Thomas Rhett has teamed up with Niall Horan for a brand-new rendition of his song “Old Tricks.”
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“With the energy he brought and his connection to Blake, it really felt like things came full circle — and it ended up being such a fun collaboration,” Rhett shared.
Thomas Rhett Surprises Fans with Niall Horan Collaboration on “Old Tricks”
Thomas Rhett just unveiled a new collaboration that caught many fans off guard. Stepping outside his usual country boundaries, Rhett joined forces with pop star Niall Horan to release a reimagined version of “Old Tricks.”
The track originally appeared on Rhett’s About A Woman (Deluxe) project with Blake Shelton. But after realizing Horan’s genuine love for country music, Rhett decided to bring him into the studio for a fresh take. Horan first hinted at the partnership on October 1, when he posted a TikTok of himself casually strumming his guitar and singing along to the tune. He captioned it, “Love this song by my pal Thomas Rhett and my Voice dad, Blake Shelton.”
In another lighthearted post, Horan shared a clip of himself dressed like a cowboy with the caption, “Heard Thomas Rhett hosted a Blake Shelton lookalike contest. Is it too late to audition?”
The collaboration was officially confirmed through a humorous text exchange between Rhett, Shelton, and Horan. In the clip, Rhett tells Shelton that since he wasn’t available to film content for the project, they’d found “a really good stand-in.” Horan then chimes in, telling Shelton, “Blake! Did you hear TR and I have a song coming out together?” Shelton playfully responded with a nod to their time on The Voice, saying, “Let me get this straight, first you steal my last chance at a win on The Voice and now you’re stealing my song? Unbelievable.”
According to Rhett, the collaboration with Horan had been a long time coming. “We’ve been friends for six or seven years now,” he explained. “Anytime I’m in the UK or he’s in Nashville, we always try to hang out. We’d talked about working together for ages, but I never thought it would be on this song.”
Rhett recalled that while attending the Masters tournament earlier this year, he spent time with Horan and Noah Kahan. “Out of nowhere, Niall goes, ‘I’m so mad you didn’t ask me to sing on Old Tricks.’ I told him, ‘Man, I didn’t think you’d even like that song!’ But he kept texting me about it and knew every word,” Rhett said with a laugh. “With how excited he was—and his connection to Blake—it just felt right. It turned into something really fun, and I’m so glad it’s finally out. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as we did making it.”
Horan shared that he was immediately drawn to the song the first time he heard it. “I’ve known Thomas Rhett for years, and whenever we’re in the same place, it’s like no time has passed,” he said. “I actually heard Old Tricks by accident when I was in the studio with Julian Bunetta, who was producing it. It came on, and I was instantly hooked. I told Thomas I was gutted he didn’t ask me to sing on it. Next thing I know, I’m in the studio recording my vocals. It felt so natural—like it was meant to be.”
Rhett and Shelton’s friendship goes back years, which made Shelton the perfect collaborator for the song’s original version. Written by Rhett alongside Andrew Haas, Ian Franzino, Jim Beavers, John Ryan, and Julian Bunetta, “Old Tricks” blends a laid-back, two-stepping rhythm with lyrics reflecting on aging and nostalgia.
In the updated version, Horan’s smooth pop-infused vocals pair seamlessly with Rhett’s signature country tone. Together, they tell a story about realizing that the glory days might be behind them—the hangovers sting a little more, recovery takes a little longer, and the old moves that once charmed don’t seem to have the same effect anymore.
While the overall story behind “Old Tricks” remains intact, a few of the lyrics were adjusted to better reflect Niall Horan’s own lifestyle. For instance, the line “Like sayin’, ‘Huntin’ with the boys is a business trip’” was tweaked to “Like sayin’, ‘Golfin’ with the boys is a business trip,’” offering a nod to Horan’s love of golf.
The About A Woman (Deluxe) release expands Thomas Rhett’s original album by adding nine new tracks, bringing the full collection to 25 songs.