Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins Welcome First Son, Brave Elijah

Thomas Rhett has added a new title to his résumé: father of five.

The country star and his wife, Lauren Akins, announced Friday (Feb. 27) that they’ve welcomed their first son, Brave Elijah Akins, who arrived last week weighing “almost 10 pounds and almost 2 weeks early.”

In a joint Instagram post, Akins shared that Rhett was deeply involved in the delivery. “Thomas Rhett was my biggest champion in labor & delivery🤍 He helped deliver him (😭), was the first one to see and tearfully, mixed with a bit of shock announce to us all in the room ‘It’s a BOY’😭🩵🥰,” she wrote.

Brave joins the couple’s four daughters — Willa Gray, Ada James, Lennon Love and Lillie Carolina — expanding the Rhett household to seven. “Your four sisters are smitten and we are completely over the moon in love with you big Brave boy 🩵🌙🩵,” Akins added.

The couple first revealed they were expecting their fifth child in August 2025, when Rhett surprised fans by tweaking the lyrics to his 2017 hit “Life Changes” in a social media video — a full-circle moment for a song that helped define his early mainstream breakthrough.

“Life Changes” topped Billboard’s Country Airplay chart and became one of Rhett’s signature crossover hits, reaching the Billboard Hot 100 and helping solidify his standing as one of country radio’s most consistent hitmakers of the past decade.

Fatherhood has long been woven into Rhett’s songwriting. His 2015 smash “Die a Happy Man” — inspired by his relationship with Akins — spent multiple weeks at No. 1 on Country Airplay and earned Grammy nominations, while later projects have continued to reflect his evolving life at home.

Over the past decade, Rhett has amassed more than 20 career No. 1s across Billboard’s Country Airplay chart and released seven studio albums, including Where We Started.