Kane Brown – Creating Worldwide Beautiful
By Holly Gleason
In a polarized world, Kane Brown — who’s already sold out Los Angeles’ Staples Center twice — knows what it means to not quite fit in. Cherokee. Black. White. No matter how you identify, the 27-year-old does too. But being a little bit of everything can leave you feeling not part of anything.
That no man’s land inspired “Worldwide Beautiful,” an anthem of unity and love. “Me and Shy (Carter), who are both biracial, were sitting on the back porch, looking into the woods,” Brown says of the song’s origin. “We talk a lot about life, about the world and how people fit in it. I said, ‘Wouldn’t it be worldwide beautiful if people saw past what made them different. How we’re all everything.’ Shy said, ‘Yeah, dawg, that’s awesome. Let’s write it.’”
After they brought in Ryan Hurd and Jordan Schmidt, “Worldwide Beautiful” truly became a song for all. Suddenly, the young man who didn’t look like most Country stars was speaking for every redneck, intellectual, hippie and otherwise stereotyped fan. Though none of the writers thought they were creating a 21st-century “A Change Is Gonna Come” or the next level “I Hope You Dance,” what they arrived at was a song that proclaimed:
“At every show, I see my people
They’re not the same, but they’re all equal
One love, one God, one family …”
“We figured if just Jordan and Ryan wrote it, or just Shy and I wrote it, it would’ve been one thing,” admits the soft-spoken groundbreaker. “But together? This is what I’m talking about. There are two sides to everything that’s going on, different ways of looking at all of this. The trouble is, everybody is right, right where they are. But it doesn’t move you any closer together. We need to come together.”
Debuted from the stage of the Ryman on the “BET Awards,” Brown took Country Music where it’s never been. He has collaborated with everyone from former classmate Lauren Alaina (on the seven-time Platinum “What Ifs”) to Khalid and Swae Lee (the Platinum-certified “Be Like That”), Camila Cabello (“Never Be the Same”), Marshmello (the double-Platinum “One Right Thing”), John Legend (“Last Time I Say I’m Sorry”) and Chris Young (“Famous Friends”). Brown, who emerged as a force in the industry on the strength of his social media following, wants to take his kind of Country to all the places where people want to hear it.
Refusing to buy into stereotypes about who embraces the genre, his self-titled debut spent 13 weeks at No. 1 on the Country Albums chart. Kane Brown also made Brown the first Country artist to top all five Billboard Country charts simultaneously.
Raised by a single mom and his grandparents outside Chattanooga, TN, and on a dairy farm in Ringgold, GA, he recognizes the power of inviting people in. Understanding what makes you different can be a strength, and he knows that truth only works if you embrace it.
“I’m biracial,” he explains. “Kids like me have to work the hardest, because we don’t get seen as either. Black people see my skin and see me as white; white people see my skin and think I’m Black. So, I fit nowhere and everywhere at the same time — and I feel all the responsibility in the world to all of those people, to get people to see past the differences to all the things they share.”
“You’re missing every color
If you’re only seeing black and white
Tell me how you’re gonna change your mind
If your heart’s unmovable
We ain’t that different from each other
From one to another
I look around
And see worldwide beautiful…”
That desire to go places where Country Music’s never been manifests in many ways. Having broken through virally, Brown understands the power of getting music to people. He’s a strong believer in terrestrial radio, but he knows radio needs aren’t always the same as those of his rabid social media fanbase — and that ability to straddle both inspired creative ways to honor each group where they are.
“We have stuff for Country radio, stuff like ‘Famous Friends’ with Chris Young,” explains the father of one, who grew up on Shania Twain, Tim McGraw and Usher. “But I’ve learned, too, Country radio can surprise you. ‘Worldwide Beautiful’ debuted at No. 38, after we were nervous about releasing it. It’s a story about where I’ve been, and I think radio wants the truth about who their listeners are. That song’s me, but it’s all of us.”
“Still, there are songs we put out just for those fans, the hardcore ones who’re gonna know every word whether it’s on an album or the radio. It’s part of why we decided to do Mixtape Vol. 1. Take all those streaming songs, put them together in a flow and let the people have them in one place.”
As live music returns, Brown wants to get back on the road to his fans. His 35-city Blessed & Free Tour marks the first time a Country artist has played all 29 NBA arenas, a dream come true for the four-sport high school athlete who’s a lifelong basketball fan. He’d previously hinted at the notion during the 2020 NBA All-Star Game, where he played in the NBA’s All-Star Celebrity Game.
Live Nation President of Country Touring Brian O’Connell believes it’s about a connectivity that can’t be created by a marketing department. “I [first] saw Kane the same way everybody else did at the time, on social media. I couldn’t believe the numbers. What he was doing was so simple, just playing and singing, not produced at all. But he was connecting.”
With his Blessed & Free Tour, Brown continues blazing trails for others. Jordan Davis is supporting the 2021 dates, Chase Rice is doing the 2022 shows, and Restless Road — who signed with Brown’s record label, 1021 Entertainment — will also begin chasing a dream they share with the deep-voiced vocalist and songwriter.
“I write from the bottom of my heart,” Brown says, trying to define his X factor. “I’m filled with love. I hate seeing and hearing bad things. Love is what I want to put out. People hopefully will hear it, then spread the word. It’s on them, but when I look around my shows or talk to people I meet, that seems to be what they’re getting from this music.”
To keep up with Brown, visit KaneBrownMusic.com. Also, catch Brown’s 2020 CMA Summer Stay-Cay performance featuring a conversation with Restless Road and his first official performance of his since released hit song, “BFE” on CMA’s YouTube channel HERE.