Country Music Fans Are Divided After Hudson Westbrook Teases Marshmello Collaboration

With plenty of newcomers flying up the ranks thanks to social media these days, it’s hard to keep track of who’s who. While names like Ty Myers, Elizabeth Nichols, Avery Anna, Vincent Mason, Gabriella Rose and more have scored viral hits on TikTok specifically, there’s been one artist that has risen to the top of today’s new, social media-dominated subsection of country: Hudson Westbrook.

Ever since scoring buzz upon the release of “Two Way Drive” last summer, the Texas native has followed it up with viral hits such as “Sober,” “Dressed Down” “5 to 9” and most notably, “House Again,” which would receive a gold certification from the RIAA along with a re-release featuring Miranda Lambert back in May.

Upon the success of the aforementioned hits and signing his first record deal with River House Artists/Warner Records, Westbrook released his debut album, Texas Forever, on July 25th. While I wouldn’t go as far as to say that it’s staunchly traditional country music, it was undoubtedly a rock-solid modern country record.

Though not as traditional as work from the likes of Zach Top or Jake Worthington, it was far from overtly-pop country that you would hear from say, Morgan Wallen or Jordan Davis. For lack of better words, it’s a very pleasant listen from front to back, reminiscent of something that Parker McCollum would release.

With all of that being said, Westbrook might have jumped the shark a little too fast. Taking to Instagram today, the “Painted You Pretty” singer teased a collaboration with none other than DJ and record producer, Marshmello, best known in the country music scene for his collaborations with Kane Brown on the 2019 single, “One Thing Right” and the 2024 single, “Miles On It,” both of which bafflingly scored the duo #1 hits on various Billboard country charts.

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It should go without saying that both of Marshmello’s past singles were nothing short of bastardizations of the genre as Nashville executives continue to try to push the dissonant concept of “Yee-DM” onto the masses. And look… lending vocals to an EDM producer for the next club hit? Awesome. But pumping this out to country radio, taking spots away from actual country songs, is where the problem begins. And that’s exactly what happened with “Miles On It,” which topped the Billboard Country Airplay Chart.

As for Westbrook’s new venture with the DJ, titled “Better Man Than Me,” it certainly sounds a bit more “country” than the Kane Brown collabs, but judging by the teaser, it’s clearly a huge departure from the sound the 21-year-old singer/songwriter has curated so far in his career. Filled with heavy bass, chorus drops and your stereotypical bro-country lyrics revolving around telling his ex to find a better man than him, all signs point to the song being a huge misstep.

Judging by the Instagram comments, fans are pretty divided. Though there are some digging it and just excited to see him collaborate with an artist as big as Marshmello, plenty are not loving his venture into pop with multiple comments pleading with him not to become the next Kane Brown and another one hilariously blaming it on Luke Bryan:

“Already selling out? Cmon man don’t be the next Kane Brown”

“NOOOO THEY GOT HUDSON”

“This one ain’t it.”

“no he’s turning into Morgan Wallen”

“We don’t need another Kane Brown”

“Bro please don’t go pop country”

“Been telling people he was a**. This just proves it even more.”

“Stop we don’t need anymore of this hip hop country”

“Dude please don’t go into trap country lmao”

Andddddd that’s when he fell off”

“Welp there goes another good country artist. I blame this wave of country on Luke Bryan”

Can’t say I disagree with most of the comments, to be honest. Though it will probably be a decent hit (just look at what’s occupying the Top 40 at country radio these days), it’s a bit disappointing to see an artist with as much potential as Westbrook fall down the Marshmello rabbit hole.

Let’s hope this is just a one-off venture for the “Sober” singer.The post Country Music Fans Are Divided After Hudson Westbrook Teases Marshmello Collaboration first appeared on Whiskey Riff.