real. It’s starting to get to that point of that parenting bit where time moves fast, but you don’t think it really moves that fast — it’s starting to feel fast!”

While wishing time would slow down at some points, Rhett admits his daughters getting older does have its perks — like his two oldest, Willa Gray and Ada James being old enough to take a duck hunting trip with him.

“Willa Gray has been begging me to go for a couple of years,” he said, before admitting his girls’ tough nature always makes him proud. “It was a blast, Willa Gray got her first duck. It was one of those moments where I wanted everyone who said, ‘man you need a boy, you need to have a boy’ [to see.] I’m like, ‘These girls are tough!’ It may be even more fun [than with a son] to be honest with you.”

Hear more about the trip, new music, how he’s learning to love horses and his some of Thomas Rhett’s favorite memories with family friend, Toby Keith, by checking out his interview on the Superstar Power Hour with Audacy’s Katie Neal above.

Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Katie Neal