In the middle of 2025, I can vividly remember scrolling through TikTok and stumbling on a video of a powerhouse vocalist belting out the first handful of lines to a song called “Adaline.” Social media seemed to go into a frenzy, and, rightly so, that artist was plastered across the algorithms of countless country music fans.
That artist, Tyce Delk, has come a long way in the calendar year since. He not only released “Adaline” (to the tune of millions of streams worldwide), he released his debut EP, Enough Ain’t Enough, earned an invitation to make his Grand Ole Opry debut, and today, he’s released his sophomore EP, Everything But Gone.
We caught up with Delk at CMA Fest to chat about the virality of “Adaline,” the “organized chaos” listeners can expect from Everything But Gone, performing overseas and more!
Pro Country: Your bio mentions an upbringing with music ranging from country to classic rock to Texas swing. Who were some of the earliest artists you remember hearing that struck a chord with you?
Tyce Delk: I’m a fourth-generation musician. Growing up, my family played swing country. When I was young, I remember listening to Del Way and Moe Bandy. At the same time, my mom was a big AC/DC and Whitesnake fan. Personally, I fell into artists like Vince Gill and Marcus King that had really soulful vocals.
PC: You come from a generations-deep musical family, but it wasn’t until your late teens that you started playing and writing yourself. What was it about that time of your life that drew you towards music?
TD: I got my first guitar when I was about 10. I played it for two days and put it down. I played a year of college basketball, and when that finished, I thought, “crap, I need something to do!” That’s when I picked it back up. I was blessed to come into it naturally, because I’d been around it my whole life. I was freshly 19, and I started playing and gigging.
PC: How long after playing did you realize you wanted to, and feasibly could, pursue music as a career?
TD: That wasn’t until about a year ago, which was when “Adaline” started doing its thing. We had plans to move back home to work with my dad, but when “Adaline” took off, we knew it was now or never.
PC: Soon after first posting “Adaline” on social media, the song went viral on TikTok. What was it like for you to see the life the song was having on social media and to have so many new eyes on you?
TD: It was surreal. I’m thankful for it, because it’s given me the opportunity to do this for a living.
My wife and I were getting married at the same time, so it was a crazy time. We would get email quotes from caterers, and then an email from a record label [laughs].
PC: Since its release, “Adaline” has earned over 15 million streams on Spotify alone, with millions more across platforms. What has it meant to see the virality of the song continue and to see those numbers?
TD: It’s tricky. “Adaline” set such a high standard. My other songs, though they’re still doing great, haven’t done nearly as well. In your brain, you start to think all of your songs will do what “Adaline” did, but in reality, it doesn’t work like that [laughs].
PC: You shared the moment that you heard the title track to your debut EP, “Enough Ain’t Enough,” on the radio for the first time. Can you take me to that moment and the emotions that come with hearing yourself coming over the airwaves?
TD: That was another surreal moment. I grew up listening to Sirius XM, so hearing my song on The Highway was a pinch-me moment.
PC: Your recent single, “Mind If I Smoke,” is one of only two songs you’ve released thus far that was an outside cut. Can you talk about how you heard the song and what drew you to cut it?
TD: When I started, I didn’t want to cut anything that I wasn’t a writer on. I wanted to hone in on my writing and learn from my co-writers. Neil Medley texted me “Mind If I Smoke,” which he wrote with Dan Alley and Drake Milligan. I looked myself in the mirror and told myself that I was blessed to have those guys texting me songs that they thought I’d sound great on. Why wouldn’t I take it on?
PC: You released your sophomore EP, Everything But Gone, today. The title track is one of our favorite tracks on the EP. Why did you feel it was the right title track to the project?
TD: That’s one of my favorites on the EP. I’ve had half of that song written for almost three years. I wrote the first verse when I first met my wife. I always had it on the back burner. It’s a little smoother and different from anything else I’ve released, so I’m really happy with it.
PC: What can you tell people to expect from Everything But Gone? What can people expect to hear and what do you hope they take away from it after they listen?
TD: I keep using the term “organized chaos” [laughs]. The sounds of the EP are all over the place; they aren’t super consistent, but that’s the way I like it. It touches all of the bases, so they’ll get a little taste of everything.
PC: You have a slew of dates on the books set for the rest of the year. How excited are you to stay busy on the road and bring your music to so many places?
TD: I’m pumped! I love playing shows and being out on the road. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tired, but I’ve got the mentality that I’d either be working my ass off doing this or working my ass of doing something else, so we’re working hard at this.
PC: One of those shows will be at the Grand Ole Opry on July 16th. Can you talk about the moment you were surprised with your Opry debut and how much you’re looking forward to stepping into the circle?
TD: I blacked out when my dad said it. I can’t even classify it as a pinch-me moment. It’s so much more than that. That’s something that artists dream of. I’m hoping I don’t cry or have a voice crack on stage [laughs].
PC: You recently played the C2C Festival, which was your first time out of the US. What was it like to see international fans singing along with your songs?
TD: It was wild! Before we went over there, people kept telling me how crazy those fans are for country music. I didn’t know what to expect, but when you get into a room that has 1,700 people packed inside that are singing the words back to you, it’s really cool.
PC: With Everything But Gone releasing in a few weeks, what else do you have planned for the rest of 2026?
TD: We’re going to keep pumping out music. We’re not slowing down at all; this year is nonstop!
*All images by Emma Kate Golden*
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