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Allison Clark
| Staff Writer
On Feb. 28, FSU’s Club Downunder welcomed rising country music singer-songwriter Tiera Kennedy to perform covers and songs from her debut album, “Rooted.”
Kennedy gained recognition after being mentored by Shania Twain in 2018 on the reality TV show “Real Country.” Kennedy was featured on Beyoncé’s country album “COWBOY CARTER,” which won Album of the Year at the 2025 Grammys. The artist sang on “BLACKBIIRD” and did background vocals on “TYRANT” for “COWBOY CARTER.”
“Rooted,” released in October 2024, marked a significant milestone in Kennedy’s career. Her features on “COWBOY CARTER” solidified her as one of country music’s rising stars.
“I really appreciate the vocals and the element of what she added to [‘BLACKBIIRD’],” FSU student Anthony Romero said. “It really made the song feel whole and added to a more beautiful experience.”
Kennedy’s music blends traditional country elements with smooth, melodic influences of R&B. She credits artists like Dolly Parton, Beyoncé and LeAnn Rimes as inspirations for her music. Her ability to switch genres was highlighted throughout the night as she went from covering classic country hits to R&B.
Club Downunder’s concert talent buyer, Olivia Chandler, was one of the event programmers who reached out to Kennedy’s team to perform at FSU.
“The team was really sweet and it was really cool for us to be able to work with a country artist,” Chandler said. “Our venue is newer, so we haven’t really had the chance to work with someone in the genre before.”
With a smaller crowd, Kennedy’s performances were more personal. She engaged with the audience throughout the concert, sharing the stories and inspirations behind a few of her songs.
Early in the concert, she sang “Irreplaceable” by Beyoncé. Before performing the song, she took a moment to reflect on how surreal it was to work with someone she had admired for years.
“I was playing Beyoncé before I ever got to work with her,” Kennedy said to the crowd. “The whole thing still feels so unreal.”
Kennedy also sang covers of “No Scrubs” by TLC and “Say My Name” by Destiny’s Child.
Kennedy’s original songs carried just as much emotional weight. She performed “Can’t Help My Country,” which she told the crowd she wrote in response to people questioning why she sang country music.
Kennedy also sang “Found It In You,” which she wrote about her significant other. She said that she hopes everyone in the audience thinks about a special person in their lives while she sings the song. “Found It In You” was one of her first releases and garnered around 20 million streams while she was still an independent artist.
As the night went on, Kennedy began leaning into the R&B music that influenced her sound.
“I always describe my music as R&B country,” Kennedy said. “I’ve shown you the country; let’s show you all the R&B parts.”
After the show, Kennedy signed posters and took pictures with audience members.
“You all brought the energy and I appreciate you singing along and dancing,” Kennedy said. “I was playing a lot of my originals, so I appreciate you dancing along.”
Kennedy noted the importance of a support system and practice in her career and said that she hoped her music inspired other people to get out there and follow their passions.
“I put my album ‘Rooted’ out last year and for me, it was an album of confidence for myself,” Kennedy said. “Whenever I play this live, I hope that people just find inspiration to really do whatever they want to do.”
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