If there’s one thing Colin Stough doesn’t do, it’s pretend.
The Mississippi native — who grew up trading guitars at pawn shops, working HVAC jobs, and figuring out life the hard, Southern-rock way — has made a reputation out of telling his stories exactly as he lived them. No filter. No fluff. Just grit, truth, and a whole lot of heart. And today (December 12), the 19 Recordings/BMG Nashville artist leans deeper into that lane than ever before with the release of “Best For You,” a raw, slow-burning ballad that shows the 21-year-old at his most vulnerable.
“This song’s about loving somebody and watching ’em walk away like it’s nothing, but still wanting the best for them,” Colin shares in a statement. “Now felt like the right time to release this since the seasons are changing and y’all were begging me on socials to drop it. Hope y’all like it.”
“Best For You” trades the rowdy edge of his recent releases — the unfiltered punch of “White Trash” and the gritty hurtin’ but raisin’ hell anyway energy of “20 Bucks” — for a soft, aching honesty. With vivid imagery of airplanes, streetlights, unanswered calls, and the kind of heartbreak that lingers even when you wish it wouldn’t, the track captures the universal sting of loving someone enough to let them go.
Even when he admits he keeps coming back, even when the pain won’t numb, Colin still lands on one truth: he doesn’t wish her ill. He still wants the best for her, even if it breaks him.
Colin tells Celeb Secrets that the past year has been a whirlwind, as he’s released new music, had explosive momentum, and a touring schedule that’s kept him bouncing everywhere from Nashville to Utah.
“It’s been great,” he says. “We dropped ‘White Trash,’ then ’20 Bucks,’ and we’ve been on the road… it’s been amazing just trying to keep up.”
What makes this new era stand out is how unapologetically Colin it is. After experimenting with mainstream-leaning sounds early in his Nashville journey, he realized that chasing trends wasn’t where his heart lived.
“When I moved to Nashville, I thought the only way to kind of make it was to do what everybody else was doing,” he admits. “But I wasn’t happy with myself… that wasn’t me.”
Instead, he chose to return to the music that raised him — Southern rock, older country, Skynyrd, the Eagles, Johnny Paycheck — and let that raw, red-dirt foundation guide his writing again.
“I would rather succeed with who I am than succeed in a sound that’s not me,” he shares. “And even if it doesn’t work out, I’d be one hundred percent okay with that… because it’s just me.”
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One thing that we love about Colin is that every lyric comes straight from lived experience. It’s especially true for “20 Bucks,” his gritty viral anthem inspired by a night of Wild Turkey, heartbreak, and a nearly empty tank.
“I don’t write about stuff that hasn’t happened,” he says. “The Turkey trottin’ — that’s a very true story. I had like seven dollars to my name, and before I knew it, I’d been Turkey trotting all night off 20 bucks.”
That same rawness is what anchors “Best For You.” It may be sonically gentler, but it’s still carved from the kind of reality that leaves a bruise.
His authenticity extends beyond songwriting, too. Off the road, he’s still the same blue-collar kid who grew up working with his hands.
“When I go home to Mississippi, I don’t do music,” he tells us. “I’m helping my buddies work cows, working horses, building sheds, working on vehicles… I have to physically be doing labor in some kind of way. That’s just who I am.”
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When it comes to his next era, Colin makes one thing clear: this isn’t a rebrand or a switch-up. It’s a return.
“I just want ’em to know it’s not really a new chapter,” he says. “It’s just me. I got tired of being painted as something I wasn’t. But it’s been working better ever since I quit doing stuff like that.”
He also confirms something fans have been begging for: a full album is on the way.
“It’s gonna show a lot of people who I really am as a person, not just as an artist,” he shares. “So hang in there. We’ve got a really good rest of the year coming.”
And knowing the heart behind “Best For You,” it’s safe to say this next chapter is about to be Colin Stough at his most honest, most grounded, and most unforgettable.
Listen to “Best For You” below and don’t forget to let us know what you think of the song by either leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sliding into our DMs on Instagram at @celebsecretscountry.
