Sony Music Nashville artist Corey Kent has spent the summer as an opener on Parker McCollum’s Burn it Down Tour. A road veteran himself drawing inspiration from The Eagles, Keith Richards, Turnpike Troubadours and more, Kent brought that bandana-wearing Rock ‘N’ Roll spirit to the tour’s recent Red Rocks stop where the “Hell of a Year” singer gave him a hell of a surprise…news his No. 1 hit “Wild As Her” had been certified Double-Platinum by the RIAA. Watch McCollum surprise Kent with the news HERE.

“Congratulations to Corey, RCA Nashville and his full team on achieving 2x Platinum certification for “Wild As Her!” This remarkable achievement is a testament to your incredible talent and the undeniable impact your music has had on fans,” shared Jackie Jones, SVP Artist and Industry Relations, RIAA. “It’s exciting to see artists celebrating each other’s success in RIAA’s Gold & Platinum program. Here’s to many more milestones in your career!”

The milestone comes as the hitmaker releases his sophomore album, Black Bandana, named a “Best Album” by NPR’s All Songs Considered with Rolling Stone noting his “charismatic vocals lift every song.” The road warrior will kick off his headlining Black Bandana Tour on Sept. 21. Available now, listen to Black Bandana HERE. And watch the video, directed by Wales Toney, for his current single, “Now or Never" featuring Lauren Alaina HERE.

Title track “Black Bandana” helped set the tone for the album Billboard calls, “music for those whose lives have been seasoned by rocky times." Co-written with Rocky Block, Jordan Dozzi, and Brett Tyler, the slow-burning call to stand your ground pairs tender country-rock reverence with a big-picture mindset, helping tie all of Kent’s struggle, success, and plans for the future together. The album was almost finished when he wrote it, Kent says, but he was happy it “derailed” the project.

“It encapsulates the journey. The reason we’re here is because we didn’t give up, and the whole record is a call to action against all odds,” he explains. “When the going gets tough and everybody quits, you be the one that stays the course and never gives up. I think there’s a lot of people that relate with that.”

Co-writing six of Black Bandana’s 10 songs, what Kent ultimately wanted was to mix themes of integrity, resilience and family with a sonic setting befitting the mission. Finding the midway point between cinematic electric guitars and heart-pounding drums meet a warm, gravel-road rasp, as Kent brings classic rock into the present tense.

Now based in Dallas, the proud husband and father has become a decorated artist on the rise, growing from humble heartland roots into a Platinum certified Number One hit maker with 950 million career streams, and a black bandana on his neck. But today, that Black Bandana is more than an accessory – and not just the title track of his sophomore major-label album, which Music Row calls, “gently but unrelentingly uplifting.” It’s his rally cry.

Rising from the vibrant Red Dirt country scene as the embodiment of authenticity, Kent set his sights on Nashville as a teen, bringing his self-penned catalog of country-rock anthems with him. But after the pandemic coincided with the loss of his first publishing deal, Kent was forced to move to Texas and get a job on a paving crew to pay the bills, yet he stubbornly refused to call music quits. Honky-tonks and dancehalls on both sides of the Red River became his stomping ground, and slowly but surely, the black bandana spirit grew.

Fast forward a few years and the hit single “Wild As Her” proved he was right all along. An untamed tribute to a free-spirited stunner, the track re-invigorated Kent’s career as a now Double-Platinum-certified No. 1 at country radio, and the lead single off his major label album debut, Blacktop. Despite never cracking country radio’s Top 40, Kent’s trust-your-gut second single “Something’s Gonna Kill Me” went Gold (and is now approaching Platinum status), proving his message was connecting. And momentum kept building, with Kent hitting the road alongside Jason Aldean, Ashley McBryde, McCollum and more. Next-big-thing accolades came in from CMT, Opry Next Stage and more, but even as Kent became the most played new artist on country radio for all of 2023, he kept the underdog, who-cares-about-conventional-wisdom mentality. And so did his fans.

For Kent, the point was that his fans have the same independent spirit he does, and he took that lesson into his next chapter. Settled into his ranch in Texas and intent on being fully present as husband and father, while also achieving his dreams, his second album is all about finding balance, keeping clear eyes on what’s important – and waving that Black Bandana for all to see.

Parker McCollum surprises Corey Kent with news his No. 1 hit "Wild as Her" has been certified Double-Platinum by the RIAA | Photo Credit: Zack Morris

Kent is also connecting with friends on the road in his new podcast “Bus Call.” The podcast finds Kent chatting with everyone from country music star Bailey Zimmerman to 2023 Doak Walker Award winner, OSU Running Back Ollie Gordon. The Texas Troubadour and his guests share laughs, inspirational moments and talk through the ups and downs of both business and personal life. Listen to the first two episodes of season one now and stay tuned for a new episode each month.

The Oklahoma native will be joined by Braxton Keith, Kaitlin Butts, Max McNown, Karley Scott Collins and Lauren Watkins on select dates for his headlining, international Black Bandana Tour, which kick-offs in Paso Robles, California on Sept. 21. The road warrior will trek across both the U.S. and U.K. with stops in New York, Boston, Atlanta, Dublin, London and more into early 2025. Tickets are on sale now. Purchase at coreykentofficial.com.

Black Bandana Tour Dates:
+9/21/24 Paso Robles, CA BarrelHouse Brewing Co. - Brewery and Beer Gardens
9/22/24 Long Beach, CA Boots In The Park
^9/26/24 Reedley, CA The Wakehouse
^9/27/24 Bakersfield, CA Buck Owens Crystal Palace
9/28/24 Tempe, AZ Boots In The Park
<10/3/24 Hays, KS Fox Theatre
10/4/24 Durant, OK Choctaw Grand Theater (with Pat Green)
10/5/24 Burkburnett, TX Friendship Festival
#10/10/24 Little Rock, AR Little Rock Hall
10/11/24 Bellville, TX Austin County Fair
#10/12/24 Terrell, TX Silver Saloon
-10/16/24 New York, NY Gramercy Theatre
-10/17/24 Sayreville, NJ Starland Ballroom
-10/18/24 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun – Wolf Den
-10/19/24 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club
<10/24/24 Cincinnati, OH Bogart’s
<10/25/24 West Lafayette, IN Neon Cactus
<10/26/24 Rootstown, OH Dusty Armadillo
^11/1/24 Milwaukee, WI The Rave II
#11/8/24 Wichita, KS The Cotillion Ballroom
#11/9/24 Stillwater, OK Tumbleweed Dance Hall
-11/21/24 Atlanta, GA Buckhead Theatre
-11/22/24 Charlotte, NC Coyote Joe’s
-11/23/24 North Myrtle Beach, SC House of Blues

International Dates
2/1/25 Dublin, IE The Academy (Green Room)
2/2/25 Belfast, NI The Limelight 1
2/4/25 Glasgow, UK SWG3 TV Studio
2/7/25 Manchester, UK Manchester Academy 2
2/8/25 Birmingham, UK O2 Academy 2
2/9/25 Bristol, UK The Trinity Centre
2/11/25 London, UK Electric Ballroom

^Braxton Keith
< Kaitlin Butts
-Max McNown
+Karley Scott Collins
#Lauren Watkins

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