Country newcomer Cooper Alan’s name emerged after his original song “New Normal” racked up millions of streams and went viral on TikTok. Like many musicians, Cooper has found a space on the app where he can be creative and at the same time connect with his fans. And he didn’t know that this avenue was what was going to be the key to opening so many doors of opportunity. Now his name rings everywhere he goes, and he’s more than the guy he was before.
RELATED: TikTok Sensations transformed the country’s rising stars from A to Z
Let’s get to know him even better and relive with us his journey – from his humble beginnings to one of the most promising artists in country music.
Before the fame: who is Cooper Alan?
Born and raised in North Carolina, Cooper Alan has played music most of his life. Since he was young, music was something his family loved and enjoyed, even though he was the only one who could actually play, and it was a way for them to bond with each other. In fact, Cooper was only five years old when he attended his first concert. It was a Tom Petty show, and in a confession he said with a laugh that he slept the whole time. Nonetheless, this experience definitely ignited a spark in him.
He learned his first instrument, the trumpet, then at the age of 11, he changed rhythm and genre. He dropped the trumpet and chose a guitar instead, mainly because he thought girls thought it was a lot cooler. According to his guitar teacher, Mike Bennett of B String Guitars in Winston Salem, Cooper was a quick learner and easily got three or four songs in a single day. Two years later he had his own group. And through all these years he had gone through many different phases and finally found the most solace in country music.
At 15, he visited Nashville and participated in the GRAMMY camp. He then began to cultivate not only his songwriting but also performance, which was his real passion. In an interview with Country Swag, Cooper shared that he was most inspired by the artists he saw live, and those people more than music influenced him to pursue a career in country music.
After high school, he attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he received hands-on training in performing arts. He knew he really wanted to learn more about the art and cut his teeth. He performed in college bars and after a while he was even hired by local entertainment venues to do concerts. He also interned in New York City, where he first met songwriter, producer and artist developer Victoria Shaw. They had breakfast together, and while Shaw definitely saw his potential, she advised him to finish his education before moving to Nashville.
And two days before he officially graduated from college, he emailed Shaw saying he would be in Nashville and had already booked a gig.
Internet success: the “new normal”
RELATED: Top 10 Viral Country Songs From TikTok You Should Listen To
Things went well – he signed a deal with Fabulicious Music Publishing and production company AvaRu and even aligned with SESAC – until the pandemic happened, and it all came to a temporary freeze. time. No one knew when it was going to end, and for people like Cooper Alan, who lives by performing, it was a really tough time.
It was then that he discovered TikTok thanks to his girlfriend. At that time, he was thinking about ways to stay creative and connect with his fans as well. His girlfriend mentioned using the app, but at first he hesitated as his first impression was a space created for dancing children. When he started digging and his first video went viral, that’s when it really hit him.
Then the next thing he knew, his covers and even his occasional videos were racking up millions of views. Soon, his original songs were also creating traction and garnering overwhelming attention. “New Normal,” which TikTok first heard in previews, easily gained three million likes. When he officially released the song, it became an instant hit, ranking number one on the iTunes country chart, sixth across all genres, and also became a viral song used by many as a background song on TikTok. As a freelance artist it was definitely a big hit for him, and it was just amazing the same time people find him and enjoy the music he makes.
Cooper Alan passes to the general public: #candancechallenge
After the unprecedented success of his singles on TikTok, Cooper took the opportunity to broaden his horizons. In addition to performing, he started his own publishing house with his mentor and legendary songwriter Victoria Shaw, who they called “Cooped Up” records. For the country musician, working with Shaw was a given. She has been with him from the start and he still considers him his champion.
And now he’s back on tour and just finished the first leg of In Real Tour with Alexandra Kay and Thomas Mac. But don’t worry, there is still tour dates left for this month. Or you can vibrate with its latest release, “Can’t Dance”, and take the #candancechallenge on TikTok.
