Overview
- On Nov. 20, the singer posted a video on Instagram and YouTube unveiling his beardless face for the first time in about a decade.
- He joked he looks like a “Ninja Turtle” and invited jokes about his chin after explaining he once used the beard to hide weight in his face.
- The video doubled as a thank-you for three 2026 Grammy nominations: contemporary country album for Beautifully Broken, country duo/group performance for Amen with Shaboozey, and contemporary Christian performance/song for Hard Fought Hallelujah with Brandon Lake.
- His daughter Bailee Ann laughed through tears at the first look, while wife Bunnie Xo had teased the shave in a Nov. 13 Instagram post and held back the reveal until he was ready.
- On the CMA Awards red carpet a day earlier, collaborator Shaboozey said he hadn’t seen the new look yet and playfully said he misses the beard.