FOR RISING COUNTRY STAR BLAKE WHITEN, LOVE IS A HABIT THAT’S “HARD TO BREAK”

Rising 21-year-old country sensation Blake Whiten returns with the down-bad anthem “Hard to Break”, out now via Enchntmnt/Warner Records. The lovelorn cut is the small-town South Carolina native’s second major label single, and arrives in the middle of his first headlining US run, The Rollin’ Stone Tour.

“Hard to Break” instantly reminds us of the storytelling and vocal gravitas possessed by the young man from Six Mile, SC (population: <800). The song opens on intimate strumming and a scene-setting line: “I try to let you go but I just keep givin’ in / My head tells me to stop, but my heart ain’t listenin’.” From there, the sound blooms to include dobro, banjo, steel, and drums, all while Whiten’s struggle grows more intense: “Maybe it’s a rose, maybe it’s a thorn / Either way I’m torn / It’s a feeling that I just can’t shake / You’re a habit that’s a little too hard to break.”

Whiten’s 2024 independently released breakthrough “Rollin’ Stone” has recently been heating up and was just added to marquee playlists including Spotify’s Hot Country, Apple Music’s Country Risers, and The Highway station on SiriusXM. The track continues to increase streams week to week with over 52 million global to date, cementing Whiten as one of country music’s rising stars.

The Rollin’ Stone Tour stops in Lexington, KY, tonight before wrapping in Chicago on September 26. After that, Whiten heads down under for the two-stop Ridin’ Hearts Fest and returns stateside for Florida’s St. Pete Country Fest in November. This month, he announced that he’ll be joining Bailey Zimmerman for 30+ dates on the 2026 North American Different Night Same Rodeo Tour. For tickets and info go HERE.

Whiten announced his signing to Warner Records in June with “Made for Goodbyes,” which All Country News praised as “a gut-wrenching, emotionally scorched ballad that wastes no time proving why Nashville’s watching him closely.” Around that same time, he was named one of “10 Country and Americana Artists You Need to Know” by Holler, who called Whiten’s sound “a distinctly southern blend of smoky country rock with just enough mainstream country production touches for it to perfectly compliment any contemporaries like Morgan Wallen and Kameron Marlowe.”

Young as he is, Whiten’s already paid dues. After learning guitar from his dad, the country upstart built a loyal following uploading covers of current hits and classic tracks. His rendition of Morgan Wallen’s “I Guess” garnered 9M views on TikTok and sparked nearly 40,000 creates. Whiten then turned his attention to releasing original music and found immediate success with “Rollin’ Stone” and “Breakin’ My Heart” (9M+ global streams). He also co-wrote Bailey Zimmerman’s 2024 single “Holding On.” In less than a year, Blake has amassed a quickly growing and devoted fanbase which includes more than 2 million monthly listeners on Spotify—and counting.

Whiten’s rise rolled into 2025 with the arrival of his hometown-themed Six Mile EP and the single “Carolina,” a love letter to his state. He’s since torn up stages at the 2025 CMA Fest (attended by over 95,000 fans) and in support of Arkansas country riser Waylon Wyatt, Texas outfit Whiskey Myers, and more. As the young renegade’s story enters this next chapter, one thing’s for sure: with guitar in hand and heartbreak in his gritty-beyond-his-years voice, Blake Whiten is poised to help shape the next era of country music — and he’s just getting started.

Blake Whiten Live Dates:

Sep 19 — Lexington, KY @ The Burl *

Sep 25 — Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St Entry *

Sep 26 — Chicago, IL @ Carol’s Pub *

Oct 25 — Sydney, Australia @ Ridin’ Hearts Festival #

Oct 26 — Melbourne, Australia @ Ridin’ Hearts Festival #

Nov 21-23 — St. Petersburg, FL @ St. Pete Country Fest #

Feb 19 — Estero, FL @ Hertz Arena %

Feb 21 — Athens, GA @ Akins Ford Arena %

Feb 26 — Greenville, SC @ Bon Secours Wellness Arena %

Feb 27 — Knoxville, TN @ Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center %

Feb 28 — Pikeville, KY @ Appalachian Wireless Arena %

Mar 5 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden %

Mar 12 — Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena % 

Mar 13 — Moline, IL @ Vibrant Arena at The MARK %

Mar 14 — Evansville, IN @ Ford Center %

Mar 27 — Orange Beach, AL @ The Wharf Amphitheater %

Apr 2 — Fort Worth, TX @ Dickies Arena %

Apr 3 — Baton Rouge, LA @ Raising Cane’s River Center %

Apr 4 — Corpus Christi, TX @ Hilliard Center Arena %

Apr 9 — Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena %

Apr 10 — Atlantic City, NJ @ Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena %

Apr 11 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Petersen Events Center %

Apr 16 — Toledo, OH @ Huntington Center % 

Apr 17 — Green Bay, WI @ Resch Center %

Apr 18 — Sioux Falls, SD @ Denny Sanford Premier Center %

Apr 30 — Huntsville, AL @ Prost Arena at the Von Braun Center %

May 1 — Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amphitheater %

May 2 — Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amphitheater

Jun 4 — Airway Heights, WA @ BECU Live at Northern Quest %

Jun 5 — Nampa, ID @ Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater % 

Jun 6 — Bend, OR @ Hayden Homes Amphitheater %

Jun 10 — Abbotsford, Canada @ Abbotsford Centre %

Jun 11 — Kelowna, Canada @ Prospera Place %

Jun 13 — Edmonton, Canada @ Rogers Place %

Jun 18 — Toronto, Canada @ Budweiser Stage %

Jun 19 — London, Canada @ Canada Life Place %

June 20 — Ottawa, Canada @ Canadian Tire Centre %

*headliner

# festival

% with Bailey Zimmerman

 

 

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