Bryan Adams is excelling as more than a nostalgia act nowadays, with the Canadian rock legend picking up his first Grammy nomination in nearly a quarter-century for his 2022 song "So Happy It Hurts." He's since gone fully independent, self-producing and releasing the albums Classic and Classic Pt. II, which are collections of re-recorded versions of his '80s and '90s hits. It's not incidental that track listings could just as well read "Summer of 69 (Bryan's Version)," "Run to You (Bryan's Version)" and so on.
I feel emboldened and empowered now," Adams told USA Today. "Taylor Swift, I'm quite grateful to her because I rerecorded my masters [for the two albums] after hearing she did it. She was my inspiration. Now, my productivity has been so high. I think a lot comes from the fact that I'm independent and with that comes renewed vigor. It makes you see things quite differently, too. You realize you're worth a little more."
Indeed, Swift inspiration and industry recognition have reinvigorated Adams during a busy stretch of his career.
"I'm the biggest culprit of underplaying my value," he added. "Last year when I got a Grammy nomination, I almost fell off my chair. It was my first in 24 years and I thought, what? It's not like I haven't been doing anything all these years, but I was so thrilled and happy that it happened because it's coming from peers. It's encouraging as a songwriter because people do listen."
Adams has crossed over into country music a few times in recent years. A 2010 CMT Crossroads special with Jason Aldean is best remembered for their cover of Adams' first No. 1 hit, 1985's "Heaven." Adams teamed with fellow Canadian singer-songwriter Tenille Townes earlier this year for "The Thing That Wrecks You."
