Five years ago he was a total stranger. Today he’s the king of the country planet and one of the most exciting headliners at the Festival d’été de Québec. But who is this Luke Combs?
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Luke Combs is the antihero. An ordinary guy, not particularly handsome, plump, but whose songs, which tell about the simple things in life, have touched the hearts of country maniacs.
a phenomenon? Since the release of his first album in 2017, he has racked up 13 #1 hits on American country radio stations. In a country where country music is a religion and where the stars of the genre are highly competitive, results like this capture the imagination.
Photo archive, AFP
Beauceron singer Robby Johnson, a Nashville resident for several years, witnessed the fabulous ascent of Luke Combs to a crowd of more than 80,000 at Nissan Stadium in June during CMA Fest, a major festival in the nation’s capital brought Nashville together.
“He was able to bring back the sound of 1990’s New Country while taking a modern approach to his lyrics and vocal performances,” he says.
- Listen to the Kulturchronik with Marika Simard on the microphone by Marc-André Leclerc on QUB radio:
Beyond the music, it’s her authenticity that seduces.
“He doesn’t think of himself as someone else, he’s not above the fight. He’s a guy that changes his tires and oil, likes to make campfires with his friends, and drinks beers in droves. He probably has the record for the fastest drunk beer (shotgun). He will for sure during his show on Friday,” Gab Marineau, host of the show Zone New Country, tells WKND.
That explains why one of his songs is called Beer Never Broke My Heart.
Besides, Luke Combs wouldn’t care what people think of his face. Don’t you think it’s beautiful? He does not care.
“In a world where appearance is constantly judged and prioritized, it’s liberating and nurturing to vibrate to the sound of an artist who instead focuses on emotion and messaging,” notes Robby Johnson.
After more or less successful attempts with Keith Urban, Brad Paisley and Lady Antebellum, the Summer Festival could therefore have found in Luke Combs, who will present sold-out concerts at the Bell Center and the Videotron Center this fall, the man who will make country Music permanent in the Plains of Abraham.
It remains to be seen whether this success will last for long. Gab Marineau has his theory on this.
“Right now he’s on top, but the usual criticism in country music is that it all sounds the same. It’s always the same lyrics, the same refrains. It’s a double-edged sword. On the one hand, you can actually get bored quickly if you don’t really like this genre of music. On the other hand, if shepherd’s pie is your favorite recipe, you will love it for a long time.
In short, Luke Combs isn’t reinventing shepherd’s pie, but his recipe is particularly delicious.
▶Luke Combs in concert at 9:30 p.m. Friday night on the Plains of Abraham. Opening act: Talk and Matt Lang.
Luke combs
- Age: 32 years old
- Manufactured in: Charlotte, North Carolina
- Albums: This One’s For You (2017), What You See Is What You Get (2019), Growin’ Up (2022)
- Number 1 (US Country Radios): Hurricane, When It Rains It Pours, One Number Away, She Got The Best Of Me, Beautiful Crazy, Beer Never Broke My Heart, Even Although I’m Leaving, Does To Me, Lovin ‘On you, better together, forever, cold as you do this
Main Rewards:
- Country Music Association Awards: Artist of the Year (2021), Album of the Year, Singer of the Year (2020), Singer of the Year, Song of the Year (2019), Newcomer Year (2018)