It’s been twenty years since Trace Adkins’ cheeky hit “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” first stormed the country charts — but when the 63-year-old legend walked onto the CMA Fest 2025 stage, it felt like 2005 all over again.
A LEGEND RETURNS TO THE HONKY TONK
Wearing his trademark black hat, that deep baritone voice instantly rolled across Nissan Stadium like thunder. The crowd — a mix of longtime fans and younger festivalgoers — erupted the moment the first beats dropped.
Trace grinned, raised his mic, and growled that unforgettable opening line: “Turn it up some…”
For a few minutes, the massive stadium transformed into a smoky Nashville bar, filled with laughter, boots, and neon lights. The giant screens flashed clips of his early 2000s performances — the moment when country music began flirting with pop rhythm and hip-hop swagger.
WHEN COUNTRY MET GROOVE
Back in 2005, “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” shocked Nashville. Co-written by Dallas Davidson, Jamey Johnson, and Randy Houser, it was inspired by a night out at Wildhorse Saloon when the trio noticed every cowboy in the room frozen by a dancing girl.
The word “badonkadonk,” a playful slang for a curvy figure, wasn’t typical country vocabulary — yet the song’s humor, heavy bass, and irresistible groove made it impossible to ignore. It hit the Billboard Hot Country Songs Top 5, crossed into pop charts, and even made its way into clubs across America.
For many, it marked a shift — the moment country music learned to laugh, flirt, and dance again.
A SONG THAT NEVER AGES
At CMA Fest 2025, Adkins didn’t just perform a song — he revived a movement. His voice, still gravel-rich and commanding, cut through the night with ease. Behind him, a new generation of musicians — including younger artists influenced by him — joined in.
It was more than nostalgia. It was proof that country swagger never fades — it simply grows wiser, stronger, and louder.
As fireworks burst over the stadium and thousands shouted the chorus, Trace smiled: “It’s been 20 years, y’all — and I still love this song.”
And in that moment, Nashville remembered why it fell in love with him in the first place.