Thomas Rhett is soaking up being a father of five. Rhett and his wife, Lauren Akins, welcomed their fifth child, and first son, Brave Elijah, into the world in February. The singer was thrilled to be the father of his four daughters, which is why he was so surprised that Akins gave birth to a boy.
“It’s surreal,” Rhett says on Country Countdown USA. “I thought after our fourth girl, it wasn’t in the cards for me to have a boy. When we were in the hospital, I thought it was gonna be another girl. Having that surprise was one of the coolest moments in my life. He’s a big baby. He was ten pounds; my wife is a super-hero. He’s got a bunch of built-in big sister babysitters. It’s been a blast.”
As for whether or not they will have another one, Rhett says it is highly unlikely.
“That’s always been Lauren’s magic number of kids,” says the singer. “I don’t think we’re gonna have any more kids. But it was the coolest thing in the world not to know if it was a boy or girl. I have never been more surprised. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but so worth it.”
How Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins Decided On His Name
Rhett’s son has a unique name, but it wasn’t an easy decision for Rhett or Akins. Surprisingly, the first name came from a pretty unlikely place.
“We procrastinated on the name,” Rhett reveals. “We were drinking wine, and the name of the wine was Mount Brave. So I asked Lauren about the name Brave for a boy. We loved what that word meant for a boy or girl. But we couldn’t come up with a middle name. We were in the hospital, they gave us the birth certificate, and we still didn’t have a middle name. I was reading Elijah’s story in the Bible, and he led an incredible life. So we settled on Brave Elijah.”
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Thomas Rhett Talks New Music
Rhett isn’t taking too much time off after the arrival of his fifth child. The 36-year-old, who just announced he is teaming up with Marshmello for “Where We Go,” out on Friday, says he is putting the finishing touches on a brand-new album. The record is the follow-up to his 2024 About A Woman project.
“We’re going in the studio next week to start working on our next record, and hopefully have a song or two come out between April and May,” Rhett shares. “Hopefully, a record by the end of this year. I’ve been writing for a year and a half for this project. I feel the word on this next project is timeless. I’m thinking on making a short record, only ten songs, and let’s go with that.”
Photo Credit: CMA / Katie Kauss