Chase Rice is pressing pause — not out of burnout, but out of honesty.
After spending much of his life on the road, the country singer shared in an emotional post that he’s stepping back from touring to find himself again — and to remember why he fell in love with music in the first place.
“I’m exhausted,” Rice admitted. “I haven’t been able to be myself on stage in quite a while and really enjoy music and why I got into it in the first place. After 13 years, it’s finally beat me up to the point where I need to step away for a while. I need to go live life so that I have more real experiences to write down.”
A Pause With Purpose
Aside from a few select dates, Rice won’t be touring in 2026 — and says he doesn’t have a return date in mind.
“It wasn’t even really a decision,” he shared. “It was something I know that I just have to do for myself.”
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Rice emphasized that this isn’t a goodbye, but a much-needed break: “Although it may feel like that. I hope we can all get together in the coming years and get back to enjoying life on the road again.”
Refilling the Well
The singer hopes this time away will bring new inspiration — the kind of lived-in stories and emotions that have always fueled his songwriting.
“I hope this time off gives me new experiences to put into songs that will make [fans] happy,” Rice said. “Until then, thanks for the ride.”
A Career Built on Heart
Rice’s career has always been defined by authenticity and connection.
From co-writing Florida Georgia Line’s breakout hit “Cruise” to scoring his own No. 1s with “Eyes on You” and “Drinkin’ Beer. Talkin’ God. Amen,” he’s spent years chasing the kind of truth only music can bring.
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Now, at 40, he’s choosing something even braver: slowing down.
“I need to go live life,” he said — a simple truth that, for Chase Rice, might lead to his most honest music yet.
19 Country Artists Who Just Disappeared
“Who I Am” and “Ode to Billie Joe” are songs we all know the words to — we’ve sung along to them on more than one occasion — they were huge hits! But what ever happened to Jessica Andrews and Bobbie Gentry?
You’ll often find us reminiscing over some of our favorite artists who took a break from music, whether to start a family, solely write songs … or just plain vanish(?!).
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
