Nate Smith Marks A Full Circle Moment With Artist He 'Always Looked Up To'

By Kelly Fisher

October 13, 2025

Photo: Getty Images

Nate Smith is marking a full circle moment with an artist he’s “always looked up to,” he said.

The California Gold hitmaker is teaming up with Tyler Hubbard on a soon-to-debut collaboration. Smith shared a behind-the-scenes sneak peek of “After Midnight” on Instagram on Monday (October 13). He said “when I first started in music, I always looked up to [Tyler Hubbard] for how well his songs were written and they ALWAYS had a catchy melody

“Workin on ‘After Midnight’ with this dude was a freakin special moment. Always looked up to Tyler and he taught me a few things while we were in the studio,” Smith continued. “Anyone ready for this song yet?!”

Smith and Hubbard have previously teased “After Midnight” on social media, and the Georgia-born singer-songwriter said he’s “pumped to be on this one” with the 2024 Academy of Country Music New Male Artist of the Year. “Time to turn up.”

Smith’s latest full studio album is California Gold, a 16-track record that includes “Fix What You Didn’t Break,” “Can You Die From a Broken Heart” with Avril Lavigne, “Bulletproof,” “I Like It” with Alesso, and more. He also released “Nobody Likes Your Girlfriend with HARDY and “Dads Don’t Die” (solo and with singer-songwriter Emily Weisband) earlier this year. Hubbard’s latest full album is Strong, a 13-track project with the title track, “Wish You Would,” “Park,” “Back Then Right Now” and more. Get a sneak peek of the unreleased collaboration here:

Nate Smith
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