Tayler Holder went from being “this TikTok kid” to a country music star — and he’s still trying to figure out the major transition. “One thing that I have figured out myself is that having millions of followers doesn't necessarily convert into streams. Just like anyone probably knows, if they do know me, I blew up from everything besides music — let alone country music,” Holder, 26, told Us Weekly exclusively at CMA Fest. “We have been accepted by a lot of people and it's been really, really great. We've had a hell of a year, but also at the same time, there's been a lot of people that have been struggling to digest it.” Holder started off on social media (he boasts over 19 million followers on TikTok) before making his “actual” debut on the country music scene in 2023. “This isn't how I blew up at all,” he told Us, admitting that some people have referred to him as “just [a] fake country boy” who releases music. This year, however, there’s been a major turning point in his music career. Stars Gone Country! “I think that people just see that we're actually here to stay,” Holder told Us, especially after he opened up for Dylan Scott on the This Town’s Been Too Good to Us Tour late last year. Tayler Holder Rick Kern/Getty Images for CMT Holder gushed that he “learned everything” from being on the road with Scott, 33, whom he was friends with before they toured together. “I owe everything to him right now, man.” Thanks to Scott’s tour, Holder went from playing small venues to “slam packed” stages in front of 5,000 people. “He brought me out on stage every night to sing a song with him, I was in his tour bus every single day,” Holder recalled. “It felt like it was just as much my tour as it was his, and that was the coolest experience I could have asked for.” Country Music’s Biggest Couples When it came to taking the stage at CMA Fest in Nashville this past weekend, Holder was excited to perform his latest song, “Nothing’ But Neon,” which was semi-inspired by Morgan Wallen’s music. “It was kind of different,” he said, calling the tune “trap country.” At first, Holder didn’t know what his fans were going to think. “They have been absolutely loving it,” he added. Following his CMA Fest set, Holder is gearing up to continue his fair and festival circuit. “We got a lot coming over the next [few] months. Tons of new music coming too. I got the chance to do my rounds at the beginning of this year to meet with some of the top writers that are out here in this town,” he shared. “We've gotten in the studio and write some really amazing music that I'm excited to hear.” Reporting by Jeremy Parsons