Greylan James

Greylan James
Born (1996-06-18) June 18, 1996 (age 30)
Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S.
OriginNashville, Tennessee, U.S.
GenreCountry
InstrumentsVocals, guitar
Years active2025-present
LabelBig Machine

Greylan James (born June 18, 1996) is an American country music singer. Signed to Big Machine Records, he released his debut single "Water at a Wedding" in 2025 followed by a self-titled debut album in 2026.

Biography

Greylan James was born June 18, 1996 in Knoxville, Tennessee. He expressed his interest in country music at age five after his grandparents bought him a guitar at Kmart. At age 17, he was featured in a magazine article published by Guitar Center, in addition to competing on The Voice. James moved to Nashville, Tennessee, after turning 18 to pursue a country music career. Although he signed his first publishing contract with songwriter Bob DiPiero, he was dropped from it two years later. Despite being dropped, he remained in contact with several Nashville songwriters, which led to him signing a second songwriting contract with Universal Music Publishing Group's Nashville branch. In 2020, he wrote "Happy Does" for Kenny Chesney. This was followed by "Next Thing You Know" by Jordan Davis, "Forever to Me" by Cole Swindell, and album cuts by Hardy and Darius Rucker. Additionally, he independently released an extended play titled I Hope She Hears These. After releasing the tracks "Anything Cold" and "Make the Best Memories" off the extended play, James toured with Scotty McCreery to promote the project. Basketball player Jimmy Butler co-wrote one of the songs on the EP, "Old Truck Young Love".

As he wanted to focus on performing over songwriting, he was signed to Big Machine Records in 2023 as an artist. The label released the single "Wait 'til You Have Kids" in 2025, with production and instrumentation by Jason Massey and Brock Berryhill. His next Big Machine release "Water at a Wedding" became his first to chart, making Billboard Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay by the end of 2025. James wrote the song with Matt Dragstrem and Chase McGill. He was inspired to write it after seeing an ex-girlfriend of his at a wedding, drinking water instead of alcohol, and presuming that this was due to her being pregnant.

The song was included on a self-titled album, released November 13, 2026 on Big Machine's Nashville Harbor imprint. James, Massey, and Berryhill alternated with Julian Raymond and Dann Huff in production, and James co-wrote every song except for a cover of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You". Additionally, the album features a collaboration with Swindell on "Things That I Can't Change", and a duet version of "Water at a Wedding" with Gabriella Rose. James Daykin of Entertainment Focus thought the album was well-written and thematically consistent, and also thought that all of its songs had potential to be radio hits. His review made favorable comparison to both Jordan Davis and Old Dominion.

In November 2026, prior to the album's release, "Water at a Wedding" also became James's first song to enter the Billboard Hot 100. Additionally, James made his debut on the Grand Ole Opry in October 2026, and announced that he would be touring with Chesney in 2027.

Discography

List of singles, with selected peak chart positions
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
US US Country US Country Airplay
"Water at a Wedding" 2025 96 30 15 Greylan James

References

  1. 1 2 3 Top Country Singles 1944-2025. Record Research Inc. 2026. p. 195. ISBN 9780898202441.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Mark Deming. "Greylan James biography". AllMusic. Retrieved November 12, 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bryan West (March 7, 2026). "Hit songwriter Greylan James steps into the Opry spotlight". The Tennessean. pp. 2A, 8A. Retrieved November 12, 2026.
  4. 1 2 LB Cantrell (May 25, 2022). "On The Row: Hit Songwriter Greylan James Leans In To Artist Voice". MusicRow. Retrieved November 12, 2026.
  5. ↑ Melinda Lorge (November 15, 2022). "Country Next: Greylan James". Country Now. Retrieved November 12, 2026.
  6. ↑ Tom Roland (April 17, 2025). "The 'Kids' are more than alright: Life lessons from newcomer Greylan James". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 James Daykin (November 12, 2026). "Review: Greylan James steps out of the songwriter shadows on his new self-titled debut album". Entertainment Focus. Retrieved November 12, 2026.
  8. ↑ Madison Hahnen (October 7, 2026). "Greylan James slates debut album for November". MusicRow. Retrieved November 12, 2026.
  9. 1 2 3 Jessica Nicholson (November 6, 2026). "Country up-and-comer Greylan James talks viral hit 'Water at a Wedding', his new album, and the Kenny Chesney advice that sparked his career". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2026.
  10. ↑ Lorie Hollabaugh (October 27, 2026). "Greylan James makes Grand Ole Opry debut". MusicRow. Retrieved November 12, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Billboard Hot 100: Week of November 14, 2026". Billboard. Retrieved November 11, 2026.
  12. ↑ "Hot Country Songs: November 14, 2026". Billboard. Retrieved November 11, 2026.
  13. ↑ "Country Airplay: November 14, 2026". Billboard. Retrieved November 11, 2026.