ERNEST Might be Country Music’s Next Big Thing

ERNEST is one of the most respected names in today’s booming mainstream country music scene. He has written songs for Florida Georgia Line and Sam Hunt, teamed up with Lainey Wilson and Jelly Roll and opened for Morgan Wallen.

He’s also opening for legendary country duo Brooks & Dunn when the two play Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on Friday night as part of their Reboot 2024 Tour (David Lee Murphy will join as well). By seemingly any metric, ERNEST (real name Ernest Smith) should be one of the biggest names in country music.

Yet, despite the respect of his country brethren, a prime slot on the recent Stagecoach Festival bill and legions of adoring fans, it seems like ERNEST, for whatever reason, hasn’t quite joined buddies Wallen, HARDY and Jelly Roll atop the modern-day country scene.

This should change, and it should change soon.

Granted, as careers go, Ernest’s (despite being 32) is in its relative infancy. His first proper studio album (Locals Only) dropped less than five years ago, and his first single didn’t chart on country radio until 2022. Yeah, about that…

“Flower Shops,” that aforementioned single, was, by all accounts, a hit. The ballad charted well enough. It’s a done-her-wrong throwback that would have been right at home in George Jones’ catalog. It even featured Wallen, who might be the biggest thing in country music since Garth Brooks became one of the highest-selling artists of the ’90s. It should have been an arrival of sorts for ERNEST. And while it certainly helped put him on the mainstream map, “Flower Shops” didn’t even reach the top 10 of the Billboard Country Airplay charts.

Nowadays, ERNEST is back on the charts, this one a Wallen track with the former as the featured artist. “Cowgirls,” co-written by ERNEST, has everything the modern-day country audience wants. Great hook. Fun vibes. Hip-hop infusion. And while it charted in the top 10, “Cowgirls” (which should have been a No. 1 hit and potential “song of the summer” contender), hasn’t quite reached such heights. This defies explanation, given the appetite and tastes of today’s collective country audience.

ERNEST’s latest, and best, studio album (Nashville, Tennessee) dropped last month and boasts any number of potential hit singles. “I Went to College/I Went to Jail” features Jelly Roll (on fire at the moment) and is a comical-yet-poignant look at the pair’s somewhat contrasting paths to country stardom. “Bars on My Heart” is special, as is “Hangin’ On.” And anything at the moment with Lainey Wilson (“Would If I Could”) is bound to generate some interest.

Or, ERNEST may just say to hell with it and drop his cover of ’90s rock radio staple “Creep” and see what happens. Yes, ERNEST (alongside pal and hitmaker HARDY) covered a country version of Radiohead’s biggest hit for his latest LP, and it is as awesome as that was surprising. If a cover can break Limp Bizkit, it can surely break ERNEST.
Not that ERNEST really needs the help. He’s made a plenty nice living, and could no doubt continue doing so, writing for some of the biggest names in the industry. He’s a road warrior who has paid his dues and will always play before loyal crowds on the touring circuit. And you’d be hard-pressed to find a more respected figure in today’s Nashville scene.

So, yeah, ERNEST is doing just fine, all things considered.

But good music deserves to be heard, and few in today’s country canon produce at a higher rate than ERNEST. Those who know, already know. Those who don’t have no idea what they’re missing.

Brooks & Dunn with David Lee Murphy and ERNEST on Friday, May 17 at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 2005 Lake Robbins Drive, The Woodlands. For more information, visit woodlandscenter.org. Tickets $45-199.75, plus fees.