The Red Clay Strays Ignite the CMA Awards 2025 with a Raw and Unforgettable Performance of “People Hatin’”
The 2025 CMA Awards at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on November 19 felt like a night where something shifted, and The Red Clay Strays stepped directly into that moment. Many viewers were seeing them for the first time, yet the show treated them like a band whose arrival had been overdue for years. Coming in already nominated for Vocal Group of the Year, they carried a sharp edge of anticipation long before the cameras cut to them. Once the lights rose, that tension snapped into full-blown momentum.
“People Hatin’” was a bold choice for their televised debut. Released just weeks earlier, the track is a gritty slice of country-rock built around a clear message: stop tearing each other apart and start recognizing the humanity in the people around us. It doesn’t try to be glossy or radio-engineered — it leans into their trademark intersection of Southern rock grit, blues undertones, and gospel-swept harmonies. Choosing it for the CMAs felt deliberate, almost like they were planting a flag for the sound they believe country needs right now.
Once they hit the stage, the performance took on a life of its own. The Red Clay Strays have always played like a touring band forged in countless bars and backroads venues, and that unpolished, lived-in intensity shaped every second of their CMA moment. The guitars opened the space wide, the rhythm section held its ground with stubborn precision, and the vocal blend floated between raw force and soulful unity. This wasn’t a band trying to look perfect on national TV — this was a band doing what they’ve always done, but with millions watching.
Brandon Coleman’s lead vocal became the emotional core of the performance. He didn’t sing like someone trying to impress a panel of critics. He sang like someone who meant every word. There’s a weathered texture in his voice that makes the song feel less like commentary and more like lived experience. Every time the camera caught the other members watching him, it underlined how much trust exists between them — this isn’t a frontman dragging a band behind him; it’s a group moving in the same direction with the same heartbeat.
The looseness and natural flow of the performance made it stand out. Where many CMA sets feel choreographed down to the inch, The Red Clay Strays approached the stage like they were playing a small room where the crowd’s sweat was still in the air. There were glances exchanged, phrases stretched, notes held longer than planned. That sort of unpredictability is rare on a broadcast stage, and it’s exactly why the moment felt alive rather than manufactured.
The crowd reaction showed how universally the message of “People Hatin’” landed. Older fans connected instantly with the song’s rough-edged, roots-driven sound, reminiscent of country-rock’s golden eras. Younger viewers gravitated toward its honesty, its urgency, and its refusal to hide behind theatrics. It was the kind of cross-generational lightning you can’t plan — the kind that happens when a band hits the right song at the right time in the right room.
Their Alabama roots played a huge role in why the entire performance felt so grounded. The Red Clay Strays formed in Mobile in 2016, and their sound has always carried the humid mix of Gulf-Coast blues, Southern soul, and outlaw country. They’re not a studio-engineered Nashville act — they’re a local band that grew outward on grit, community support, and word-of-mouth. Seeing them on a major stage with their original identity intact added an extra charge to the night.
Their ascent has been anything but instant. Though “Wondering Why” became a viral hit in 2023, the band had already spent years carving out their space the slow way — touring relentlessly, building a fanbase city by city, and letting their live shows do the talking. The CMAs felt like the moment the rest of the world finally caught up to what their long-time fans already knew: this band is built for the long run, not for a quick viral moment.
The timing of the performance couldn’t have been more dramatic, because earlier that night they stunned the room by winning Vocal Group of the Year. As they walked onto the stage to perform afterward, you could still feel the adrenaline of victory radiating off them. That kind of fresh triumph creates a rare authenticity — the confidence is genuine, the reactions unfiltered, and the emotion impossible to fake.
The win and performance together also sent a clear message about where the genre is headed. The CMAs often act as a mirror for country music’s future, and spotlighting The Red Clay Strays this boldly felt like the industry acknowledging a hunger for something more organic, more human, and less manufactured. Their sound isn’t anti-modern — it simply reconnects the genre to its roots without abandoning freshness. That balance made them one of the night’s defining forces.
Backstage, they carried themselves with the same mixture of humility and conviction that fans love. When discussing “People Hatin’,” they framed it not as a political song, but as a human one — a call for empathy in a world drowning in negativity. That sincerity was the backbone of their entire CMA appearance and the reason the performance resonated beyond the arena.
One thing that stood out in post-performance interviews was their insistence that they don’t box themselves into strict genre labels. They don’t see themselves as purely country, or rock, or blues — they see themselves as storytellers who grew up on a blend of everything. That genre fluidity explains why their CMA set felt fresh, even rebellious, in a lineup traditionally dominated by specific trends.
Their momentum is only growing. Shortly after the awards, news surfaced about their upcoming festival appearances, major tour dates stretching into 2026, and even a live recording scheduled for Madison Square Garden. These moves weren’t the result of CMA hype — the plans were already in motion — but the awards show amplified everything, turning their slow burn into a wildfire.
Looking back, the “People Hatin’” performance will likely be remembered as the moment where the band’s cult following transformed into national recognition. Plenty of artists deliver great studio tracks, but far fewer can make a TV stage feel like a living, breathing room filled with heat and humanity. The Red Clay Strays managed exactly that, and it marked a turning point for both the band and a wider appetite for real, unvarnished music in country’s mainstream.
In the end, the CMA moment didn’t introduce The Red Clay Strays — it revealed them. It showed the country and the broader world a band that believes in their message, trusts their sound, and plays with a conviction that can’t be faked. “People Hatin’” wasn’t just a performance. It was a declaration of identity, a signal flare for where country music might be headed, and a breakthrough that felt both earned and inevitable.
