Who Is BRELAND? The Business Student Turned Country-Hip-Hop Fusion Star

Country music is evolving to include genre-blending styles that attract younger audiences. One of the newest styles hitting the charts is country trap, and BRELAND is the master of this genre. Blending hip-hop and rap with country, the rapper Lil Nas X brought country trap to the limelight with "Old Town Road."

BRELAND burst onto the country music scene in 2020 with his hit song "My Truck." Its unique sound combines hip-hop elements with country twang, while its theme of the importance of a truck also fits within the country genre. BRELAND calls his style of music "cross country." His debut song went viral and earned this new cross-country artist a Platinum certification. So, who is BRELAND and how did he make such a profound mark on the new country music scene?

BRELAND was born Daniel Breland in Burlington, New Jersey, in 1995. Both his parents were ordained ministers, and he grew up singing gospel. BRELAND wanted to explore other genres and to create his own identity as an artist. After graduating from a private high school, BRELAND went to Georgetown University to study marketing and management. While there, he formed a gospel/R&B a cappella group called The Phantoms.

While at Georgetown University, BRELAND focused on songwriting in various genres. He began working with New York rapper Chinx, but that collaboration ended with the rapper's tragic murder in 2015. BRELAND continued songwriting and worked on defining his musical style.

BRELAND decided to move to Atlanta, Georgia, in 2017. Throughout his years in Atlanta, he fine-tuned his songwriting skills and wrote songs every day while working day jobs. BRELAND also connected with Atlanta record producers and other songwriters. He landed a gig working with R&B rapper Trey Songz.

Living in the South after spending years in the Northeast, BRELAND discovered a fondness for country music and began to write country-style songs. He understood the formula of country music and decided to tap into his musical background and songwriting skills to develop his unique style of cross-country music. This marked the beginning of BRELAND's successful career.

BRELAND wrote his first country trap song "My Truck" and posted it on his social media channels, where it went viral. This song caught the attention of record producers and fans of cross-genre music, soon getting over 60 million views on YouTube.

BRELAND wrote this song while waiting in a studio for another artist who didn't show up. He claims that he wanted to be productive and wrote "My Truck" in just over an hour. This song hit No. 26 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and was certified Gold on Aug. 4, 2020, Platinum on Jan. 14, 2021, and 2x Platinum on June 24, 2024, by the Recording Industry Association of America. Even the automotive brand Chevrolet took notice and played the song in a series of adverts. 

After the success of his debut song, BRELAND signed with Bad Realm/Atlantic Records and released his self-titled debut EP. This EP included a remix of "My Truck" featuring Sam Hunt. After moving to Nashville in 2020, BRELAND collaborated with several other big names in country music. "Beers on Me" with Dierks Bentley and HARDY hit No. 1 on Billboard's Country Airplay chart and received a Platinum certification from the RIAA on Jan. 24, 2023. BRELAND's "Throw It Back" featuring Keith Urban got a Gold certification on July 12, 2022.

BRELAND also worked on Urban's No. 1 Billboard Top Country Album The Speed of Now Part 1. For this album, Urban and BRELAND co-wrote "Out of the Cage," a classic cross-country song. It has Urban playing the banjo and guitar with BRELAND doing a hip-hop/rap performance and Nile Rodgers on electric guitar. 

In 2021, BRELAND signed with the Reservoir record label and released his hit single "Cross Country," which is a moving story about the artist's life. The song features BRELAND's storytelling style, with themes of redefining yourself, starting again, and eventually finding a place to belong and call home. It received a Gold certification from the RIAA on Oct. 20, 2023. In a further collaboration, BRELAND released a remix of this song with country music artist Mickey Guyton.

This song became the title track to BRELAND's debut studio album, also named Cross Country. Other songs on the album include "Praise the Lord" with GRAMMY Award nominee Thomas Rhett, which received a Gold certification on Dec. 14, 2022. This song blends styles of gospel, R&B, rock, and country.

In an interview with Music Business Worldwide, BRELAND stated this about his signing with Reservoir: "I'm a genreless songwriter that wants to blur the lines between cultures with my pen, and I've been looking for a team of people that would know how to take what I'm doing to the next level. I think the Reservoir team embodies that genrelessness in a really exciting and progressive way."

BRELAND continues to make songs in his genre-blending style while sticking to the fundamentals of country music. In May of 2025, he launched his Truth Telling U.K. & EU Tour 2025, which started in Glasgow, Scotland, and ended in Hamburg, Germany, with stops across major cities. He also held his fourth BRELAND & Friends benefit concert at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, raising over $140 thousand for at-risk youth.

This rising star in cross-country music has hinted at a new album coming soon. He also continues to tour and perform at special events. Perhaps most importantly, BRELAND's genre-blending work raises awareness of the importance of inclusivity for all genres of music, including country music.