The soul-baring single is available now
Sam Barber shares his new song, “Man of the Year” — a soul-baring reflection on life’s endless uncertainty and struggle. His first new music since his acclaimed debut album Restless Mind, “Man of the Year” adds a stunning new intensity to his sparse yet powerful sound.
Written entirely by Barber, “Man of the Year” opens as the 21-year-old artist takes stock of the despair all around him and within his own heart (“Is it in my mind, or are we all just sinking?/ Still fueled by the pain that never left me last season”). As the moody but cathartic track reaches its chorus, Barber shares his personal philosophy and finds his own version of solace: “You gotta take it as it goes ’cause it doesn’t get easier, dear/It’s all an empty hole, and fuck it if I ain’t the man of the year….No matter what you know, there’s no making sense of why we’re here.” Threaded with plenty of hard truths (“I’m trying, but money ain’t enough to make me feel like a rich man”), “Man of the Year” ultimately delivers an unforgettable anthem for surviving a potentially soul-crushing world.
Produced by Ryan Hewitt (Noah Kahan, Cody Jinks) and Joe Becker, “Man of the Year” brings Barber’s existential musings to a brooding collision of country and folk-rock. With its potent rhythms and urgent acoustic guitar work, the track intensifies its melancholy mood with a cascade of shadowy textures and darkly hypnotic guitar tones. Emblazoned with a flurry of banjo riffs at the bridge, the result is an exquisite setting for Barber’s captivating voice and its gritty expression of weary determination.
With over 1.5 billion global streams to date, Barber claimed his space in the country spotlight with the arrival of Restless Mind — a 28-song tour-de-force including his double platinum “Straight and Narrow” (a No. 13 hit on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart), “Indigo” featuring Avery Anna (a No. 42 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 now with over 300 million global streams), and “Better Year” (an emotionally charged anthem featured on Paramount’s blockbuster TV show Yellowstone). Released last November via Lockeland Springs/Atlantic Records, the album was followed by the Restless Mind World Tour 2025 — a major international run including headline and festival appearances across the U.S., U.K., and Europe.
Next Tuesday, Barber will kick off his sold-out run of Australia — an eight-stop headline trek featuring Jonah Kagen as support. A truly enthralling live performer, he’ll also take the stage at CMA Fest in June, then embark on the recently announced Sam Barber North America Tour. With dates currently scheduled through December 5th, the massive headline tour already has multiple sold-out dates with many on the verge of also reaching this status.
