Cooper Alan

There’s a simple beauty to country music. It’s only three-chords-and-the-truth, after all, so greatness comes from authenticity. But for an artist like Cooper Alan, that can lead in some daring directions.

A rising star with the spirit of a true entertainer, a penchant for outside-the-box thinking and a growing, self-built audience, he’s an artist willing to take country where others have never dreamed – and fans love him for it. Whether it’s a deeply personal, step-by-step romantic saga, or an off-the-wall party anthem, Alan’s music is already some of country’s most fearless work, and he’s just getting started.

“An audience can tell when you're not being authentic to yourself,” the North Carolina native says. “So for me, I’ve gotta be willing to always go with my gut musically, wherever that takes me.”

A native of Winston-Salem, that willingness has already led to success, with the independent artist racking up more than 100 million Spotify streams, a massive social media presence with more than 8 million TikTok followers, and a touring footprint that sold over 40,000 tickets to his headlining shows in 2022 alone. It all stems from an ability to meet fans where they are – a creative renegade freely mixing musical styles, with boundless energy, sharp writing and often, a sense of humor. But don’t be mistaken, there’s nothing gimmicky about it.

To Alan, what was true and authentic included topical standouts like his clever 2019 breakout,“Climate Change,” and the tender “New Normal,” which came out in 2020 as the pandemic raged. The world had been forced indoors – and for those who were lucky, into the arms of true love, so Alan turned that silver lining into digital gold. With his vocal depth on full display, plus a clean snap-track and tender lyrics, it was a bold showcase of his ability to move fast and shoot straight, and it became his first viral hit.

“It's OK to do something nobody else has really done,” he says. “It might piss some people off, but at least I’m trying something different and cool.”

“I get a lot of comments saying, ‘Oh that's not country music,’” Alan admits. “And it's like, ‘HeyI love Merle Haggard! And like Merle, I’m doing my own thing, making music my own way.And the fans are responding, showing up night after night to sing every single word to my songs!”

Call it whatever you want. It makes sense to him – and it’s clearly working for his fans.
“My main driver is still the people listening,” he explains. “They built this whole thing up with me, so they deserve that power. I wanna make them smile and have fun. I wanna make them enjoy life a little bit more. And I also want them to see into what I'm thinking.”