Country Star Admits Struggle With ‘Mental Exhaustion' While Sharing Powerful Message: ‘I'm Over It'
Nate Smith just wants to play music, but having to constantly chase social media metrics has left him feeling both "tired" and "exhausted." So much so that he is breaking his silence on the matter and calling for change.
On Sunday, May 24, the country music star shared an emotionally-charged message with his fans. In his Instagram post, he admitted that while he's grateful for his loyal following, he has officially hit a wall, mentally drained by the demands of the algorithm age.
"This video goes out to everybody who supported me over the last seven years or more. I appreciate you guys so much. I appreciate everything you've done for me …. everyone who has always supported me, showing up to my shows, playing my songs, it means the world to me. I'm so thankful for you guys," Smith began in his video.
He then vulnerably stated, "I don't know where to go from here."
"I don't know how to navigate this really weird world that we're in right now," he added, referring to the modern ways in which artists promote their music online.
Smith went on to add that while he gets excited every time he gears up to drop a new song, he often feels like his art is judged solely by the numbers rather than his creativity or true connection with fans.
"I'm gonna write a song that I love. I'm freaking out about it. I'm excited, and I'm gonna make a video of me singing along [to it]. I'm going to obsess over how many views it got," he said, predicting the future of how his next single rollout would go. "[Then I'll] watch as my team goes, ‘Oh shoot. Yeah. That only got 20,000, we're not seeing a big pull on that song…probably not a hit or a smash, and then my worth is all determined based on likes and all this stupid stuff."
"I'm just tired, you guys. I'm tired. I just wanna make music. I just wanna play shows. I don't wanna play these games," he added. "That's what this all feels like. It feels like one big game. And, it's old, and it's tiring, and it's mentally exhausting, and I know I'm not the only person out there that feels like this."
Indeed, Smith has not been the only artist burned out over the pressures of social media engagement and navigating the twists and turns of the music industry. Artists like Caylee Hammack, Mitchell Tenpenny, Erin Kinsey, Chase Matthew, Drew Baldridge, and Noah Thompson all chimed in with their personal stories in the comments section of his post.
"There just has to be a different way, and I'm over it," Smith acknowledged. "I'm over the reels. I'm over the weird teasing things and stuff like that. I've got some great songs that I wanna share with you guys, but I'm not doing it this way. There's gotta be another way."
"Maybe I show you guys at shows and you guys can record it, and maybe I just put it out and don't say anything," he suggested. "I don't know, but I'm tired of this hamster wheel, crazy, crazy thing that we're doing out here. This isn't what I got into music for. That's all I have to say."
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This story was originally published May 25, 2026 at 10:25 PM.