16x CMA Award-winner Chris Stapleton was named Male Vocalist of the Year for the seventh time at last night’s 57th Annual CMA Awards, breaking his own record for most wins ever in the category. Stapleton also performed twice during the live awards broadcast: his current single, “White Horse,” and “We Don’t Fight Anymore” with Carly Pearce.
The award adds to yet another landmark year for Stapleton, who will release his highly anticipated new album, Higher, tomorrow, November 10 via Mercury Nashville (pre-order/pre-sale here). Produced by Dave Cobb, Morgane Stapleton and Chris Stapleton, Higher was recorded at Nashville’s RCA Studio A and showcases his supernatural voice and musical versatility across 14 songs that defy genre.
Already receiving critical attention, Stapleton was featured on NBC’s “Sunday TODAY with Willie Geist and recently spoke with GQ who declares, “In an age rife with division, he’s maybe the only thing Americans all agree on,” and calls him, “one of the most reliable hit makers in music.” Read the full GQ Hype cover story HERE.
Critical acclaim for Higher:
“dazzling…the best evidence yet for the way one man’s voice has become synonymous with the very idea of a musical genre”—Rolling Stone
“his leaps, quavers and evasions of the beat can be traced to Al Green. But Stapleton brings his own drama and grit to the style”—The New York Times
“Stapleton’s enigmatic voice – known for its raw versatility, so anchored in his chosen musical genre with an unusual ability to transcend it – is as present as ever…No one is immune when Stapleton’s textured, bellowing ballads play”—Associated Press
“finds Stapleton pairing an outlaw swagger with some heaven-scraping vocals”—Billboard
“one of the most consistent quantities in country music”—Vulture
“certainly suggests that Stapleton is leaning into his strengths as a cross-genre act”
—Consequence
“an arena-conquering giant”—Stereogum
“If you want to set the bar, start—as always—with Chris Stapleton”—Hits Daily Double
“One of country’s modern vocal masters extends a streak of next-level artistry…his growling grace and understated charm remain in fine form over 14 tracks, as a future Hall of Famer climbs on”—Nashville Lifestyles
“The consistency Chris Stapleton has with all of his releases is mind-blowing…This man does not miss”—Whiskey Riff
Known for his electric live performances, the 8x Grammy, 16x CMA and 15x ACM Award-winner will continue his “All-American Road Show” through next year including stops at San Diego’s Petco Park, Minneapolis’ U.S. Bank Stadium, Seattle’s T-Mobile Park, Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl (two nights), Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena (two nights), Cleveland’s Blossom Music Center and Philadelphia’s Freedom Mortgage Pavilion among several others. See below for complete itinerary.
Alongside Stapleton (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, slide electric guitar), the new album features Cobb (acoustic guitar, eclectic guitar), J.T. Cure (bass), Paul Franklin (pedal steel), Derek Mixon (drums), Morgane (background vocals, synthesizer, tambourine) and Lee Pardini (organ, piano).
One of the country’s most respected and beloved musicians, Stapleton was named Entertainer of the Year at the 58th ACM Awards—resulting in a prestigious ACM Triple Crown Award. Additionally, in February, he performed the National Anthem at Super Bowl LVII and has collaborated in recent years with Adele, Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, Justin Timberlake, P!nk, Sheryl Crow, Santana and many more.
The new album follows 2020’s acclaimed Starting Over, which went on to win three awards at the 67th Annual GRAMMYs: Best Country Album, Best Country Solo Performance (“You Should Probably Leave”) and Best Country Song (“Cold”) in addition to earning Album of the Year honors at both the CMA and ACM Awards. Called a “a sure-footed masterpiece” by the Associated Press, the album landed on “Best of 2020” lists at NPR Music, Rolling Stone, Billboard, Esquire, Vulture, The Tennessean and The New York Times, who declared, “Chris Stapleton’s roar isn’t designed to scare you off. It’s regal, an announcement of an alpha figure asserting his primacy…on this, his fourth album, the thrill is back.” Prior to Starting Over, Stapleton released a pair of Platinum-certified releases in 2017—From A Room: Volume 1 and From A Room: Volume 2—as well as his x5 Platinum breakthrough solo debut album in 2015, Traveller.
In addition to their work as musicians, the Stapletons are founders of the Outlaw State of Kind charitable fund, which supports a variety of causes that are close to their heart.
HIGHER TRACK LIST
1. What Am I Gonna Do
2. South Dakota
3. Trust
4. It Takes A Woman
6. Think I’m In Love With You
7. Loving You On My Mind
8. White Horse
9. Higher
10. The Bottom
11. The Day I Die
12. Crosswind
13. Weight Of Your World
14. Mountains Of My Mind
CHRIS STAPLETON CONFIRMED TOUR DATES
November 11—Tampa, FL—Walmart Presents: Heroes & Headliners – MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre
November 16—Lafayette, LA—Cajundome†
November 17—Houston, TX—Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion†
November 18—Corpus Christi, TX—American Bank Center Arena†
March 2, 2024—San Diego, CA—Petco Park‡
April 3, 2024—Winnipeg, MB—Canada Life Centre+
April 4, 2024—Grand Forks, ND—Alerus Center+
April 6, 2024—Minneapolis, MN—U.S. Bank Stadium^
May 4, 2024—Indianapolis, IN—Lucas Oil Stadium#
May 9, 2024—West Palm Beach, FL—iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre~
May 11, 2024—Jacksonville, FL—Everbank Stadium#
May 22, 2024—Rapid City, SD—The Monument** (SOLD OUT)
May 24, 2024—Sioux Falls, SD—Denny Sanford PREMIER Center**
May 25, 2024—Ames, IA—Jack Trice Stadium#
May 31, 2024—Cleveland, OH—Blossom Music Center**
June 1, 2024—Charlotte, NC—Bank of America Stadium#
June 6, 2024—Philadelphia, PA—Freedom Mortgage Pavilion††
June 7, 2024—Bristow, VA—Jiffy Lube Live††
June 8, 2024—East Rutherford, NJ—MetLife Stadium#
June 12, 2024—Kansas City, MO—T-Mobile Center‡‡
June 26, 2024—Los Angeles, CA—Hollywood Bowl++ (SOLD OUT)
June 27, 2024—Los Angeles, CA—Hollywood Bowl++
June 29, 2024—Salt Lake City, UT—Rice-Eccles Stadium#
July 11, 2024—Buffalo, NY—Darien Lake Amphitheater††
July 12, 2024—Pittsburgh, PA—The Pavilion at Star Lake††
July 13, 2024—Detroit, MI—Ford Field#
July 18, 2024—Toledo, OH—Huntington Center††
July 19, 2024—Columbus, OH—Schottenstein Center††
July 20, 2024—Chicago, IL—Soldier Field#
July 25, 2024—Nampa, ID—Ford Idaho Center Arena^^ (SOLD OUT)
July 26, 2024—Portland, OR—RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater^^
July 27, 2024—Seattle, WA—T-Mobile Park##
August 1, 2024—Gilford, NH—BankNH Pavilion++
August 2, 2024—Gilford, NH—BankNH Pavilion++ (SOLD OUT)
August 3, 2024—Gilford, NH—BankNH Pavilion++
August 9, 2024—Nashville, TN—Bridgestone Arena~~
August 10, 2024—Nashville, TN—Bridgestone Arena~~
August 21, 2024—Birmingham, AL—The Legacy Arena at the BJCC++
August 22, 2024—Little Rock, AR—Simmons Bank Arena++
October 16, 2024—Manchester, England—AO Arena++ (SOLD OUT)
October 17, 2024—Glasgow, Scotland—OVO Hydro Arena++ (SOLD OUT)
October 20, 2024—Dublin, Ireland—3Arena++ (SOLD OUT)
October 22, 2024—Birmingham, England—Utilita Arena++ (SOLD OUT)
October 23, 2024—London, England—The O2++ (SOLD OUT)
December 7, 2024—Las Vegas, NV—Allegiant Stadium#
†with special guest Nikki Lane
‡with special guests Turnpike Troubadours and Elle King
+with special guests The War and Treaty and Allen Stone
^with special guests Lainey Wilson and Marcus King
#George Strait and special guest Little Big Town
~with special guests Grace Potter and Nikki Lane
**with special guests Marcus King and The War and Treaty
††with special guests Marcus King and Nikki Lane
‡‡with special guests Marcus King and Allen Stone
++with special guests Grace Potter and Allen Stone
^^with special guests Nikki Lane and Allen Stone
##with special guests Willie Nelson and Family and Sheryl Crow
~~with special guests Marty Stuart and Nikki Lane
