What Not To earns spot as biggest new artist country album debut in 2025
Country’s hottest rising star Tucker Wetmore continues to prove he’s unstoppable. His debut album What Not To has made history as the biggest country debut from a new artist in 2025. The album debuted at the No. 15 spot on Billboard’s all-genre 200 Albums chart as Wetmore cracks over one billion total global streams across his catalog. Wetmore’s momentum shows no signs of slowing down as he prepares to take to the hallowed Ryman Auditorium stage for his sold-out Ryman debut on Wednesday, May 21st, yet another major milestone in his skyrocketing career.
Packed with everything from radio-ready anthems to moments of real depth and vulnerability, What Not To captures the highs, lows and hard-earned lessons in Wetmore’s 25 years. Standouts include the viral sensation “Brunette,” which earned him the biggest streaming debut of his career, fan favorite “Drinkin’ Boots” and the emotional centerpiece and album’s namesake, “What Not To.” The title track threads themes of struggle, growth and redemption as it finds Wetmore not claiming to have the blueprint for being a better man, but knowing what he doesn’t want to carry forward. The record spans from late night ready swagger (“Bad Luck Looks Good On Me”) to reflective slow burns (“Goodbye Whiskey”), showing Wetmore’s expansive range as both a performer and storyteller.
Following the album’s release on April 25th, Wetmore recently dropped the official music video for his lead single climbing at country radio and recently entered Billboard’s Hot 100, “3,2,1.” Directed by Shane Drake, the new visual brings the song about the one that got away to life as the summer days fade away but the memories of love linger.
The album release caps off a banner month for Wetmore, who recently earned an ACM nomination for New Male Artist of the Year and brought the house down at Stagecoach on the Mane Stage for his debut performance at the coveted festival. He just wrapped his U.S. leg of the Waves on a Sunset Tour 2025 ahead of Thomas Rhett’s Better in Boots Tour 2025 this summer as direct support across 33 dates. Wetmore and Rhett’s new collaboration, “Small Town Girls,” is out now.
The news follows his Billboard Hot 100 hits and RIAA platinum-certified tracks “Wine Into Whiskey,” and “Wind Up Missin’ You,” the latter marking his first Mediabase Country Airplay No. 1.
