In 2019, country music powerhouse duo Brooks & Dunn released a collaborative album aptly titled Reboot. This record revisited 12 of their previous singles and featured 12 up-and-coming country music artists joining them in creating new versions. Their debut song and number-one country hit that launched their career, “Brand New Man,” was at the top of the list, and they invited one of the biggest rising names at that time—who became a bonafide country superstar years later—Luke Combs to take it on with them.
Combs, a lifelong fan of the duo, was nearly speechless. In an interview on the day of their ACM performance, which was also his inaugural performance, he said he wished he could quantify it in words or emotion. The only word he could muster about it was “shocking.”
“There’s this thing as a fan where you’re so removed from it and you’re watching it and you’re listening to it and it’s on your radio and you’re just like, ‘Man dude, I’m never going to get to meet those guys.’” And then there he was 25 years later with two of his biggest heroes singing one of his favorite songs ever. “It doesn’t get any better,” he shared.
For You
In the rerecording, Combs took over the opening chorus and the first verse, and fans all agreed: He killed it. Even those who were initially skeptical of him had fallen in love with him. His vocals gave the song a really fresh sound, and the harmonies among the three when they hit the next choruses were just heavenly. Dunn jokingly said, “It’s cool that the kid’s not shabby. He can carry a tune.”
Some fans were impressed at how he was able to match Dunn’s vocal presence, who held one of the most commanding voices in the genre. He held his own and didn’t take the backseat. If Brooks & Dunn were ever to become a trio, Combs would definitely be an awesome addition. Some even honestly shared that they liked it better than the original because of how bombastic it sounded with the “Better Together” singer’s conviction.
Don’t miss out on this great Brooks & Dunn collaboration with Luke Combs. Catch the “Brand New Man” new version in the video below.
