Brett Young has had quite the 2017 so far. Starting out the year by landing his breakout single "Sleep Without You" at No. 2 on Country Airplay, opening for Luke Bryan, and releasing his self-titled debut, the country singer showed himself up with his next single, "In Case You Didn't Know."
Since its official release in January, the romantic tune has taken country radio by storm, landing atop the Country Airplay chart dated June 10.
Subsequently, the radio success of both songs has led 36-year-old Young to some pretty applause-worthy accolades: "Sleep Without You" and "In Case You Didn't Know" were certified platinum and double platinum, respectively, and Brett Young reached gold status -- all of which Young's label (Big Machine Label Group) celebrated by awarding him with a commemorative plaque at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on Sept. 9 when he was in town with Lady Antebellum's You Look Good World Tour.
With what he's already achieved in just a matter of months, Young is already on his third single, "Like I Loved You," which is currently No. 28 on the Country Airplay chart (dated Sept. 30). But with a full album's worth of music for fans to divulge -- and an opening slot on Lady A's tour all summer -- his impact goes beyond the singles.
One of the most heartbreaking tracks on his record is the breakup ballad "You Ain't Here to Kiss Me," which is a super-personal narrative for Young. "That song is accurate to the letter of how my New Year’s Eve went a couple of years ago," he told Billboard. "I lived that and wrote it a few days later.
"That's just one of those holidays you spend with the person you love, so it just added a little extra salt to the wound. I was by myself on a plane instead of kissing my girl at midnight. It's really for anyone who's had not just a terrible New Year's Eve, but a terrible holiday where expectations are created and then you were let down."
As his singles continue to resonate, Young is releasing an acoustic version of "You Ain't Here To Kiss Me" as a thank you to fans for the love and for allowing him to do what he does every day. Check out the video, premiering exclusively on Billboard below.
