Kip Moore ‘Lives on Small Victories’ Amid the Ups and Downs of Success
Kip Moore is in a unique position to appreciate success: Although the country singer enjoyed riding the high from his No. 1 hit "More Girls Like You" in October of 2017, Moore's road to the top has been far from a straight shot: He lived in Nashville for eight years before landing a record deal. At a recent press conference, Moore described his relationship to his accomplishments, and how he appreciates success, knowing how elusive it can be.
"I knew I wasn't good at anything else," Moore says of his decision to keep pursuing music despite the fact that he did not attain success right away. "There was no Plan B, because I knew I wasn't going to be happy doing anything else. Every day, I battled those demons telling me I should leave, but I knew I had to make it happen."
Moore stresses the importance of enjoying the little moments of validation along the way, even if those moments don't lead to a big break: "I think we all live on small victories," he adds.
Even after the popularity he achieved with his debut album, 2012's Up All Night, which includes the hit singles "Somethin' 'Bout a Truck," "Hey Pretty Girl" and "Beer Money," it took Moore a few years to climb back to the top of the charts.
"It was quite a while since the previous time I'd had a hit record," he admits. "[My sophomore album], Wild Ones, had so much success with the fan base, but yet it didn't have as much commercial success. It was a double-edged sword, so I think it might not have been bringing in [new fans] as rapidly."
With "More Girls Like You," however, Moore has received acclaim both from his fans and from country radio. Having to work hard to get there, according to Moore, makes that level of success all the sweeter.
"Anytime you get a hit [song], that's something you should cherish," he says. "You don't ever know when you're going to get it again, and it's something that should be special."
Moore's third studio album, Slowheart, was released in September of 2017. The record came out of the gate strong, with "More Girls Like You" as its first single, but Moore knows that its success as an album is in no way guaranteed. However, he knows better than to let the pressure overwhelm him.
"I've tried to do things that way [and obsess over whether or not the album will be successful], and I made myself borderline psychopathic," he says with a laugh. "I'm trying to change my way of thinking and just enjoy the success that I'm having in the moment. I still have dreams of playing stadiums and winning a Grammy, like anyone else does, but I'm truly trying to relish being right here, right now. It's all part of the ride."
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