Tough People


"Tough People" is a song by American country music singer Drew Baldridge. It was released on November 4, 2024, as the intended lead single to Baldridge's forthcoming third studio album. It marks Baldridge's first release under BBR Music Group since signing with the label's Stoney Creek imprint.

Content

Baldridge, who co-wrote the song with Adam Sanders and Jordan Walker, described the song as meaningful and "about not giving up on dreams". Sanders developed the song's hook, and they built the song around three verses that cover emotionally deep topics including tornado aftermath, childhood cancer, and school shootings.
Luke Combs wanted to cut the song after hearing its acoustic demo, and Lainey Wilson expressed interest in collaborating with Combs on the track. The two recorded the song in January 2024, with Combs making some lyrical changes, but ultimately Baldridge's label insisted he keep the song for himself as the follow-up single to "She's Somebody's Daughter". The writers gave Combs partial songwriting credits for his contributions to the song.

Music video

The music video for "Tough People" was directed by Dustin Haney and premiered on October 25, 2024. It was filmed in Patoka, Illinois.

Chart performance

"Tough People" was the most added song at the country radio format, pulling in 107 stations upon impact, and debuted at number 56 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart dated November 16, 2024. It became Baldridge's second top 20 hit on the chart, reaching a peak of number 12 in April 2025.