From Construction Sites to Country Charts: Blake Whiten's Fast Rise
Blake Whiten spent six years on construction sites before a viral video sent him to Nashville. Now 22, the South Carolina native is Billboard's Up-and-Coming Artist of the Month for August 2024, with a debut album, a Hot 100 entry and a headlining tour already behind him. Billboard
The catalyst was a stripped-down cover of Morgan Wallen's "I'm The Problem," posted on social media in June 2024. Within 48 hours of the clip gaining traction, Whiten packed his bags and moved to Nashville. He had been working in construction since he was 16, raised in Six Mile, South Carolina by a former preacher, on a diet of country radio and classic rock — Morgan Wallen and HARDY on one side, AC/DC, Poison and Tesla on the other.
The move paid off quickly. In summer 2024, Wallen tapped Whiten to open shows on the Still The Problem stadium tour in Pennsylvania and Michigan, alongside fellow opener Hudson Westbrook. During one tour stop, Wallen brought Whiten back on stage to perform "Up Down," Wallen's 2017 hit, together. By July, Whiten's debut album Something to Say arrived on Enchntmnt/Warner Records, produced by Austin Shawn, whose credits include Bailey Zimmerman. Whiten also co-wrote Zimmerman's "Holding On," which reached the top 40 of Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart.
His first single, "Bet On That," co-written with G. Averill, Hoskins and J.M. Spargur and produced by A.R. Shawn, was sent to country radio and became his first Billboard Hot 100 entry, debuting at No. 98 for one week. The track also crossed into Canada, peaking at No. 71 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 and spending four weeks on that chart. Whiten announced an official music video for the song through his Instagram account.
On 20 August 2024, Whiten launched his headlining Something To Say Tour. He marked the album release with a party and concert back home — held at a convenience mart in Six Mile, the kind of venue that needs no explanation for anyone who has driven through a small Southern town. The Grand Ole Opry lists him among its featured artists, describing a songwriter who went from bedroom videos to stadium stages. Apple Music notes his "distinctive gravelly voice" and a blend of rural country warmth with modern pop.
For a singer who was pouring concrete two years ago, the calendar has compressed: a viral cover, a major-label debut, stadium support slots and a national headlining run, all inside a single summer. The numbers are modest by chart-topping standards — one week on the Hot 100, a No. 71 peak in Canada — but they belong to a 22-year-old who moved cities on 48 hours' notice because a phone video started moving. Whatever comes next, that part already happened.
