Is Chris Stapleton Contemplating Retirement? ‘I’m Looking for the Fire’

Bad news for fans waiting for a new album from Chris Stapleton: The singer says he's not sure when he'll release music again, but it likely won't be anytime soon.

In fact, it seems like the idea of retiring altogether has crossed his mind lately.

During a new conversation on Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast, Stapleton said he hasn't been feeling that creative fire lately, and he wants to make a "thoughtful decision" about where his career goes from here.

When Will Chris Stapleton Release a New Album?

Short answer? Nobody knows, not even the singer himself.

"I'm probably at a bit of a crossroads and I don't know when I'm gonna make another record or write another song," Stapleton admitted.

"I'm probably not really in the mood," he continues. "And that's okay with me. Probably not okay with managers and record labels and people like that, but that's okay with me."

• Chris Stapleton's last full-length studio project was Higher in 2023.
• That album was his fifth to date.
• He's normally released studio projects every 2-3 years, except for his two From A Room albums, which both came out in 2017.
• Stapleton's most recent single is "A Song to Sing," a duet with Miranda Lambert that came out last summer.

Is Chris Stapleton Retiring?

On Shepard's podcast, Stapleton said 10 little words that no fan wants to hear.

Those were, "I don't know how much longer I'll even go play."

That statement probably comes as a shock to most country listeners. Even though Stapleton's not exactly a fresh-faced 20-something, he's still in his prime hit-making era at 47 years old.

READ MORE: Remember When Chris Stapleton + Justin Timberlake Blew Us Away at the 2015 CMA Awards?

On top of that, Stapleton rose to fame just 11 years ago with the release of his Traveller album and his crowd-stunning, career-making performance with Justin Timberlake at the 2015 CMA Awards.

Retirement, already?! Surely not yet.

Fortunately, it seems like it'll probably be a little while before Stapleton quits his career for good.

"I'm not saying I'm hanging up my spurs," he assured Shepard, before explaining the thought process behind what he wants to do in his career next.

Why Is Chris Stapleton Considering Retirement?

The singer is a dad to five kids, and he says it's important to him that he gives them lots of quality time, especially after more than decade of sacrificing family time for a country career.

"I got babies, I got some that are almost out of the house, you know," Stapleton explains. "And they gave up a lot for me to be sitting here with you and doing things. So I owe them some things. Some time, in particular."

He also says that, frankly, his career has exceeded his wildest dreams. As he moves forward, he needs something new to strive for.

"My dream used to be to play the Ryman Auditorium and sell it out," the singer reflects. "And then very early after the Timberlake moment, we played it three nights in a row and sold it out. And I used to say, 'Well, now I have to get a new dream.'

"So what's the new dream? I do think it's important to find that," he continues. "For me, fuel is the search. So I'm gonna have to search for something and I'm gonna have to hunt. I don't know what that is or where it's gonna come from."

What's Next For Chris Stapleton?

The best news for Stapleton fans that came out of this portion of his interview with Shepard is that he's not giving up on that hunt.

But it will take some time, and he's not going to rush to make music simply for the sake of having new music.

"I wanna make a thoughtful decision about what I do with the rest of the time that I have on the Earth," the singer explains.

"I'm not saying I'm hanging up my spurs, I'm just saying that I'm looking for the fire," Stapleton goes on to say. "I need the fire, and I want the fire to lead. And sometimes that's more elusive now than it used to be."

Chris Stapleton's 2026 All-American Road Show Tour

In the meantime, the singer's headed out on a new iteration of his All-American Road Show, which kicked off earlier in January with two Florida dates.

Read More: See All 2026 Dates for Chris Stapleton's All-American Road Show

Lainey Wilson and Zach Top, two headlining acts in their own right, will join Stapleton's tour.

Also on the bill are Ashley McBryde, Grace Potter, Maggie Rose, Nikki Lane and Mike Campbell and the Dirty Knobs.