Conner Smith

After going viral on TikTok in 2021, country singer Conner Smith transformed his social media popularity into genuine success on the Billboard charts, earning his first Top 40 hit with "Learn From It" in 2022. He was born in Nashville, Tennessee, on September 16, 2000, and raised by a mother who worked as an entertainment reporter, TV host, and music teacher. This proximity to Nashville's artistic community inspired Smith to begin making his own music, and by his college years, he was co-writing songs with chart-topping songwriters like Ashley Gorley. "Learn From It," his debut single, was released in 2021 and became a hit on Spotify, where it earned more than 15 million streams. A follow-up single, "Take It Slow," arrived that same year and became even more popular, receiving 30 million streams and swelling Smith's fanbase. During the final months of 2021, he released "I Hate Alabama," a breakup ballad whose arrival coincided with football season. The song became a viral sensation on TikTok, and its digital streams doubled virtually overnight as the University of Alabama lost to the University of Georgia Bulldogs in the National Championships in early 2022. The increased attention earned Conner Smith a contract with Valory, a label owned by Big Machine Records. He released his debut EP, Didn't Go Too Far, in 2022, reaching Number 38 on the Country Airplay chart with the record's first single, "Learn From It." A second EP, Take It Slow, was released later that year, with the title track hitting Number 55. Before 2023 was up, Smith had also earned his first Top 40 hit on the Hot Country Songs chart with "Creek Will Rise," which doubled as the lead single from his 2024 debut album, Smoky Mountains.