ays after Slater Nalley graduated from high school — in a ceremony he had to attend via FaceTime because he was performing on the “American Idol” season 23 finale — the top 5 contestant has officially kicked off his music career.
On May 23, 2025, Music Row reported that the 18-year-old from Atlanta has signed a management deal with Play It Again Music (PIA). The Nashville agency is named after Luke Bryan’s 2013 hit “Play It Again,” a hit co-written by PIA founder Dallas Davidson, who’s been friends with the “American Idol” judge since they were teens.
Slater Nalley Says He Can’t Wait to See What He Creates With New Deal
Nalley’s impressive journey on “American Idol” started with his powerful audition. Accompanied by his English teacher from The Lovett School, Michelle Davis, Nalley performed a song he wrote called “Traces of You. The heartfelt tune was written in honor of Davis’ late son, Carter, who was murdered in a random attack in 2016 when he was just 17, per WXIA-TV.
Video of Nalley’s audition quickly went viral after it aired in early March, attracting 5.9 million TikTok views. With every round of competition, the teen’s charm and southern rock sound sent him sailing through to the top 5. But the judges and viewers weren’t the only ones noticing Nalley’s talent.
“Slater Nalley is special,” Davidson told Music Row. “This young man checks all my boxes when I’m looking at an artist.”
The multi-platinum songwriter co-wrote nearly a third of Bryan’s 31 number-one country singles, including “Country Girl Shake It For Me” and “Hunting Fishing Lovin’ Every Day,” and has been close friends with the country superstar since they were teens growing up in Georgia, he told Music Row in 2024.
After writing dozens of huge country hits, Davidson launched PIA in 2021, per Music Row. In addition to developing “hit-worthy songs,” PIA’s website says it values “raw talent, a robust work ethic, and being a good person,” while highlighting “the individuality of every creator, building the business around the artist instead of building the artist around the business.”
Davidson told Music Row of Nalley, “Not only does his raw talent immediately draw you in, but he is a kind person. At an extremely young age, Slater carries himself like a seasoned music veteran both on and off the stage. His parents, Slater Sr. and Katie have done an incredible job with him.”
“I can’t wait to start making music with Slater,” Davidson continued. “He is going to have an immediate impact in music, not just in the country genre but globally. PIA is extremely proud to announce that we will be representing Slater on his exciting musical journey ahead.”
Slater Nalley Says He’s Pumped to ‘Create Music That Speaks to My Fans’
Meanwhile, Nalley said in a statement to Music Row, “The past few months of ‘American Idol’ have been nothing short of a blessing, and I feel more inspired than ever to create music that speaks to my fans.”
Noting that he’s “thrilled” to be working with the team at Play It Again Music, Nalley continued, “Their belief in me from the start brought me a new confidence, and I cannot wait to see what we will accomplish together in the near future. Stay tuned, y’all.”
The partnership doesn’t just make sense musically, but geographically. Although Davidson and Bryan have lived in Nashville for over 20 years, they still have strong roots in Georgia, where Nalley and his family live. For years, Davidson led the Georgia Music Foundation and remains on its board, supporting local music programs and expanding music education in the state.
Bryan still has family in Leesburg, including his dad, whose peanut farm was featured on season 22 of “American Idol.” Bryan was a cheerleader for Nalley throughout season 23.
Nalley recorded “Traces of You” as his first-ever single, released on the eve of the “American Idol” finale through the show’s record label partner, 19 Recordings. It’s not clear yet if he’ll release additional music through the label.
