Parker McCollum Is Taking 2022’s Lessons With Him Into 2023
It's been a ground-breaking year for Parker McCollum, but it's not the awards or No. 1 singles that will make him successful in 2023. While accolades like that don't hurt, the Texas native says it's his mistakes that will continue to make him better.
Speaking with Taste of Country's Adison Haager before the 2022 CMA Awards, McCollum shares why he doesn't believe a "sophomore slump" is waiting for him in the new year.
"I think it kind of does it on its own," he says of keeping his upward trajectory going. "You just gain so much experience — and [I] made so many mistakes this year and years past. I've always tried to really learn and making mistakes is fine as long as you learn from them and grow from them."
"Our machine is so well oiled on the road that we kind of subconsciously learn from those mistakes and fix things," he adds. "Every year it gets better and better and bigger and bigger. I don't think next year will be any different."
It's been almost a decade since McCollum released his first single and EP in 2013. In those 10 years, he has pushed himself to make his dreams come true. Now, in 2022, he's learning to slow down, which he sees as a way to improve.
"I've learned to say no a little more this year and just take care of my voice and what was best for me and the guys, versus just always trying to do more than anybody else and tour more than anybody else," he explains.
"I think we've done that enough to where next year we'll play a few less shows, and I think the quality of product of stage every night will be a lot better."
The goal is to steer clear of burnout.
"Not being so worn out all the time," McCollum continues. "We kind of earned to be at a place where we can be a little more efficient. It's never anything to complain about. It's always a good tired."
2022 was certainly a massive year for the "To Be Loved by You" singer: He won New Male Artist of the Year at the 2022 ACM Awards, he married his girlfriend Hallie Ray and he played a show with his idol George Strait, to name a few successes.
"It's easily the greatest year that I've strung together thus far. We've had some really good ones — some that kind of blew me away — doing stuff that I always kind of thought about doing and wondered if we had what it took to get to that level, and then this year, it was like we surpassed all of that."
"It's crazy. Very grateful," he admits.
McCollum is looking top off the year with a CMA Awards trophy: He up for New Artist of the Year alongside Hardy, Walker Hayes, Cody Johnson and Lainey Wilson.
The 56th Annual CMA Awards air live on Wednesday, Nov. 9, at 8PM ET on ABC.