Is Niall Horan entering his ‘country era’? He would be joining these acts

Niall Horan is teaming up with Thomas Rhett for two stadiums shows this summer, including one in Nashville.

According to a March 10 Instagram update from the “Slow Hands” singer, each artist will play their own set but will also perform together, along with some “special stuff.” In October 2025, Rhett tapped Horan for a new version of “Old Tricks,” a song that originally featured Blake Shelton on Rhett’s “About A Woman (Deluxe)” album.

“When TR brought up the idea of doing these, I immediately got so excited just thinking about it. We’ve been friends for ages and it just makes perfect sense,” wrote the former One Direction member.

“This is just the beginning of course,” he continued. “I’ll be doing a big long tour for the album but these shows are gonna get things started and be absolutely amazing.”

Horan’s announcement, combined with his appreciation for country music, raises the question of whether he’s entering a country era, potentially making him the latest artist to embrace the genre. Here’s everything to know.

Niall Horan to play Nashville show with Thomas Rhett. How to buy tickets

Horan and Rhett will be playing Geodis Park July 9 at 6 p.m. The duo will also be performing at Pennsylvania’s Hershey Park Stadium July 18.

Fans may sign up for the presale, happening March 11 at 10 a.m. local time, online at niallhoran.com. The general sale begins March 13 at 10 a.m. local time via livenation.com.

Is Niall Horan entering his country era?

Horan has not officially announced any plans to release a country project. In an Instagram carousel shared on Feb. 24, “The Voice” coach announced his forthcoming album is done. His latest single, “Dinner Party” is set to release March 20.

Horan has repeatedly expressed an admiration for country music.

In October, he teased the release of his and Rhett’s version of “Old Tricks” with a TikTok video of himself strumming his acoustic guitar and singing along. “Love this song by my pal Thomas Rhett and my Voice dad, Blake Shelton,” he wrote.

In a follow‑up post, he shared a video of himself wearing a cowboy hat and drinking a Guiness. “These old tricks don’t work anymore I’m telling ya, or maybe they do.”

The news finally broke in clip featuring a string of text messages between Horan and the two country stars. In the messages, Rhett tells Shelton that since he wasn’t available to shoot content for their collaboration, they found a “really good stand‑in.”

According to Country Now, Rhett said he and Horan have been friends for “six or seven years,” regularly linking up whenever Horan is in Nashville or Rhett is in the UK.

Horan could join growing list of artists to embrace country genre

More and more artists have crossed over into country music in recent years, including Beyoncé, Post Malone, and Lana Del Rey. Ed Sheeran, who regularly visits Music City and has hinted at a potential move, has also expressed interest in the genre.

Beyoncé made a high‑profile move into the genre with her Grammy-Award winning album “Cowboy Carter” in 2024. Her hit “Texas Hold ‘Em,” made her the first Black woman to top Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.

The album also helped propel other country artists into the spotlight, including Shaboozey, who gained widespread recognition after appearing twice on the project and through the success of his own chart-topping single, “A Bar Song (Tipsy).”

Post Malone entered the country arena with F‑1 Trillion (2024). The album included collaborations with household names such as Tim McGraw, Hank Williams Jr., and Brad Paisley.

Prior to releasing his country album, Post Malone spent considerable time in Nashville in 2023, hanging with a number of country acts such as Paisley, Luke Combs, ERNEST, Jelly Roll and Morgan Wallen. Post Malon went on to collaborate with Wallen on “I Had Some Help.” As previously reported by The Tennessean, the single topped Billboard’s all-genre Hot 100 chart plus.

Post Malone made his Ryman Auditorium debut in April 2024.

Del Rey has hinted at a country music crossover since 2024, when she announced her longtime producer, Jack Antonoff, had accompanied her to Muscle Shoals, Nashville, Mississippi, “over the last four years.”

While her upcoming project, originally titled “Lasso” and then “The Right Person Will Stay,” has yet to drop, the “Video Games” singer is still intent on releasing a country album. “The majority of the album will have a country flair,” Del Rey said in an August interview with W.

“Eight years ago, when I was looking to make a country record, no one else was thinking about country.” she added. “Now everyone is going country! I’ve asked myself, ‘Should I retire all my snakeskin boots? Should I put my cowboy hats in storage?’”