Heart, Hustle, and a No. One: Corey Kent Celebrates “This Heart” at BMI Nashville
- All Country News
- 22 hours ago
- 3 min read
Corey Kent’s rise has never felt accidental, but on Tuesday afternoon in Nashville, it felt unmistakably earned.
BMI opened its doors on February 10 to celebrate Kent’s second No. One single, “This Heart,” a RIAA Gold-certified hit that cements the Sony Music Nashville artist as one of country radio’s most reliable emotional heavy-hitters. The industry gathering wasn’t just a victory lap, it was a songwriter-first, faith-forward, gratitude-soaked celebration of the people and stories behind the song.
This Heart” follows Kent’s breakout, triple-Platinum smash “Wild As Her” and appears on his album Black Bandana, a project that continues to define his brand of rugged vulnerability and unfiltered conviction. But if Kent had his way, the spotlight would’ve stayed off him entirely.
Hosted jointly by BMI and SESAC and emceed by BMI’s Mason Hunter, the event reunited Kent with the creative team that built the track from the ground up: Thomas Archer (his sixth No. One), Jacob Hackworth (second No. One), Blake Bollinger (first No. One), Michael Tyler (seventh No. One), and producer Chris Farren, a crew with deep résumés and deeper chemistry.
Speaking during the celebration, Farren didn’t mince words about what separates Kent from the pack.
“There’s like a pass every time it’s just like becomes 90 of the comp because it was so well sung, so well interpreted,” Farren said. “You gave ‘This Heart’ — heart, man. Your heart and soul is all over that song. It’s a pleasure to work with you and your ability to interpret a song and sing like you mean it and own it with authenticity and heart and soul.”
That authenticity, the unvarnished, lived-in quality of Kent’s delivery, has become his signature currency at radio and with fans. It’s also something Kent insists he didn’t manufacture.
Addressing All Country News and other media, he redirected praise toward his team, his family, and his faith.
“This accomplishment in my mind is entirely a Sony radio team and a songwriter’s accomplishment and a producer accomplishment,” Kent said. “I’m just fortunate to be the artist that got to be on this song. I’ve never really changed musically what I’ve been doing — the only thing that has ever changed is that God decided to bless it. I want to give 100% of the credit to the hard-working people in this room and to Jesus Christ for changing my life.”
He also gave emotional credit to his wife for believing in him during seasons when belief didn’t come easy, a throughline that mirrors the resilience woven into many of his songs.
The party itself blended Music Row tradition with personal touches. Kent presented each songwriter and producer with a commemorative bat marking the milestone, a fitting symbol for a song that swung hard and connected. In a nod to BMI’s new partnership with Green River Whiskey, honorees also received a special single-barrel bourbon crafted specifically for the No. One celebration series. The event, sponsored by Studio Bank, also included a charitable donation presentation by Kari Barnhart on behalf of Kent and his collaborators to the Tim Tebow Foundation.
Meanwhile, Kent isn’t lingering in the glow. He’s already pushing forward at country radio with his current duet, “Rocky Mountain Low,” featuring Koe Wetzel, another Archer and Tyler co-write that pairs grit with altitude-sized hooks.
If the BMI gathering proved anything, it’s that Corey Kent’s momentum isn’t just powered by hits, it’s powered by people. And right now, his circle is winning.
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