More people showed up for Blake Whiten's hometown Independence Day concert than actually live in his hometown.
Six Mile, South Carolina, has 759 residents, according to the U.S. Census. But for one night, the 21-year-old returned home after releasing his debut album, "Something To Say," playing a concert from the bed of a truck and buying gas for the more than 1,000 fans who showed up.
"We literally pulled three truck beds up and then played in the parking lot of the gas station, which technically that gas station is like Walmart for my hometown," Whiten said. "It felt like the best place to do it."
Buying gas for everyone while fans cheered was a far cry from what his life was like in early June 2024, right before Whiten posted himself singing
a Morgan Wallen cover that went viral on TikTok. These days, he's touring and selling albums of his own original music to fans, in this case, after helping them fill up the gas tank for a long drive.
"It was kind of my way of giving back," he said. "I was kind of thanking everybody for supporting me my entire life and just being there for me when I need them."
Whiten visited The Tennessean's Nashville newsroom for a USA TODAY Acoustic session, performing "Bet On That" and "Number 7's Gone" from his 12-track debut album, "Something To Say."
The album was years in the making for the country grit-and-gravel voiced singer.
"It took a long time," he said. "I never knew that it could take that long to put out an album. But it's been the coolest thing in my life."
Rather than racing to release music, Whiten said he and his team focused on getting every detail right.
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"We definitely made sure that we weren't rushing anything at all," he said. "All the songs came out perfect, made sure all the music sounds really good."
Whiten, who co-wrote every track on the album, says there isn't a single formula that coaxes inspiration to strike. His songwriting experience was unique for each track.
"My writing style always changes," he said. "Sometimes I just wake up singing a melody, sometimes I'm in the shower and then sometimes I just pick up the guitar and start with the guitar first."
One of the album's most personal songs, "Time," began shortly after he moved to Nashville. The song reflects on returning home and understanding that life keeps trucking along even when you move away.
"I realized that whenever I went back to my hometown, maybe somebody wouldn't be there when I got back," he said. "Time's the most valuable thing in the world."
His life has changed quickly since his early songwriting sessions, even more so since he signed with Enchntmnt/Warner Records in 2025. In the past few months, he has opened for Bailey Zimmerman, plus joined both Morgan Wallen and Hudson Westbrook on stage for stadium shows, including a stop at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.
"I can't believe that I went from singing in my bedroom to 90,000 people," he said.
As Whiten prepares to launch his own headlining "Something To Say" Tour this fall, he said he's taking one lesson from watching Wallen perform.
"He's really, really chill on stage," Whiten said. "I was sweating my butt off... He's just super chill. You just got to chill out on stage. That's kind of what I took from it."
Bryan West is a music reporter at The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Instagram, TikTok and X as @BryanWestTV.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Blake Whiten went from singing in his bedroom to 90,000 fans
