Niall Horan and Thomas Rhett put their decade-long friendship on display at Geodis Park in Nashville, Tennessee, on July 9. The artists shared the stage, highlighting both their distinct musicalities and their similarities. From Horan trying on a country persona to Rhett doing his best pop-star impression, this headlining show was exactly what the billing promised: double the fun, double the hits, and a genre mashup worth exploring.
In the last several years, there seems to have been a rise in co-headlining tours for fans to enjoy. There is something really affecting about seeing two artists sharing their love for music on one stage. The diverse sounds on stage are then carried into the crowd, bringing people together who wouldn’t normally be. A concert is always an equalizing experience, but it becomes even more so when the fans you’re sitting next to might have completely different music tastes.
Supported by Emily Ann Roberts and Kashus Culpepper, Horan and Rhett pulled off what they both described as a career highlight. Horan had a red-letter week, making both his Opry debut and playing at a packed stadium within a few days of each other. Rhett called performing alongside his longtime friend “one of the coolest nights” of his life. There was a grateful energy on the stage that reverberated out into the audience.
Horan came out first, playing through much of his latest album, Dinner Party. Highlights from that section of the setlist included the rocky “Tastes So Good” and the crowd-pleasing “She Gets It From Her Mother”. The latter of which included fun camera cuts from mother-daughter duos out in the crowd, many of whom were repping their Horan and Rhett fandoms, respectively.
Elsewhere, Horan commented on the connection between traditional Irish music and country, playing his most Nashville-esque songs “This Town” and “Seeing Blind”. It was during this section that any country purists in the crowd might’ve softened their feelings toward the pop star and gained an instant grasp of his universal talent.
Rhett followed with a hit-packed performance. Complete with fireworks, incredible background vocalists, and unparalleled energy, Rhett played highlights like “Make Me Wanna”, “Gone Country”, and “Life Changes”. Likewise, any pop fans in the crowd understood Rhett’s radio appeal immediately.
Rhett proved why he’s such an in-demand act to see live with his headlining set. There wasn’t a moment of reprieve from his stellar songwriting or stadium-filling energy. Even in his slower, more intimate numbers, the crowd response was mounting.
The best part of the night was the joint encore. It was during this section of the show that fans got a good grasp on why these two artists are so close and why they had the genius idea to do this joint venture in the first place.
Together, they played Horan’s “Heaven” and Rhett’s “Old Tricks”, which they played earlier in the week at the Opry. They decided to get on somewhat neutral ground with Ella Langley’s mammoth hit “Choosin’ Texas”. Rhett, of course, fell right into this modern country staple, and Horan had a surprisingly convincing country persona. Fans were waiting all night for “Die A Happy Man”, and the duet version was worth the wait.
They decided to close the show with a nostalgic and heartwarming version of One Direction’s “Steal My Girl”. According to Rhett, he had to convince the former boybander to do the song, but judging by Horan’s energy on stage, it wasn’t a hard ask. Though this song seemed unbalanced toward one half of the attendees, it felt like a pretty welcome closer overall.
This show felt like a real testament to the shared love of music, bringing people from opposite corners of the world together. Though the crowd was likely less skewed than the performers, it still seemed like a community-building moment.
(Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
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