Drew Baldridge releases an acoustic version of his current radio hit “Rebel” today via Lyric Ridge Records/Stoney Creek Records, and the stripped-down treatment does exactly what a great acoustic version should: it pulls the song’s emotional core into full view. Filmed at Ocean Way Studios in Nashville, the performance lets the writing breathe without the driving production, and the message lands just as hard. Listen here.
Written by Baldridge and Adam Sanders and produced by Zach Crowell and Nick Schwarz, “Rebel” flips the traditional idea of rebellion entirely. The song makes the case that standing firm in faith, family, and integrity, doing the right thing when compromise would be easier, is the most defiant act of all. Baldridge wrote it from a personal place. “I wrote this song after noticing how often the wrong things get glorified,” he says. “Doing the right thing can feel rebellious, and I hope fans, and one day my sons, see that being a rebel here is actually a good thing.”
“Rebel” follows “Tough People,” Baldridge’s second consecutive Top 10 hit at country radio, and continues to climb the charts. The acoustic version gives radio listeners and new fans alike a closer look at the songwriting at the heart of a track that has already connected widely.
Baldridge’s story carries real independent credibility. His Platinum-certified “She’s Somebody’s Daughter” made him the only self-funded artist to score a number 1 debut on Mediabase and the highest-charting independent artist in Billboard Country Airplay history. With over 2 billion streams and impressions behind that single alone, the foundation he’s built is substantial.
The FARM FAITH FAMILY Tour runs through the end of the year, with Baldridge also joining Luke Bryan on select dates. International touring continues following recent runs through Australia, the UK, and Europe.