When Drew Baldridge released his viral country hit “Senior Year” in 2019 as a memento to his high school days in Patoka, Ill., he couldn’t have ever fathomed the life his record would take just months later as the world many students knew would never be the same.

The 28-year-old crooner and songwriter, whose grandmother would shuttle him to piano lessons as a teenager, knew early on that he wanted to bring joy to the faces of screaming fans as a musician when he graced the staged for the first time as a first-grader during a Christmas program.

Years later, Baldridge was handed a guitar at 16 and never looked back as he frequented the local Elks Lodge where he’d put on small shows in the corner of the establishment – singing to the likes of Johnny Cash and Josh Turner.

(Courtesy of Drew Baldridge)

COUNTRY STAR LARRY GATLIN WEIGHS IN ON HOW CORONAVIRUS COULD IMPACT TOURS FOLLOWING PANDEMIC

Ironically, those same legends, along with the likes of Brooks and Dunn, Eric Church, Eminem and Nelly, would become inspirations featured on a multitude of burned CD mixes Baldridge would make as a high school student, which he would distribute among his buddies.

But for the “Burnt Toast” performer, March 2020 would mark a monumental shift in his life and career that unfortunately came when the country began shutting down due to the coronavirus pandemic that swiftly permeated the globe. “Senior Year” would become the anthem for thousands of high school seniors who would have their milestone moments cut short.

“This is a song that's gotten way bigger than I thought it was going to be,” Baldridge said. “You know,  I'll be honest – when I'm in a writing room, I just try to create something that's real to me. And I know if it hits home with me, it's going to relate to somebody else. And we sat down that day and we just all talked about our senior year. And we're all from different age ranges. And we kind of put it together.”

Baldridge said when he penned the song’s hook, "Never thought it would disappear senior year,” he did so with the intention of sending the message to graduates that “it’s going to go by fast, so enjoy it.”

“Then all of a sudden in 2020 when March hit and on March 16 when the shutdown happened and everybody – schools said, 'Hey, you're not coming back,' Well, I started getting tagged [in] all [of] these TikToks and my dad called me and he said, 'Hey, there's a little girl down the road and she used your song in a video – you should go watch it,” Baldridge explained.

“So I went and watched it and it got to the hook where it was all her videos of her kids, her friends, and pictures,” he continued. “And it got to the hook and said, ‘Never thought it would disappear, senior year’ and man, I just start crying. I was like, I can't believe I wrote that because their year did disappear. And so it took on a whole new meaning. And before I knew it, kids all around the country were reaching out and were posting these videos.”

BLANCO BROWN ON 'THE GIT UP' BECOMING A VIRAL HIT: 'I FEEL LIKE IT'LL BE AROUND FOREVER'

Baldridge said he couldn’t believe the “wildfire effect” his song had on a generation of students.

“And that's all – as a songwriter – you can hope to do is to write something that's going to impact somebody,” he said. “And this the song's really done that in a huge way. It brought a generation of people together forever.”

Drew Baldridge attends the 2016 CMT Music Awards at the Bridgestone Arena on June 8, 2016, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic)

Drew Baldridge attends the 2016 CMT Music Awards at the Bridgestone Arena on June 8, 2016, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic)

The contemporary soul said before he knew it, he was playing “Senior Year” at some 60 to 70 virtual concerts around the country.

“It was six or seven a day,” he said. “I was like, man – it was a lot of Zooms. But it was so, well worth it. And like, jumping on there and hearing these kids' and stories like, 'Hey, we were supposed to go to state this year in soccer and we didn't even get to kick a ball.”

COUNTRY MUSIC LEGEND CHARLIE DANIELS HONORED AT MEMORIAL SERVICE

A former high school athlete himself, Baldridge said those conversations with students who got the short end of the stick in 2020, hit home, and he empathized with those students given the fact he lost his record deal as recently as Oct. 2019, which left him to fend for himself while hustling his music.

“Senior Year” doubled back and rewarded Baldridge when it cracked the top 50 on the Billboard chart.

“I was independent and one of the biggest surprises for me is that we didn't have a promo team or a record label and ‘Senior Year’ was top 50 on Billboard, and that never happens,” recalled Baldridge. "The radio just started playing it and it got to top 50 which was a huge surprise for me.”

He added that because of his turn of luck regarding the viral success his song has had, Baldridge urges everyone, especially students to keep pushing forward and maintains that many will grow to be much stronger because of the circumstance they found themselves having to overcome.

COUNTRY SINGER LINDSAY ELL REVEALS SHE WAS RAPED TWICE, RECOUNTS EVENT IN NEW EMOTIONAL SONG

“Now, of course, going out and playing these drive-in shows – that's a whole different surprise [for] me, too, because I never thought I would be going and doing a 'Senior Year' tour. You know what I mean? That was a weird surprise,” Baldridge said. “Of course with COVID-19 and there are a lot of different things going on but I never thought, 'Man, I'm going to play graduations and it's going to be cool.' But it has – it's been so much fun!”

Baldridge added that the energy he feels when playing drive-in shows pales in comparison to the response he receives on the festival circuit.

“I've played so many shows – so many huge, huge festivals and to play these graduations – it's like the most rewarding thing I've ever done to make these kids days when you're playing the song and in the middle of it, they're all just blowing on their horns in their cars,” he explained.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“You know, it's a whole different feeling. It's not claps – they're horns and you hear screams out the windows and it's a whole different experience that I've never had or felt before. I mean, I've played all kinds of shows and I always hear people screaming but hearing the honks, when you're like, 'How you doing class 2020?' and they're laying on their horns and sticking air horns out the window – it's a whole other feeling for sure.”

universo-virtual.com
buytrendz.net
thisforall.net
benchpressgains.com
qthzb.com
mindhunter9.com
dwjqp1.com
secure-signup.net
ahaayy.com
soxtry.com
tressesindia.com
puresybian.com
krpano-chs.com
cre8workshop.com
hdkino.org
peixun021.com
qz786.com
utahperformingartscenter.org
maw-pr.com
zaaksen.com
ypxsptbfd7.com
worldqrmconference.com
shangyuwh.com
eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
playminecraftfreeonline.com
trekvietnamtour.com
your-business-articles.com
essaywritingservice10.com
hindusamaaj.com
joggingvideo.com
wandercoups.com
onlinenewsofindia.com
worldgraphic-team.com
bnsrz.com
wormblaster.net
tongchengchuyange0004.com
internetknowing.com
breachurch.com
peachesnginburlesque.com
dataarchitectoo.com
clientfunnelformula.com
30pps.com
cherylroll.com
ks2252.com
webmanicura.com
osostore.com
softsmob.com
sofietsshotel.com
facetorch.com
nylawyerreview.com
apapromotions.com
shareparelli.com
goeaglepointe.com
thegreenmanpubphuket.com
karotorossian.com
publicsensor.com
taiwandefence.com
epcsur.com
odskc.com
inzziln.info
leaiiln.info
cq-oa.com
dqtianshun.com
southstills.com
tvtv98.com
thewellington-hotel.com
bccaipiao.com
colectoresindustrialesgs.com
shenanddcg.com
capriartfilmfestival.com
replicabreitlingsale.com
thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
gkmcww.com
mbnkbj.com
andrewbrennandesign.com
cod54.com
luobinzhang.com
bartoysdirect.com
taquerialoscompadresdc.com
aaoodln.info
amcckln.info
drvrnln.info
dwabmln.info
fcsjoln.info
hlonxln.info
kcmeiln.info
kplrrln.info
fatcatoons.com
91guoys.com
signupforfreehosting.com
faithfirst.net
zjyc28.com
tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
nhuan6.com
oldgardensflowers.com
lightupthefloor.com
bahamamamas-stjohns.com
ly2818.com
905onthebay.com
fonemenu.com
notanothermovie.com
ukrainehighclassescort.com
meincmagazine.com
av-5858.com
yallerdawg.com
donkeythemovie.com
corporatehospitalitygroup.com
boboyy88.com
miteinander-lernen.com
dannayconsulting.com
officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
generictadalafil-canada.net
guitarlessonseastlondon.com
lesliesrestaurants.com
mattyno9.com
nri-homeloans.com
rtgvisas-qatar.com
salbutamolventolinonline.net
sportsinjuries.info
topsedu.xyz
xmxm7.com
x332.xyz
sportstrainingblog.com
autopartspares.com
readguy.net
soniasegreto.com
bobbygdavis.com
wedsna.com
rgkntk.com
bkkmarketplace.com
zxqcwx.com
breakupprogram.com
boxcardc.com
unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
fabulousbookmark.com
beat-the.com
guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
magie-marketing.com
kingstonliteracy.com
guitaraffinity.com
eurelookinggoodapparel.com
howtolosecheekfat.net
marioncma.org
oliviadavismusic.com
shantelcampbellrealestate.com
shopleborn13.com
topindiafree.com
v-visitors.net
qazwsxedcokmijn.com
parabis.net
terriesandelin.com
luxuryhomme.com
studyexpanse.com
ronoom.com
djjky.com
053hh.com
originbluei.com
baucishotel.com
33kkn.com
intrinsiqresearch.com
mariaescort-kiev.com
mymaguk.com
sponsored4u.com
crimsonclass.com
bataillenavale.com
searchtile.com
ze-stribrnych-struh.com
zenithalhype.com
modalpkv.com
bouisset-lafforgue.com
useupload.com
37r.net
autoankauf-muenster.com
bantinbongda.net
bilgius.com
brabustermagazine.com
indigrow.org
miicrosofts.net
mysmiletravel.com
selinasims.com
spellcubesapp.com
usa-faction.com
snn01.com
hope-kelley.com
bancodeprofissionais.com
zjccp99.com
liturgycreator.com
weedsmj.com
majorelenco.com
colcollect.com
androidnews-jp.com
hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
dailyupdatez.com
foodphotographyreviews.com
cricutcom-setup.com
chprowebdesign.com
katyrealty-kanepa.com
tasramar.com
bilgipinari.org
four-am.com
indiarepublicday.com
inquick-enbooks.com
iracmpi.com
kakaschoenen.com
lsm99flash.com
nana1255.com
ngen-niagara.com
technwzs.com
virtualonlinecasino1345.com
wallpapertop.net
nova-click.com
abeautifulcrazylife.com
diggmobile.com
denochemexicana.com
eventhalfkg.com
medcon-taiwan.com
life-himawari.com
myriamshomes.com
nightmarevue.com
allstarsru.com
bestofthebuckeyestate.com
bestofthefirststate.com
bestwireless7.com
declarationintermittent.com
findhereall.com
jingyou888.com
lsm99deal.com
lsm99galaxy.com
moozatech.com
nuagh.com
patliyo.com
philomenamagikz.net
rckouba.net
saturnunipessoallda.com
tallahasseefrolics.com
thematurehardcore.net
totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
velislavakaymakanova.com
vermontenergetic.com
sizam-design.com
kakakpintar.com
begorgeouslady.com
1800birks4u.com
2wheelstogo.com
6strip4you.com
bigdata-world.net
emailandco.net
gacapal.com
jharpost.com
krishnaastro.com
lsm99credit.com
mascalzonicampani.com
sitemapxml.org
thecityslums.net
topagh.com
flairnetwebdesign.com
bangkaeair.com
beneventocoupon.com
noternet.org
oqtive.com
smilebrightrx.com
decollage-etiquette.com
1millionbestdownloads.com
7658.info
bidbass.com
devlopworldtech.com
digitalmarketingrajkot.com
fluginfo.net
naqlafshk.com
passion-decouverte.com
playsirius.com
spacceleratorintl.com
stikyballs.com
top10way.com
yokidsyogurt.com
zszyhl.com
16firthcrescent.com
abogadolaboralistamd.com
apk2wap.com
aromacremeria.com
banparacard.com
bosmanraws.com
businessproviderblog.com
caltonosa.com
calvaryrevivalchurch.org
chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
cheminotsgardcevennes.com
cooksspot.com
cqxzpt.com
deesywig.com
deltacartoonmaps.com
despixelsetdeshommes.com
duocoracaobrasileiro.com
fareshopbd.com
goodpainspills.com
kobisitecdn.com
makaigoods.com
mgs1454.com
piccadillyresidences.com
radiolaondafresca.com
rubendorf.com
searchengineimprov.com
sellmyhrvahome.com
shugahouseessentials.com
sonihullquad.com
subtractkilos.com
valeriekelmansky.com
vipasdigitalmarketing.com
voolivrerj.com
zeelonggroup.com
1015southrockhill.com
10x10b.com
111-online-casinos.com
191cb.com
3665arpentunitd.com
aitesonics.com
bag-shokunin.com
brightotech.com
communication-digitale-services.com
covoakland.org
dariaprimapack.com
freefortniteaccountss.com
gatebizglobal.com
global1entertainmentnews.com
greatytene.com
hiroshiwakita.com
iktodaypk.com
jahatsakong.com
meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
newsbharati.net
platinumstudiosdesign.com
slotxogamesplay.com
strikestaruk.com
trucosdefortnite.com
ufabetrune.com
weddedtowhitmore.com
12940brycecanyonunitb.com
1311dietrichoaks.com
2monarchtraceunit303.com
601legendhill.com
850elaine.com
adieusolasomade.com
andora-ke.com
bestslotxogames.com
cannagomcallen.com
endlesslyhot.com
iestpjva.com
ouqprint.com
pwmaplefest.com
qtylmr.com
rb88betting.com
buscadogues.com
1007macfm.com
born-wild.com
growthinvests.com
promocode-casino.com
proyectogalgoargentina.com
wbthompson-art.com
whitemountainwheels.com
7thavehvl.com
developmethis.com
funkydogbowties.com
travelodgegrandjunction.com
gao-town.com
globalmarketsuite.com
blogshippo.com
hdbka.com
proboards67.com
outletonline-michaelkors.com
kalkis-research.com
thuthuatit.net
buckcash.com
hollistercanada.com
docterror.com
asadart.com
vmayke.org
erwincomputers.com
dirimart.org
okkii.com
loteriasdecehegin.com
mountanalog.com
healingtaobritain.com
ttxmonitor.com
bamthemes.com
nwordpress.com
11bolabonanza.com
avgo.top