Payton Smith with special guest Cole Goodwin

At just 23 years old, Louisiana native singer-songwriter and self-taught guitarist, Payton Smith, has a lot to celebrate. Smith began releasing music in 2019; quickly amassing over 50 million streams on his debut single, Like I Knew You Would. Known for not only high-energy guitar slinging and smooth vocals, the CMT 2021 Listen Up artist also composed and played every string instrument on each track of his debut project. As Taste of Country noted his raw talent, authenticity and strong work ethic are bound to bring him country music success for many, many years as one of 2021s Hottest Country Artists Under 25. Music Row called Smith the 2021 Next Big Thing, while Like I Knew You Would charted as the number 7 song of the year on Spotifys Hot Country.