Thomas Rhett Forrest Frank: What Really Happened with the Gospel Duo

Music fans usually see Nashville stars and viral pop-worship artists living in completely different worlds. One spends his time selling out stadiums with boots and trucks, and the other builds a massive digital empire with lo-fi beats and "Jesus vibes." But the connection between Thomas Rhett Forrest Frank isn't just a random PR stunt. It's a genuine friendship that actually shifted the trajectory of Rhett’s recent career.

If you’ve been scrolling through TikTok or listening to Christian radio lately, you’ve probably heard "NOTHING ELSE." It's that breezy, incredibly catchy track that dropped in early 2025. It feels like a summer drive. Honestly, the song shouldn't have been a surprise given their history, but it hit the charts harder than most people expected, peaking at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot Christian Songs.

The Story Behind the Collaboration

People keep asking how a country titan like Thomas Rhett ended up on a track with a guy who started out in the indie-pop duo Surfaces. It actually goes back years. They first crossed paths around 2021 when Rhett jumped on the Surfaces track "C’est La Vie." They stayed in touch, basically becoming text-thread buddies who shared a similar outlook on life and faith.

Fast forward to late 2024. Forrest Frank was riding the massive wave of his CHILD OF GOD album. He wrote a song called "NOTHING ELSE" and, according to a few podcast interviews he’s done, he immediately thought of Rhett. He sent a demo over. Rhett played it for his kids, they went wild for it, and the rest is history.

What's wild is how short the song is. It clocks in at just under two minutes.

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It’s a "blink and you'll miss it" kind of track, but it packs a massive punch of gratitude. The lyrics are simple—waking up, family, health, and Jesus. That’s it. In a world of overproduced, five-minute ballads, this was the minimalist palette cleanser everyone seemed to need.

The Moment Everything Changed in Nashville

There was a specific night in April 2025 that changed everything. Forrest Frank was playing a show in Nashville, and he brought out Thomas Rhett as a surprise guest to perform "NOTHING ELSE."

The crowd lost it.

But then, the night took a turn. During the performance, Rhett actually broke his ankle on stage. It sounds like a total disaster, right? Well, according to Forrest, that injury was actually a turning point for Rhett’s soul. He told Holler that while Rhett was sidelined and recovering, he felt a massive "nudge" from God to finally stop putting off the Christian music project he’d been dreaming about for years.

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Rhett allegedly started blowing up Forrest’s phone with new songs. We’re talking eight songs in a single day. That’s the kind of creative explosion you only get when someone finally stops fighting their gut instinct.

Why This Matters for Country Music

Thomas Rhett has always been the "nice guy" of country, but he’s also a hit machine with over 20 No. 1 singles. Seeing him lean so heavily into the CCM (Contemporary Christian Music) space with Forrest Frank is a signal. It’s not just a side project.

• Genre-blurring is the new normal. Fans don't care about labels anymore. They want the vibe.
• The "Jesus Generation" is real. Forrest Frank is spearheading a movement of positive, faith-forward music that sounds like modern pop, not a 1990s church basement.
• Authenticity over ego. Rhett taking a "feature" spot on a shorter song shows he's more interested in the message than the Billboard Hot 100 standing—though the song did great there too.

What's Next for the Duo?

So, is there a full Thomas Rhett Forrest Frank album coming? Not officially. At least, not yet.

However, we do know that Rhett has been in the studio working on what many are calling his "Gospel era." With Forrest Frank acting as a sort of unofficial mentor and sounding board, the sound of Rhett's 2026 material is likely to be much more "sunny pop-worship" than "honky-tonk."

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Meanwhile, Forrest is busy. He just announced his Jesus Generation Tour for 2026, featuring Tori Kelly and Cory Asbury. He’s also coming off a massive 2025 where he released CHILD OF GOD II and a collaborative Christmas album with JVKE. The guy doesn't sleep.

If you want to stay ahead of what these two are doing, the best thing to do is keep an eye on their social media—specifically Instagram Reels. That’s where they usually leak snippets of what they're working on before the labels even know what's happening.

Actionable Insight: If you're a fan of this sound, go back and listen to "C'est La Vie" by Surfaces (featuring Thomas Rhett) from 2021. It’s the "prequel" to their current success and shows exactly how their chemistry started. Then, keep your notifications on for Thomas Rhett’s next solo announcement—it's almost certainly going to feature some of that Forrest Frank production magic.