Knoxville's own Adeem the Artist teases next album with a new '90s pop country bop' single

From the "Middle of a Heart" to the center of conversations about the changing country music landscape, Knoxville native Adeem the Artist continues to build on the success of their last album with a new single teasing another album release in May.

The song is called "One Night Stand," described as a "90s pop country bop" by Adeem the Artist, who uses they/them pronouns and whose real name is Adeem Bingham. The album, "Anniversary," is scheduled to release May 3.

"Queer Country as a genre has meant a lot to me,” Bingham said in a news release. “Discovering Karen & The Sorrows, Paisley Fields, D'orjay the Singing Shaman, I had a community that I got stitched into with a rich tradition of political activism, demystifying theory, and reclaiming space in the cultural rooms where we’ve long sat unacknowledged."

Recording new Adeem the Artist album alongside music industry pros

"Anniversary," a collection of 12 songs, was recorded on tape over five days at The Butcher Shop in Nashville with the help of industry professionals and musicians who have worked alongside Taylor Swift, Brandi Carlile and Wheeler Walker Jr., among others.

Butch Walker is not just the producer of the album but an inspiration for Bingham's songwriting, which was met with widespread critical acclaim following the release of their 2022 album "White Trash Revelry."

"I was absolutely obsessed," Bingham said about Butch Walker's "Sycamore Meadows" album from 2008. "I was a Christian worship pastor and having all these doubts. The religious questioning and soul searching Butch was doing on that record was so important for me."

These heavy topics found their way into Bingham's remarkable songwriting on "White Trash Revelry," which earned them an opportunity to grace the Grand Ole Opry stage. The recognition also led to Bingham being invited to perform at Big Ears Festival in Knoxville and to open for the likes of Jason Isbell, Josh Ritter, American Aquarium and The Mountain Goats.

'Anniversary' track list includes 'One Night Stand' by Adeem the Artist

Judging by the lyrics of the new single, alone, it seems Bingham is prepared to once again tackle topics often ignored in country music.

"I know he only wants a one night stand, but I'm wishing he would be my man," Bingham sings on "One Night Stand," which is now streaming. "I know he said it wouldn't work out, and I believed it. But now, it's different. He wants a one night stand. I want a life full of nights with him."

Check out the full track list:

1. There We Are

2. Nancy

3. Part & Parcel

4. One Night Stand

5. Nightmare

6. Wounded Astronaut

7. Carry You Down

8. Socialite Blues

9. Rotations

10. Plot of Land

11. Night Sweats

12. White Mule, Black Man

The single and album announcement came March 8, as Bingham was aboard the "Cayamo" music festival cruise from Florida to the Caribbean.

Aboard the cruise, Bingham shared to social media March 6 they were sitting in a bathroom stall "because my tum tum got real sick and middle of a heart is playing over the speakers and I'm just marveling at life."

"When my weird guts get inflamed, it's a nightmare. That's me on the radio machine, though," they wrote.

Adeem the Artist's breakout is now two years running. What's next?

Success in the country music industry is still new to Bingham, and it does not appear to be just another flash in the cast-iron pan. The same day as their tummy troubles, Bingham shared to social media that Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit had added another show with Adeem The Artist as the opener.

The Aug. 13 concert in Asheville, North Carolina, is the closest Adeem the Artist will be getting to their hometown of Knoxville in the foreseeable future. With Asheville less than two hours from Knoxville, this could be good news for fans who missed their July 28 full-band performance at Barley's Taproom & Pizzeria in the Old City.

Just prior to the hometown performance, Bingham made headlines with the release of their single "I C U" and for their much-talked-about parody of Jason Aldean's controversial "Try That In A Small Town."

Their musical success, along with their willingness to have tough conversations publicly, earned Adeem the Artist a spot on Knox News' list of artists who put Knoxville music on the map in 2023.

Adeem the Artist is also performing on the road with Tyler Childers in June.

Want to hear the new Adeem the Artist song and album? Here's how!

"One Night Stand" is available now for streaming and purchasing. "Anniversary" − described as "a stunning statement of empathy, humor, and deep introspection" − is available for preorder.

" Walker’s ability to blend sounds from classic to contemporary, commercial to experimental, gives Adeem license to play with a range of musical styles on Anniversary, while still remaining tethered to country and roots music," according to the news release. "Fittingly, Anniversary also arrives on the date of Adeem’s marriage to their spouse Hannah, bringing with it a heightened sense of intimacy and urgency from a songwriter whose work is characterized by fearless, incisive lyric writing.

For more information about Adeem the Artist, including links to tickets and merchandise, visit adeemtheartist.com.

Ryan Wilusz is a downtown growth and development reporter. Phone 865-317-5138. Email ryan.wilusz@knoxnews.com. Instagram @knoxscruff. 

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Adeem the Artist new song 'One Night Stand' teases 'Anniversary' album