Colin Stough has a brand-new song, out now. The American Idol alum just released “Sleep Tonight (Acoustic),” a new take on a song from his six-song debut EP, Promiseland, released in October.

“I actually started this one as a poem, so a more raw version felt true to where this song came from. I was really hurting after hearing about another death in my life and I just started writing,” Stough says of the song, which he wrote with Sean Thomas Rogers and Brian Congdon. “Once I took that poem into the writing room, we got our guitars and started writing, so it really did begin as a guitar-vocal. Stripping back the production lets these lyrics be the focus and makes it hit even harder since this writing is so personal to me.”

Stough was working in HVAC when his mother signed him up to audition for American Idol. Stough, who landed in the Top 3, moved from his native Mississippi to Nashville to focus on music full-time, releasing powerful songs like “I Still Talk to Jesus,”  the title track of “Promiseland” and more. Although Stough has made it so far already because of his undeniable talent, he also says a lot of the credit goes to his fans, who have been supporting him since his first performance on Idol.

“It’s been on my mind heavy here lately and I just want to say thank you,” Stough recently shared on social media. “This journey is amazing and I say it all the time. Without y’all I’m nothing, the band is nothing, the dream is nothing. I feel like it happens a lot these days that not enough artist give their fans the appreciation they deserve. So from the bottom of my heart. from the bottom of my amazing team’s [heart] … thank you thank you thank you.

 

 

“Thank you for allowing this long-haired country boy to wake up and live his dream every day,” he continued. “Thank you for letting me play arena shows as well as sold-out show. Thank you. As for 2024, we have a lot of surprises and new music coming get ready to rock and roll with Colin Stough and The Cowpoke. I love y’all to the moon and back as my mama used to say.”

Stough also recently dropped a cover of Elvis Presley’s “Blue Christmas,” in honor of their shared heritage.

“Elvis Presley is not only a legend overall, but he’s also a Mississippi boy like me,” Stough explained. “I grew up about 30 minutes from where he was born. I love ‘Blue Christmas’ and wanted to do a version of my own. It’s got this smooth, bluesy vibe which I really dig.”

Find “Sleep Tonight (Acoustic),” “Blue Christmas” and all of Stough’s music and upcoming shows at OfficialColinStough.com.