With a near-effortless ability to feel where country music is headed, BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville’s Dylan Schneider is one of Music Row’s most exciting new talents, with all the elements of a true rising star.

Arriving in Nashville at the age of 16, he’s grown a massive fanbase and critical acclaim through a series of EPs that perfectly fused his Midwestern country grit with the energy of rock and modern pop. A pair of Gold-certified hits told the young singer-songwriter he was on the right track – while he grew into his own sonically and lyrically. With his long-awaited debut album Puzzled, the pieces have come together.

“This is the beginning of a whole new chapter for me,” Schneider explains. “Growing up the last few years and being in Nashville since I was so young, it’s not the typical way a teenager grows up – and the person I am now, compared to the kid I was then is totally different. I’m telling my life stories in these songs, and I have a lot to say.”

A self-taught Indiana native with an instinctive knack for mass appeal. Fired up by edgy rock and rap icons like Nickelback and Drake in his youth, Schneider draws inspiration from across genres. Also looking up to country greats and iconic storytellers George Strait and Brooks & Dunn and later the fresh, upbeat production of Florida Georgia Line, Schneider sought a melting-pot approach to his music, seeking a new way to express his country roots and thus creating his own signature sound.

Feeling inspired, a fateful meeting with a local hero sealed the deal. It was 2015 in Paris, Illinois – just over the state line from Schneider’s hometown – and country hit maker Brett Eldredge was celebrating a homecoming show. Asking only for an autograph, Schneider got a lightning bolt of inspiration instead, with Eldredge counseling the dreamer to practice ‘til his fingers bled and never stop believing. Schneider did just that, and when his mentor came back for a show in Indiana, the young protege got on stage to show what he’d learned, feeling the power of the spotlight for the first time.

Hooked on the thrill, Schneider kept learning, performing at local pizza shops and backyard parties. Meanwhile, he also released cover-song videos on YouTube, which racked up millions of views, and after writing his first song at 15, he was soon Nashville bound.

The next few years would see a series of building-block EPs, a publishing deal and craft-honing tours alongside Florida Georgia Line, Morgan Wallen and more, earning “Artist to Watch” accolades from Pandora, Amazon Music and more.

He now boasts over 2 million social media followers and 400+ million on-demand career streams, with two RIAA-certified Gold records and a Top 5 hit as a songwriter to match (Dustin Lynch’s “Momma’s House”). Hailed as a “2024 Next Big Thing” by MusicRow, his debut album Puzzled marks a creative leap.

Featuring 16 songs, each written or co-written by Schneider himself – including the autobiographical title track, which came in a blast of solo inspiration. Likewise, new maturity and time on the road with stars like Kane Brown, Luke Bryan and Nate Smith have added a fresh bite to his unique brand of heartland pop, as country, rock and hip-hop fuse in a soundtrack of small-town story craft.

Schneider embarked on his coast-to-coast headlining “Bad Decisions Tour”, before joining Mitchell Tenpenny through the end of 2024, continuing to make energy an equal partner to his deeply personal tales of growth and perseverance.

“Everything has kind of come together to do a full-length album,’” he explains. “Writing every song, I want to introduce who I am now because everything in this album is my life and what’s gone I’ve gone through over the last couple of years.”

That includes the early standout hit “Ain’t Missin’ You,” which Schneider says set the tone for Puzzled. Written with Lalo Guzman and Brett Tyler, the sharp-tongued blast of slow-grooving country heat offers fresh perspective on a breakup – the view of the guy who’s picking up the pieces of his new girl’s broken heart. With a smoldering vocal and tasteful mix of modern attitude and organic tradition, Schneider shared an initial version on TikTok, and the overwhelming reaction (156 million views) became the precursor for Puzzled and more. Having been streamed more than 75 million times globally, “Ain’t Missin’ You” helped catapult Schneider’s path. “Without ‘Ain’t Missin’ You,’ I don’t think I would’ve gotten to this point,” he reflects.

Still, the newcomer admits his full-length debut was in the works for months before it truly took shape. Schneider was getting ready for a show in New Mexico when someone handed him a photo of himself – but one that came with a twist. It had been turned into a puzzle, and finally everything clicked.

“It just immediately hit me that I was going to name the album Puzzled,” he says. “My life hasn’t been the most typical. I’ve had my ups and downs. It constantly keeps me wondering and trying to make sense of everything.”

Speaking to how his life and career have come into focus, the theme artfully captures where Schneider and many 20-somethings find themselves. Meanwhile, primary producer Zach Abend helps piece together a new sound to match, fusing energy and emotion with an always-modern edge.

Tracks like the irresistible “Carhartt” match the brand’s iconic toughness with flirtatious backroad swagger and a steamy, late-night sway – an upbeat anthem describing the perfect romantic crime, which is already a live-show highlight. “When we threw that in the set, I was immediately paying attention to the crowd,” Schneider admits. “It’s cool to see them get so excited and vibe to it.”

Vulnerable ballads like “Daddy Drinks Whiskey” find Schneider opening his heart to painful impact of addiction, while others like “Truck I Grew Up In” recall happier times, fusing cinematic nostalgia and real-life rust spots for a soothing anthem of pure-country memory – the kind that never breaks down.

Not immune to romantic troubles, “Bad Decisions” wraps a toxic relationship in dusky Western twang and a lusty vocal flow. And Schneider’s own version of the torchy heartbreak banger “Momma’s House” lets the emotional wildfire burn long and slow. But it’s with “Puzzled” where the project ends. Written alone the day before it was recorded, the reflective ballad tracks Schneider’s story in detail, with acoustic guitars and quiet vocals revealing each piece of his path to now. As a full-color self-portrait, it wouldn’t have been the same if anyone had helped Schneider write it.

“It’s the most straight-up, honest song I’ve ever written, and these are the most personal stories I’ve ever told,” Schneider explains. “I’ve wanted to talk about my life since I was 16, and I hope when people listen to it, they’ll be able to think about it from their own perspective. They’ll all have different details, but I think they’ll be able to relate to the idea of just trying to figure themselves out.”