With 22 #1 singles, Dierks Bentley is no stranger to finding success with his music and now, he’s sharing one of his secret weapons.
LISTEN NOW: Dierks Bentley joins the 'Superstar Power Hour' with Audacy’s Katie Neal
During his recent appearance on the Superstar Power Hour with Katie Neal, Bentley said he plays his music for his kids before releasing it to see what they think. It’s a tried and true method for the 49-year-old, which he put to the test most-recently with his fresh single, “She Hates Me.”
“I played it for my kids, they’re always a good barometer. They know music really well,” he told Neal. “They have the shortest attention spans, right? They’re used to like, seven seconds of YouTube shorts and stuff,” he laughed.
After approval from daughters Evalyn and Jordan plus son, Knox, Dierks is feeling good about the tongue-and-cheek anti-love anthem that released on Valentine’s Day. “I’ve never liked Valentine’s Day,” he said of the Hallmark holiday that causes him to overthink. Bentley reminisced on the “anti-Valentine's Day" gigs he used to play as an up-and-comer and says releasing this single on the 14th was a “full circle moment” for him.
“I used to play a gig at the Station Inn just up the street [Nashville] on Valentine’s Day — I did it like three Valentine’s Days in a row, before I had a record deal,” he explained. “It was literally the Anti-Valentine’s Day Show. You had to wear all black to get in and it was all these people who didn’t like Valentine’s Day.”
While the song clearly stays true to Dierks’ dislike towards everything pink, red and heart-shaped, it’s also a song that will help him keep his high-energy engagement on stage with fans on tour.
“I’m always thinking about the live show and the tour,” he said. “Everyone has their own reasons for doing this [music] and for me… my whole dream was just to be on a tour bus, with a band. It was never about the GRAMMYs or any of the award shows or any of that. I just wanted to be the guy on the bus with a band… I’m still getting to do that.”
Dierks will embark on tour this year with his recently-revealed Broken Branches Tour. Kicking off May 29 at the Moody Center in Austin, the trek will travel through more than 30 U.S. cities nationwide. Joining him as support are Zach Top and duo The Band Loula. General ticket sales begin Friday, February 21 at 10AM local time. Find them here.
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For more about the tour, new music, and Dad life, check out Dierks’ entire conversation with Audacy’s Katie Neal above.
BROKEN BRANCHES TOUR 2025 Dates:
5/29 – Austin, TX – Moody Center ^
5/30 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion ^
5/31 – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center *
6/5 – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre *
6/6 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre *
6/7 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre #
6/12 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage *
6/14 – Tinley Park, IL – Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre *
6/19 – Chula Vista, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre *
6/20 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre *
6/21 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater *
6/26 – Los Angeles, CA – Intuit Dome ^
6/27 – Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheatre *
6/28 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre *
7/10 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater *
7/11 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live *
7/12 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center ^
7/18 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center *
7/19 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center *
7/31 – Salt Lake City, UT – Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre *
8/1 – Nampa, ID – Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater *
8/7 – Camden, NJ – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion ^
8/8 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park *
8/9 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion *
8/14 – Buffalo, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater ^
8/15 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center *
8/16 – Bethel, NY – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts *
8/21 – Savannah, GA – Enmarket Arena *
8/22 – Birmingham, AL – Coca Cola Amphitheatre *
8/23 – Biloxi, MS – Mississippi Coast Coliseum *
8/28 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden *
8/29 – Burgettstown, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake ^
8/30 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre ^
* On-Sale This Friday, February 21
^ On-Sale Next Friday, February 28
# On-Sale Friday, March 7