With a billion streams in his rearview mirror and many more to come thanks to new music, Tyler Braden’s meteoric rise is the exact feel-good success story our playlists have been begging for.
The Alabama-bred country rocker with a powerhouse vocal range and a firefighter’s work ethic is having a career-defining year. From hitting massive milestones on the home front to plotting world domination, Braden is proving exactly why he’s one of the most formidable forces in country music today.
We caught up with the “Devil You Know” singer and his multi-talented wife, photographer and videographer Marisa Taylor, on the red carpet at the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards last month, where they dished on their collaborative magic, life off the road, and what has easily become Braden’s biggest year yet.
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Stepping onto the Las Vegas carpet on May 17, the power couple proved that their chemistry translates perfectly from the studio to the step-and-repeat. Skipping the standard corporate suit, Tyler opted for a look that felt distinctly “artist,” complete with subtle coordination.
“We wanted to go something a little more away from the suit look, and look, I say maybe a little more artist kinda thing,” Tyler told Celeb Secrets Country host Juliet Schroder on the carpet. “And so we ended up matching the floral designs with the shirt under it. We might’ve got a little bit lucky, and we might’ve been a little bit intentional, but either way it landed well.” He proudly gestured to his wife, adding, “And she’s wearing a vintage dress. I mean, beautiful… look at it!”
Though it marked their third time attending the ACM Awards, it was their very first time experiencing the unique energy of a Vegas iteration. “It’s our first Vegas one, so we’re excited about that,” Tyler shared, comparing the star-studded environment to a massive reunion. “Just getting to see friends… Because people that tour so much, and we tour so much, it’s hard to see our friends in the industry. So I think that’s the biggest thing about any event like this.” Marisa perfectly summed up the high-energy vibe, calling it the country music version of “summer camp.”
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The ACM hype comes right on the heels of major musical milestones. Tyler recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of his massive 19-song debut album, devil and a prayer, via Warner Music Nashville. The project launched a bold new era, racking up over 1 billion global streams to date and earning him three No. 1s on SiriusXM The Highway’s Hot 30 Countdown.
But Tyler isn’t resting on his laurels. Back in March, he dropped his latest single, “My Americana,” which is a soaring, nostalgic track that captures the bittersweet ache of a fleeting summer romance.
“It’s been a while since I’ve had the ‘this one is special’ feeling this strongly!” Tyler gushed about the track. “The summer nostalgia feeling is coming early this year, and I think this one could carry it all year. I truly hope everyone gets a chance to hear it at least once, and more specifically, I hope they get a moment to reminisce while listening.”
The real secret to the single’s success? The gorgeous official music video was directed by none other than Marisa herself. On the red carpet, she opened up about their unique creative dynamic.
“I don’t know that I inspire the songs, but I do get to be a part of the songs because I do all of the visuals for them,” Marisa explained to us. “We get to work together a lot in that way.”
While she shapes the visuals for his heartbreak anthems, she admitted her absolute favorite track of his is a total emotional gut-punch. “I had a song on my album last year called ‘To Tell You the Truth,'” Tyler laughed. “And it was about someone cheating on their wife, and that was her favorite one!” Marisa defended her choice with a smile: “You know those songs that just give you an emotion anytime you feel it? I just love that. It makes you feel heartbroken every time you hear it!”
Beyond the new music, Tyler has officially been inducted into the prestigious Opry NextStage Class of 2026, a massive platform highlighting the brightest rising stars in the genre. To kick off ACM week, Tyler performed alongside his classmates at ACM Next Wave: Country’s Beach Bash at Mandalay Bay Beach, proving his arena-ready rock-and-roll soul belongs on the biggest stages.
“Anything to do with the Opry is obviously very cool,” Tyler told us. “We’ve gotten to play it, like, 15 times now over the years. And just to be a little bit more involved by being part of the class is just an honor. It’s really cool. A lot of eyes are gonna be on you.”
The momentum didn’t stop in Vegas. Tyler took downtown Nashville by storm during CMA Fest 2026 in early June. Fans caught him bringing his electrifying energy to a special pre-festival Opry NextStage showcase last Wednesday night (June 3), followed by a massive performance on the Chevy Riverfront Stage on the later in the week (June 5).
To top it all off, he surprised fans by joining Two Friends on stage late-night at the star-studded Spotify House inside Blake Shelton’s Ole Red, where he even gave lucky attendees an exclusive sneak peek of an unreleased track titled “Horseshoes and Hand Grenades” (arriving June 26!).
With a high-octane stage presence that borrows heavily from rock-and-roll, you might expect Tyler’s backstage riders to be wild. But when pressed for a genuine Celeb Secret, Tyler dropped a hilarious truth bomb about his real life behind the curtain.
“We have a pretty laid-back crew,” Tyler revealed. “As far as the rock and roll aspect… I have never drunk in my life! So, like, I’m pretty boring, we’ll say, backstage. We don’t have many secrets. We’re kind of an open book, I think!”
Boring? We think not. Especially considering that when he’s not selling out tour dates on the second leg of his devil and a prayer Tour, he and Marisa are just normal homeowners trying to catch a break. When asked about their big summer plans, the couple admitted they are trading tour buses for toolbelts.
“Oh, hopefully some downtime,” Tyler said. Marisa chimed in, “We bought a house, and so we’re wanting to work on the house this summer, hopefully!” Tyler laughed, “Just a lot of boring fun stuff for us, though!”
Enjoy that domestic bliss while you can, guys, because 2027 is already calling. Tyler recently announced a massive 12-date headline UK and European run for February 2027 — The Days Of Gold Tour.
Covering territory across the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland, the tour will see Braden bringing his raw, stadium-sized vocals to international diehards who fell in love with him during his previous C2C (Country to Country) festival appearances.
“I’m so excited!” Tyler said of the announcement. “We’ve always felt so much love coming to Ireland, the UK, and Europe for C2C, so I can’t wait to see y’all again for The Days of Gold Tour! Stoked to spend more time with y’all and show y’all what we are all about!”
Check out the official tour routing below to see if Tyler is bringing his “Americana” magic to a city near you — and don’t forget to let us know if you’re loving all the new music by either leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sliding into our DMs on Instagram at @celebsecretscountry.
THE DAYS OF GOLD TOUR UK/EU 2027:
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FEB 3 – Belfast, Northern Ireland @ Limelight
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FEB 4 – Dublin, Ireland @ The Academy
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FEB 6 – Manchester, England @ New Century Hall
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FEB 7 – Glasgow, Scotland @ SWG3 Galvanizers
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FEB 9 – Birmingham, England @ O2 Academy 2
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FEB 10 – Cambridge, England @ Cambridge Junction
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FEB 11 – London, England @ Koko
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FEB 13 – Cologne, Germany @ Club Bahnhof Ehrenfeld
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FEB 14 – Hamburg, Germany @ KENT Club
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FEB 16 – Munich, Germany @ Hansa 39
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FEB 18 – Zurich, Switzerland @ Albisgütli Country Music Festival
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FEB 20 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Melkweg Max
For more coverage from the 2026 ACM Awards, click here.
