There is a wild new storm brewing in country music, and it goes by the name of Caldwell.
If you aren’t familiar with the Greenville, South Carolina native just yet, lock in — because he is currently staging a high-voltage takeover of the genre. Blending traditional southern roots with a heavy dose of grunge rock, hip-hop, and pop, Caldwell is carving out a completely unique lane.
Following a massive breakout year thanks to his viral, Billboard-charting hit “Beer & Baddies” featuring Sexyy Red, Caldwell is officially entering his next era by signing with independent powerhouse EMPIRE Nashville.
Growing up in South Carolina, Caldwell was exposed to a melting pot of sounds that heavily influenced his artistic DNA.
“People think South Carolina… is just yee-haw and country music, and it’s not,” Caldwell exclusively tells Celeb Secrets Country backstage at CMA Fest 2026 in early June. “It’s hip hop, indie, rock, everything, you know? I was two hours from Atlanta and two hours from Charlotte, so in the middle of like the 2016 SoundCloud era, you’re just getting everything right in between it.”
That cross-genre exposure is exactly what makes his live shows an absolute adrenaline rush. Flanked by his aptly named backing band, Sweet Meat, Caldwell’s pre-show ritual is less about quiet meditation and more about pure rock-and-roll energy.
“I like to pump myself up before I go on stage. You’ll see me back there growling and hitting myself in the head to get mad,” he laughs. “I’ll do that before I go on stage just so I can go out there ready to jump around and just fuck shit up.”
Fans who have caught his electric live sets have already been screaming the words to his brand-new anthem, “FSU” (short for “F**k S**t Up”), which officially dropped on last Friday (June 26).
Ironically, the track was born out of sheer exhaustion during a marathon recording session. “I made it because I was out of ideas when we were in the studio,” Caldwell reveals. “We’d been writing for like two days. I was like, ‘Guys, this is FSU.’ And they were like, ‘All right. Yeah, let’s do it.’ And I was like, ‘Wait, that could be a song.'”
While the title might sound purely rebellious, Caldwell insists there is a deeper, empowering message woven into the heavy-hitting track.
“It seems like I’m releasing it because it’s polarizing or whatever, but the message is really just more so about being unapologetically you and fucking shit up whenever you want to, because who cares? It’s an expression of the feeling of being done adhering to the norm. It’s a way to say I’m doing things my way, and I don’t care what anyone thinks about it.”
When asked about his musical inspirations, he shouts out heavyweights like Morgan Wallen and HARDY, alongside his top influences: Koe Wetzel and Bailey Zimmerman (citing Zimmerman’s “Religiously” as a masterpiece of cadence and lyricism). He also harbors a deep love for late ’90s and early 2000s grunge, spinning bands like Creed, Staind, and Sevendust on the regular.
But beneath the rockstar exterior, Caldwell admits he has a softer, self-proclaimed “nerdy” side. When he’s not on stage, you can find him working on his golf handicap or diving into a galaxy far, far away.
“I’m a really good golfer, which is lame, but I think I’m a really good golfer,” he confesses. “And I’m a nerd — I love Star Wars. Love Star Wars. But really, I’m just really good at music. Musical wizard!”
With the backing of EMPIRE Nashville, a red-hot new single on the airwaves, and a rapidly expanding fanbase fueled by faith, grit, and an unwavering work ethic, Caldwell is poised to completely shake up the status quo in 2026.
For him, the music is a vessel to connect with listeners going through their own trials. “I’ve been through a lot of struggles in my life,” he shares. “What music did for me is help me through the really hard times. It made me feel like someone else felt what I felt, and I want to do that for people.”
His parting advice to his fans? Live boldly, take chances, and never let someone else’s expectations define your path.
Listen to “FSU” below and don’t forget to let us know if you’re loving the song by either leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sliding into our DMs on Instagram at @celebsecretscountry.
For more coverage from CMA Fest 2026, click here.
