Dierks Bentley Explains Why He Picked Morgan Wallen to Be His Co-Headliner at Seven Peaks 2022

Dierks Bentley has revealed the lineup of acts taking part in his 2022 Seven Peaks Competition this September, and on the very prime of the record is Bentley’s co-headliner, Morgan Wallen. Bentley and Wallen will every headline one evening of the three-day occasion, with the third evening being allotted to Seven Peaks’ annual ’90s social gathering.

Bentley’s determination to ask Wallen to co-headline his competition partially dates again to 2019, because of a memorable set from Hardy, who’s taking part in Seven Peaks once more this 12 months, and is an in depth pal and collaborator of Wallen’s.

“His present was so good,” Bentley recalled throughout a latest press occasion. “[Watching him and Morgan] is form of like [watching] Luke [Bryan] and [Jason] Aldean again in 2010. These two guys collectively, their reveals are an hour-long phenomenon, taking part in arenas for a number of nights in a row.”

Wallen’s famous person stage presence apart, Bentley factors out, it was vital for him to incorporate a headliner who might assist make Seven Peaks — his ardour mission — one of the best competition that it may be. 2022 is an particularly essential 12 months for the occasion, which debuted in 2018 and had its second 12 months in 2019 earlier than halting for 2 years on account of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“When you might have a competition in its infancy — 12 months three would have actually been an enormous 12 months for us,” the singer goes on to say. “In all probability would have perhaps broke even. However it wasn’t even in regards to the cash — it was [about] attending to be one thing folks wished to return again to, to begin to be self-sustaining.

“To lose two years again to again, it is laborious,” Bentley admits. “I actually wasn’t positive if we might get one other shot to do that competition, due to that and having to vary areas. However it’s only a tremendous vital competition to me. It is one in all my favourite issues of every part I’ve accomplished. I hope it carries on lengthy after I am gone. I like this entire idea of the Colorado-based nation competition that has this really feel, and totally different sorts of music. And it solely works when you have a man or woman the evening reverse of me that may carry the burden.”

Enter Wallen: A red-hot hitmaker with such a voracious fanbase that his 2022 Harmful Tour all however bought out earlier than the reveals even started. “Morgan is without doubt one of the greatest stars on the market in nation music proper now, drawing probably the most of us ever on the market,” Bentley acknowledges.

“I like his music,” he goes on to say. “I like what Joey Moi is doing as a producer on his music. It simply has a really nation really feel to it. The instrumentation is gorgeous, and naturally, nice songwriting.”

Wallen’s undoubtedly on a scorching streak proper now, and he is an in-demand headliner. He is additionally headlining this 12 months’s Watershed Competition, Quicker Horses Competition, Nation Thunder Wisconsin and TidalWave Music Competition, to call a couple of, plus he lately introduced his first-ever headlining stadium gig.

It is value noting that Wallen’s arc in direction of superstardom stays controversial; many consider that he hasn’t adequately confronted the implications of his racist slur scandal from February 2021, the place he was caught on late-night doorcam video yelling the N-word as he stated goodnight to a automobile stuffed with mates. Wallen did fulfill a promise to donate $500,000 to Black-led organizations, however many followers, artists and business members objected to his return to the Grand Ole Opry stage in January 2022.

Although Wallen was benched by the nation music business for the majority of 2021, his fanbase definitely did not overlook about him — quite the opposite, his at-the-time just-released Harmful: The Double Album stored its place atop the Billboard album charts for a whopping 10 weeks, making it the all-genre prime album of 2021.

Along with headlining units from Bentley and Wallen, the 2022 Seven Peaks Competition will embrace performances by the likes of Jordan Davis, Ashley McBryde, Lainey Wilson and Travis Denning. The ’90s contingent — a core component of Seven Peaks — is nicely represented by Tracy Lawrence, Pam Tillis and the Scorching Nation Knights. In the meantime, mixing mainstream nation with bluegrass has at all times been a serious a part of the competition, and Outdated Crow Medication Present, Rapidgrass and Boy Named Banjo are among the many Americana and bluegrass acts stepping in to signify that phase of the style.

Extra performers are anticipated to be added to the Seven Peaks invoice. The competition will happen Sept. 2-4 in Villa Grove, Colo. Tickets go on sale starting April 22.