It’s one thing to have a musical gift so special that it sets you apart from other artists, but it’s an entirely different thing to do that at age 17. Austin, Texas native and teenage sensation, Ty Myers, is quickly becoming a household name in the country music community and his 2025 album “The Select” is only helping his cause.
The 16-song, hour-long project rifles through honky-tonk jams, bluesy tunes and dive bar hits. His Texas grit shines throughout the album, and it doesn’t take long to forget that the voice on the other side of these songs is coming from someone who can’t even vote yet.
It all started in 2023 when one of Myers’ first singles, “Tie That Binds,” caught fire on social media and left him with overnight success. Since punching his lottery ticket, he’s signed with RECORDS Nashville/Columbia Records, performed with country music juggernauts and released a 6-song EP that built him a respectable fanbase. With all that being said, “The Select” was Myers’ real, true test.
The album is a collection of some of Myers’ past hits with the majority of it being new music. He comes out firing with tracks like “Ends of the Earth” and “Real World Now,” and then sprinkles in some cozy tunes with “Worry is a Sickness” and “Let ‘Em Talk.”
There’s a moment when the album takes a turn on the ninth song, “Can’t Hold Me Down.” The track comes after a long stretch of blues-style songs that were doing a pretty good job of lulling me to sleep. Myers’ rasp is harsher than usual and the lone guitar that opens the song caught my attention and kept it for the latter half of the project.
“Too Far Gone” and “Drunk Love” maintain the unapologetic theme that Myers created on “Can’t Hold Me Down,” and gives listeners a snippet of the electric guitar skills he used to love to flaunt on social media. This “in your face” country sound is short lived though, and the project is tucked into bed with “But Me,” “Drinkin’ Alone” and “Tie That Binds.”
This trio is the slow-dancing, fireside trifecta that Myers was going for, and gives the project a fitting ending. For portions of the album, I wasn’t sure if there was much of a story to it, but “Tie That Binds” is confirmation that all those previous tracks about feeling empty and chasing a girl were about the same woman, and Myers is finally ready to settle down with her.
What Myers lacks lyrically he makes up for with his God-given vocal talent. And luckily for him, the majority of his fanbase isn’t listening for the lyrics but rather for his signature, Texan rasp. However, as someone that doesn’t just listen to music — but dissects it — I found it funny throughout the project how a 17-year-old had so much experience chasing love, hanging in bars and struggling to make it as a performer that wants to provide for his lady. Like when he croons, “I’ve been workin’ like a dog all week / These paychecks just don’t come cheap” or “The pay is cheap when you’re playing for drinks / With an out of tune string in a smoky bar.”
As I mentioned before, Myers woke up one morning to his debut single blowing up on social media and the rest was history — there was no struggle for the kid. Plus, tickets to his show climb into the triple digits (Myers is well beyond playing for just drinks).
I have to tip my cap to Myers for crafting this well rounded of a project for his first full album. This is a really impressive project, but one that won’t fly a second time around. My fingers are crossed that Myers got all the cliche lyrics and simple country song themes out of him, and that whatever comes next from him will have his name written all over it.
It’s going to need to be a full album of songs like “Ends of the Earth,” “Can’t Hold Me Down” and “Tie That Binds” to wow me a second time. Myers’ saving grace is his age and growing list of accolades; he’s got more time to grow than many artists in the country community and what he’s already accomplished is going to have country music staples jumping at the opportunity to work with the Texas teen.
Sometimes your gift can become your curse, and because I know how talented Myers is, I’m going to be expecting a lot the second time around. He showed everyone that his potential could make him one of the greats, and now we’re all waiting to see him fully break through the surface.
Until his next album, Myers will be busy on the road; lucky for us San Diegans, he’ll be playing at Moonshine in Pacific Beach on May 21.
Abbey Wicks 
Spencer Gorka 
Steve Anderson