Adam Mac is like no one else you know. A true Southern Spectacle and one of queer country’s leading voices, the inspiring singer-songwriter is brave enough to truly be himself – and help others do the same. His third album Southern Spectacle is a loud-and-proud soundtrack for those who break the mold, mixing the joyful energy of pop and funk with a down-home heart (because nobody is just one thing). Raised in Russellville, Kentucky, Mac grew up a farm-and-church kid loving The Spice Girls and Shania Twain, who’s non-stop singing soon moved from the bedroom to Sunday services and talent shows. By 22 he had moved to Nashville to write songs he thought the mainstream would accept, but by his own admission, nearly 10 years of struggle led nowhere – until he realized he was doing “three chords and the truth” all wrong. Fusing vocal soul with a danceable country-funk mix (and the full fabulousness of his personality), 2023’s breakout hit “Disco Cowboy” set Mac free. The rapturous music video held the #1 spot on CMT’s 12-Pack Countdown for four weeks, leading to a full album of the same name and a pandora’s box of conversations. After protestors forced Mac to cancel a hometown performance, waves of supporters joined his cause, including Kelsey Ballerini and Maren Morris, who invited Mac to open her Lunatic Tour in Chicago. The national media also took notice, with Mac’s music hailed by Billboard, Entertainment Weekly, Out, GLAAD, and PEOPLE, calling Mac “country music’s very own Elton John.” Southern Spectacle is the end result – a definitive intersection of country music and queer identity. Arriving in 2025, 12 songs co-written by Mac with close friends (including at least one other queer creator on each track) mark a work of cloud-nine courage, with a resilient, revelatory sense of self acceptance. Louder and prouder than ever, and with a true community in his corner, Mac finally embraces his own story, contrasts and quirks included. His work might invite the scorn of a few, but also gives his fellow Southern Spectacles permission to strut.
