Last Updated: July 9, 2025
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The hit song Chris Stapleton wrote that took Thomas Rhett’s career to the next level
Last Updated: July 9, 2025
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When Thomas Rhett dropped Crash and Burn in 2015, it took a lot of people by surprise.
It wasn’t just the sound, which leaned into pop, R&B, and even a touch of soul, but the whole vibe of the song felt like a pivot away from what fans typically expected from a country artist at the time.
What makes the backstory even more surprising is that Chris Stapleton, known for his gritty, soulful, classic country style, co-wrote the song.
So, how did Stapleton end up contributing to a track that was such a stylistic departure not just for Rhett, but also for Stapleton himself? As it turns out, it all started with an unlikely musical friendship.
Stapleton and Frasure’s Late-Night Experiments
Back in 2015, Stapleton opened up to Taste of Country about the song’s unusual origins.
“I have a good friend from Detroit named Jesse Frasure. We’re kind of a musical odd couple,” Stapleton said. “He’s a DJ and makes tracks. Stick us side by side, it’s kind of a funny-looking pairing. But we’re dear friends, and we’ve known each other a long time. He’s a wonderful guy, and a wonderful talent.”
Despite their very different musical backgrounds, the two started writing songs together, almost like a secret side project. They didn’t go into it expecting any commercial payoff.
“Maybe two years I had some of these ideas for these kind of pop songs,” Stapleton recalled. “He and I just started moonlighting — he’s a publisher in town, and he’s a popular songwriter now. He and I would get together at night, almost in secret, to make these tracks, these pop things with no real agenda.”
Crash and Burn was one of those experimental tracks.
“He has kind of a modern Motown thing that he does, and mix that with a little bit of hillbilly that I do, and the result is songs like ‘Crash and Burn,'” Stapleton explained.
The Song That Was Almost Too Risky to Release
At its core, Crash and Burn is a breakup song. But it doesn’t wallow in sorrow. It’s upbeat and catchy, with a melody that pulls you in while the lyrics take a more emotional dive:
“Do you hear that / It’s where I’m at / It’s the sound of teardrops fallin’ down, down / Slammin’ door and a lesson learned / I let another love crash and burn.”
When Rhett decided to make it the lead single from his second album, Tangled Up, it wasn’t just a bold move; it was a gamble. The song stood out on country radio because it didn’t sound like anything else playing at the time.
In hindsight, it seems like a smart, career-defining decision. But back then? It was seen by many as a potential misstep.
“I think ‘Crash and Burn’ might have been the first one that my dad was like, ‘I just think that’s not a good idea,'” Rhett said in a 2025 interview with Taste of Country Nights.
His dad, Rhett Akins, is a veteran country artist and a well-respected Nashville songwriter. But even with his father’s reservations, Rhett followed his gut.
“There was a lot of people that I trusted a lot that told me that was a terrible idea,” he added. “That song did something really big for me. I think it kind of separated me from a lot of folks.”
It certainly did. Crash and Burn climbed all the way to the top of the charts, becoming Rhett’s fourth career No. 1. It also opened the doors for more genre-blending experiments that would later define his sound.
A Win for Both Rhett and Stapleton
What made the success of Crash and Burn even more special for Stapleton was seeing it help someone he had known long before fame hit.
“I’ve known TR since before he was having the success he was having now, when he was just barely an adult,” Stapleton said. “He’s a wonderful young man, and I’m happy for all his success, and happy to have any hand in it that if he wants to record some music.”
Stapleton wasn’t particularly protective over the track when Rhett asked about it.
“It just wound up in his hands, and at some point TR looked at me and said, ‘Hey man, can I have this song?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, man, if you wanna cut it, do it.'”
And just like that, a late-night jam session between two creatively curious musicians gave rise to a radio smash.
Interestingly, just one month after Rhett released Crash and Burn in April 2015, Stapleton dropped his now-iconic debut album Traveller. The album launched him from behind-the-scenes songwriting into full-blown superstardom.
So in a way, Crash and Burn was a turning point for both artists, marking the moment Rhett solidified his place as a genre-blending innovator and setting the stage for Stapleton to become one of country music’s most authentic voices.
A Risk Worth Taking
Looking back, Crash and Burn feels like one of those songs that changed the game. It challenged expectations and introduced fans to new sounds.
More than that, it showed what can happen when artists take creative risks and lean into their instincts, even if the people around them say it might backfire.
It also reminds us that behind every radio hit is a story. And sometimes, those stories involve secret studio sessions, unexpected collaborations, and a whole lot of trust in the process.
TL;DR
- Crash and Burn was released by Thomas Rhett in 2015 and marked a significant stylistic shift with pop, R&B, and soul influences.
- The song was co-written by Chris Stapleton and Jesse Frasure during secret late-night writing sessions with no commercial goal in mind.
- Stapleton described their collaboration as a mix of “modern Motown” and “hillbilly” styles.
- Rhett took a major risk releasing the song as the lead single from his album Tangled Up, despite advice against it, including from his father, Rhett Akins.
- The upbeat track paired a catchy sound with emotional lyrics about heartbreak.
- Crash and Burn reached No. 1 on the charts and helped Rhett stand out in the country music scene.
- Stapleton gave Rhett his blessing to record the song, happy to see an old friend succeed.
- The release of Crash and Burn came just a month before Stapleton’s solo debut, Traveller, which turned him into a major star.
- The song was a turning point for both artists, showing the power of creative risks and unexpected collaborations.
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Bee DeloresAuthor
Bee DeloresLover of hiking, biking, horror movies, cats and camping. Writer at Wide Open Country, Holler and Nashville Gab.
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