Is Riley Green The New King Of Country? Here’s Why He’s Got Our Attention (And Our Hearts)

Country music may not be as mainstream as other genres like pop, but that hasn’t stopped artists like Morgan Wallen from burning up the charts or reaching heartthrob status worldwide. However, he may have some competition with fellow country singer Riley Green, and it only takes one look at him to see why. The 36-year-old Alabama native has been in the industry for a few years, but his recent successes (and 1.9 million Instagram followers ) show that he's going places. From his good looks to his phenomenal voice, it’s safe to say that he’s the hottest guy in country music right now. Here’s why the girlies are obsessed with Riley Green. Who Is Riley Green? While his music is why he’s famous today, Green has been in the public eye for quite some time. He grew up in Jacksonville, Alabama where his passions were country music (which his grandfather introduced to him as a child ), football, and hunting. He played Division I football in college, serving as the quarterback for the Jacksonville State Gamecocks, but pursued a career in music after graduation. In 2016, Green appeared on the fourth season of the CMT reality show, Redneck Island . Unfortunately for viewers, he was eliminated early, but looked handsome and cracked plenty of jokes during his short stint on the show. While his career as a reality TV star didn’t pan out, his music career did. He released his debut single, “There Was This Girl” in 2018, followed by “In Love By Now,” “I Wish Grandpas Never Died,” and “Different ‘Round Here.” All four songs appeared on his debut album, Different ‘Round Here, which was released in 2019 and peaked at no. 11 on the Billboard US Top Country Albums chart . The success of Different ‘Round Here allowed him to open for big names in country music like Morgan Wallen and Luke Combs, paving his way to a successful 2023 sophomore album release, Ain’t My Last Rodeo , which peaked at no. 15 on the Billboard US Top Country Albums chart. His most recent album, Don’t Mind If I Do , was released in October 2024 and peaked at no. 8. The album features his latest hit song, “Worst Way,” which is set to be released as a single to play on country radio in February . What Separates Him From Other Male Country Artists? While some who don’t listen to country music regularly like to argue that all country singers sound the same, Green's unique sound is a perfect blend of old-school and modern country music, making it fun, relatable, and emotional. In a review for his debut album, AllMusic music critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote, "What keeps Different 'Round Here humming is how Green manages to avoid the temptation of succumbing to straight-ahead revivalism. He takes old-fashioned attitude and simple, lean arrangements and plays them with a fresh directness. His straight-ahead nature may indeed lead him toward cornball territory, but the album on the whole is distinguished by how Green wears his heart on his sleeve." His love for the country lifestyle is authentic (more on that later), which makes him so much more appealing to country fans who want to listen to artists who stay true to their roots after making it big. There seems to be two genres of men in country music. The first is the married, wholesome guy like Thomas Rhett or Luke Combs , and the other is the single bad boy like Morgan Wallen. While Green doesn't fit either category perfectly, he falls more into the wholesome category, essentially making him Morgan Wallen without the baggage and scandals . His single status leaves fans with the aspiration that they could date him without a bad reputation to worry about. He’s Unapologetically Rugged, Masculine and a Gentleman Aside from his looks and voice, one of the hottest things about Green is how he stays true to his country roots. Despite the fame, he still enjoys hunting. He told country radio station Country 102.5, “My favorite thing about huntin’ in general is goin’ somewhere that you would never go otherwise. That’s the one thing I like about playin’ music, too. I tell my buddies all the time, like we ended up in Silas, Alabama, down at this little hole in the wall bar and riding home, I was like, ‘Man, you know, we would never see half the stuff we see if it wasn’t for me playin’ music.’ And hunting’s the same way.” Many of his songs detail his childhood hobbies like hunting, proving that he’s as authentically country as he was before he got famous. In a duet with fellow country singer Dylan Marlowe, “Stick To My Guns,” he sings, “I stick to these boots I'm putting down / Stick to this cross around my neck / Stick to these roots stuck in the ground / The way I was raised ain't let me down yet / In a world that's changing, I sure as hell ain't, son / So I'll sit right here with a rifle and a beer, 'til the good Lord comes / And stick to my guns.” In a culture that tries to demonize traditionally masculine things, it’s refreshing to see him stick to his roots. Women all across the political spectrum love hunky men , and Green is just the latest example of why. Another reason women around the world are obsessed is because of how Green sings about women. He doesn’t degrade them and sings songs celebrating romance and feminine beauty. His debut single, “There Was This Girl” was inspired by the beautiful women he saw while performing at one of his shows at Ole Miss, and he thought of the silly things he would do to get a beautiful woman’s attention. He said, “There were about 500 people in the bar and the first 300 were just gorgeous girls. Ole Miss has some pretty women.” He continued, “The opening line was kind of inspired by the movie Footloose . They were playing chicken with the tractors, and I thought it was a pretty crazy thing to do to try to impress a girl.” The lyrics he’s referring to say, “Never knew my old man's truck could even run like that / Should've known better than to take that curve so fast / Daddy pulled up, I was down in a ditch / And he asked me why I did what I did.” We love a gentleman who appreciates beauty and isn’t too afraid make a fool of himself just to make a woman smile. Even in some of his sexier songs like “Worst Way,” he doesn’t degrade women. Lyrics like, “Want the first taste / To be whiskey right off of your lips” and “You look like an angel tonight / But you might wanna slip off those wings” are enough to make any woman blush. Some comments on the Instagram post where he first played the song are not only hilarious, but go to show how much women adore him. Some of our favorite comments are “Riley you can’t do this to us we aren’t ready,” “LAWD HAVE MERCY” and “I’m pregnant.” There is no better example of how Green respects women than his friendship with fellow country singer Ella Langley. The two recently snagged a CMA award for their hit duet, “You Look Like You Love Me.” While discussing their friendship and how he helped her learn to go with the flow in her hectic career, Langley said, “The first day we were out on tour, I didn’t see him all day, and he came up side stage and he was like, ‘You wanna do ‘Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue?’ I was like, ‘yeah.’ It’s literally the last song in his set list.” She continued, “We’re halfway through the set and he’s like, ‘And Ella Langley, come up for ‘Courtesy Of The Red White and Blue.’ I didn’t have a pack. I was putting on my ear while walking on stage, so I learned to always be prepared.” Fans can get a glimpse into their friendship in the “You Look Like You Love Me” music video, which has similar vibes to an old Western movie. Is He Dating Anyone? While Green has made it clear that he and Langley are just friends , the same can’t be said for fellow country singer Megan Moroney. The two performed a duet together in November 2024 , and fans were quick to notice that Moroney seemed absolutely smitten. This was only the beginning of speculation that the two could be an item. In early January, both Green and Moroney vacationed in St Barth’s, and it didn’t take long for internet sleuths to realize that they were likely staying at the same resort . Both Green and Moroney are some of the hottest new talents in country music, so as much as we’d love for Green to be single so we could be delulu about our chances with him, he and Moroney together would be #couplegoals. From staying true to his country roots to being a gentleman, it’s easy to see why the country girlies are fawning over Riley Green. We love to see men who embrace more traditional values in the spotlight, and we love it even more when they look good while doing it.