Russell Dickerson took another unexpected turn with “Boots,” a genre-blending collaboration featuring rapper Fetty Wap. The Russell Dickerson Braces For Country Fan Backlash Over Fetty Wap Collaboration first appeared on The Blast

Russell Dickerson is not interested in allowing traditional genre boundaries to dictate the music he creates. The country singer took another unexpected turn with “Boots,” a genre-blending collaboration featuring rapper Fetty Wap. Although Dickerson knew the song’s distinctive sound could face resistance from some country fans, he refused to let the possibility of criticism prevent him from releasing something that felt authentic to his wide-ranging musical taste.

During an exclusive conversation with The Blast on behalf of his new partnership with Hershey’s, Dickerson opened up about the surprisingly quick creation of “Boots,” how Fetty Wap became involved, and why artists should focus on creating what they love instead of attempting to recreate the past.

Russell Dickerson Wrote ‘Boots’ In Approximately One Hour

Despite the work that can go into developing a cross-genre collaboration, “Boots” came together remarkably quickly. Dickerson revealed that he and his collaborators were initially working on another track when the idea unexpectedly emerged.

Rather than planning the song around a particular genre or carefully constructing a new sound, they followed the momentum of the writing session. “We wrote it in like an hour,” Dickerson told The Blast. “It was just, like, such a fun vibe.”

According to the singer, the track began taking shape after he started experimenting with a banjo. The process allowed him to create instinctively instead of worrying about where the finished song would fit within the country landscape. “Instead of thinking about ‘Oh, what sound do I need?’ I just started playing this banjo thing,” he recalled. “The song just came out.”

Russell Dickerson Is ‘So Grateful’ Other Artists Passed On His Fetty Wap Collaboration

However, “Boots” was not immediately set aside for Dickerson. The song remained “in his back pocket” for some time and was even presented to other performers. “We pitched it to a couple other artists, and it never worked out, which I’m so grateful for because I’m such a bigger fan of Fetty Wap than any of the artists that we sent it to,” Dickerson admitted.

The outcome gave Dickerson a collaboration that his younger self never could have imagined. “I still can’t believe it. If 2016 me could know that I had a song with Fetty Wap in the future, I don’t think my brain could have actually understood what was gonna happen,” he said.

The Country Star Expected Some Resistance From Fans

Pairing Dickerson’s country foundation with Fetty Wap’s hip-hop background helped “Boots” stand apart, but the singer understood the creative decision might not appeal to every country listener. When asked whether he anticipated pushback over the genre-blending sound, Dickerson offered an immediate response. “For sure,” he said.

Nevertheless, potential criticism has never been enough to keep him from exploring the different sounds that have influenced him. “I’m never afraid to genre blend,” Dickerson explained. “I have a huge respect, and a foundation of mine is traditional country music.”

While that respect remains central to his work, Dickerson does not believe modern country artists should feel obligated to reproduce the sound of another era. “I don’t think that, me personally, I don’t think you should be trying to emulate that,” he continued. “Be an artist. Create what you love, and if you only love traditional country music, then perfect.”

Dickerson’s own musical interests extend well beyond country. That variety naturally finds its way into the music he releases, even when it produces something listeners may not expect. “I love R&B, hip-hop, jazz. I love it all,” he said. “And so I will let those genres into my sound and come up with something fresh and new.”

TikTok Helped ‘Boots’ Find An Audience Before Its Release

Dickerson’s creative risk appeared to connect with listeners before the full song was even available. A TikTok teaser reportedly surpassed 35 million views ahead of the track’s release, demonstrating how dramatically social media has changed the way audiences discover new music.

The massive response reinforced a lesson Dickerson has learned about using TikTok. Artists cannot spend too much time attempting to perfect every post. “I think there’s a famous book. I think it’s called, like, ‘Ready, Fire, Aim’ or something like that,” he told The Blast. “And that, to me, is TikTok.”

Instead of constructing an elaborate promotional campaign, Dickerson believes artists should share content and allow fans to determine what resonates. “Just put it out. Just do it, just go,” he said. “That’s what I’ve learned, is, you can’t tease a song too much. You just gotta go.”

One of the videos that helped draw attention featured Dickerson in his kitchen and was filmed by his wife. Its casual quality was part of what made it work. “Not overthink it,” he explained. “Honestly, the crappier the better. Just, like, that’s real life, as long as you can keep it as real as possible. That’s what I’ve learned.”

Russell Dickerson’s Latest Risk Reflects His Identity As An Artist

Between the song’s rapid creation, its unexpected featured artist, and its viral reception, “Boots” represents Dickerson’s willingness to follow an idea without forcing it into a predetermined category.

He remains grounded in traditional country music, but he does not view that foundation as a restriction. Instead, it gives him a starting point from which he can incorporate the R&B, hip-hop, jazz, and other sounds he has always enjoyed.

The Russell Dickerson Braces For Country Fan Backlash Over Fetty Wap Collaboration first appeared on The Blast