The Sunset Stage Series: Kelsey Hart, One of Country’s Risers for 2026

Kelsey Hart grew up belting gospel music from the passenger seat of his father’s truck in Kentucky, and that unguarded, heartfelt honesty has carried all the way to country radio in 2026. Signed to Curb Records in 2023, Hart broke through with debut single “Life With You,” earning RIAA Gold certification, a Top 25 country radio position, 130 million global streams, and more than 650 million TikTok views. Named a Taste of Country RISER for 2026 and a CRS New Faces of Country Music honoree, Kelsey Hart 2026 is shaping up to be a year that defines the next chapter of a career built on songs people feel in their bones. Kelsey Hart is exactly the kind of act that belongs on a festival stage. Watch this name for 2027.

From Gospel to Gold: The Story Behind “Life With You”

Hart’s path to country music started in a pew, not a bar. Raised on gospel music in Kentucky, he learned to connect with an audience before he had a stage to stand on. That foundation shows up everywhere in his songwriting, which favors emotional directness over cleverness and finding the line that makes a listener stop and replay the song. “Life With You,” released in November 2023, is built exactly that way: a simple, full-hearted love song that landed on the SiriusXM The Highway Hot 30 Weekend Countdown at Number 1 and debuted in the Top 10 on Billboard’s Country Digital Songs Chart.

The TikTok numbers for “Life With You” are not just impressive as streaming metrics. They signal a genuine audience connection that cannot be manufactured. More than 1.1 million TikTok creators used the song as a soundtrack, making it a piece of cultural furniture in weddings, love stories, and everyday moments across the country. That is the kind of resonance that builds a career, not just a chart position.

“Anything Like You”: A Song Born From Fatherhood

Hart released his second major single, “Anything Like You,” on February 6, 2026. The song arrived directly from life: Hart became a first-time father at the end of 2025 when his wife gave birth to their daughter. The track captures the mixture of fear, wonder, and total love that defines new parenthood, written from the perspective of a dad who cannot quite believe he gets to be someone’s father. If “Life With You” introduced Hart as a voice for love, “Anything Like You” deepens that identity into something even more personal: he is a writer who tells the truth.

Writing Hits for Nashville’s Biggest Names

Hart’s profile in Nashville extends beyond his own recordings. As a songwriter, he has placed cuts with hitmakers including Jake Owen, Dylan Scott, and Trace Adkins, earning him a reputation on Music Row as a writer who understands what country music listeners respond to. This songwriting credibility gives him standing in Nashville that most artists his age have not yet built, and it connects his own recordings to a deeper body of work in the format.

His selection as one of Country Radio Seminar’s New Faces of Country Music in March 2026 is another validation of that standing. The New Faces showcase is a curated look at the artists radio programmers believe in for the next several years, and Hart’s inclusion puts him in the company of artists who have gone on to major careers from that same stage.

On the Road in 2026: Touring With Dylan Scott

Kelsey Hart is spending much of 2026 on the road as a supporting act for Dylan Scott on the Till I Can’t, I Will Tour, which runs through July 16, 2026. For a rising artist, this kind of consistent stage time is irreplaceable. Hart is performing to crowds who may not know his name yet but will leave knowing his songs, and that word-of-mouth momentum is exactly how country radio careers are built. His live set is built around the same emotional directness as his recordings, which makes the transition from speaker to stage feel seamless for new fans.

Other rising artists in the Sunset Stage Series include Ashley Wineland, who is having her own breakout year on the road in 2026 and bringing the same kind of artist-first approach to every show.

Frequently Asked: What Is Kelsey Hart’s Most Popular Song in 2026?

Kelsey Hart’s most-streamed song is “Life With You,” his debut RIAA Gold single released in November 2023, which has accumulated 130 million global streams and more than 650 million TikTok views. His 2026 follow-up single “Anything Like You,” released February 6, 2026, is his newest release and documents his experience becoming a first-time father. Both songs are available on all major streaming platforms.

Kelsey Hart is one of the most compelling rising country artists in the format right now, building his name one song, one stage, and one honest lyric at a time. From gospel pews in Kentucky to country radio gold, the trajectory is clear. Hart is the kind of artist who earns his audience rather than buying it, and in a format that rewards authenticity, that is exactly the right foundation for what comes next. He is exactly the kind of act that belongs on a festival stage. Watch this name for 2027. Sunset Country Fest 2027 is coming to Apopka, Florida in March 2027. Mark your calendar and keep following Sunset Country Fest for lineup announcements, ticket info, and all the country music coverage you love.

Sources & References

• Curb Records: Kelsey Hart Pens Sweet Ode to First-Time Fatherhood on “Anything Like You”
• The Boot: RISERS 2026 Artists to Watch: Kelsey Hart
• Country Swag: Kelsey Hart Shares New Song “Anything Like You”
• Kelsey Hart on Spotify: Official Artist Page

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Last updated: June 26, 2026 · Sunset Country Fest Editorial Team · Contact Us