MADDOX Batson is an upcoming American singer-songwriter from Hermitage, Tennessee, who currently resides in Birmingham, Alabama. He is a fifteen-year-old music artist who mostly creates country music with a mix of rock and pop in an attempt to create his voice and style. He first started gaining popularity when a cover he did of “Dancing in the Sky” by Sam Barber went viral on TikTok in September of 2023 and garnered him over a million views. His first single, “Tears in the River,” entered the top twenty on Spotify’s US Viral 50 chart and has approximately twelve million global streams by the end of 2024.

I’ve had quite a long history with all forms of country music and my personal experiences and opinions on it. At the beginning of my high school years, I had a deep hatred and no compassion for any variation of country music. After I joined a club and had some life-changing experiences, I became more considerate of listening to country music. When I was tasked with reviewing Batson, I attempted not to let my bias dictate my opinion and views on his music when I started to listen to it.

His first and only EP, “First Dance,” includes seven songs, including older singles of his and songs created for the EP. This brings his total song count to ten, with each song being from two to three minutes long. I found it quite surprising since he is currently on tour with around 30 minutes of original material. After gathering his entire discography, I bared through it and listened to all his music.