Jason Aldean didn’t hold back when he said Chris Stapleton is the best male vocalist in country today, and Morgan Wallen has gone global.
The Georgia native sat down with Dax Shepard on the Armchair Expert podcast, where the conversation covered everything from Route 91’s scars to small-town values. When it came to music, Aldean got blunt about who’s carrying the torch. In his eyes, Chris Stapleton is untouchable when it comes to sheer vocal power, and Morgan Wallen has become a crossover star bigger than anyone else in the genre right now.
Aldean said the heart of country has always been about stories, the kind where three chords and the truth can level a man more than any production trick. That foundation has not disappeared, but he admitted the sound has shifted over the years and has pulled in rock, pop, and even hip-hop influences. Out of that mix, Stapleton stands out because he leans back into the blues and the raw soul of country’s roots.
Aldean called Stapleton “bluesy as hell” and flat-out declared him the best voice the genre has today. Coming from a man with 30 No. 1 hits under his belt, that statement carried weight. He did not say it for shock value. He said it because Stapleton’s vocals still remind fans why country music works best when it is stripped down and real.
Then came Morgan Wallen. Aldean did not just give him a nod. He gave him credit for dragging the whole format into a bigger spotlight. Wallen, he said, is not only a star in Tennessee honky-tonks or Nashville arenas but has also gone worldwide, pulling in fans who would not normally give country music the time of day.
Aldean sees that as a win for everyone because once people crack open the door for Wallen’s songs, it leaves room for the rest of country music to seep in. “Those kinds of things are good for all of us,” Aldean explained, pointing out how Wallen’s massive streaming numbers and sold-out tours bring new ears to the genre. For Aldean, it is proof that Wallen’s global reach has ripple effects across Nashville.
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Of course, Aldean is no stranger to controversy himself. The fallout from “Try That in a Small Town” proved that anything even slightly political in today’s climate can ignite a wildfire. On Shepard’s show, he said he expected the song to spark conversation, but he never imagined the video would set off national debates. He refuses to back down when he believes in what he is putting out.
That stubborn streak runs through everything, whether it is standing firm on a song choice or refusing to let critics guilt him into silence. It is also the same authenticity that makes his words about Stapleton and Wallen worth listening to. Aldean has lived the long grind, cutting his teeth in Georgia bars, getting dropped by labels, and clawing his way back until “Hicktown” hit the charts in 2005.
He has never been about chasing trends, which is why his praise carries weight. When he says Stapleton’s voice is the real deal, it is because he recognizes the unpolished truth behind it. When he calls Wallen a global powerhouse, it is because he knows firsthand what it takes to turn a career into an empire.
Some fans bristle at the idea that Wallen’s success represents all of country. Aldean gets it, and he knows plenty of listeners tune in more for the slick production than the cowboy boots. Even so, he insists exposure matters. Once people hear Wallen, some will dig deeper and discover George Strait or Stapleton.
At the end of the day, Aldean did not name-drop Stapleton and Wallen only for headlines. He did it because they represent the two sides of modern country. Stapleton is the anchor, keeping the genre rooted in story and gut-punch vocals. Wallen is the rocket ship, blasting the sound into places it has never been.
For Aldean, that balance proves country music is still alive and evolving. One voice reminds us where it came from, while the other drags it forward. That tension, between tradition and expansion, is what keeps the genre on fire. And when the King of Stadium Country himself tips his hat, the rest of Nashville pays attention.
