Tuscaloosa, Alabama’s break-out artist Brenn! has shared his highly anticipated second single “Valapriso.” Inspired by a friend who lived in “Valparaiso,” the track is an upbeat, folk-pop anthem for the ages. 

Brenn! shares, “‘Valapriso’ is a song modeled after a smaller town in Indiana named Valparaiso. Someone I loved was there. I was never able to say or spell the town right, but the song came out okay. Hopefully, that makes up for it.”

The 19-year-old Brennan Keller, known by fans as Brenn! was just a student at the University of Alabama writing and recording music in his bedroom when his debut single, “4runner,” took on a life of its own across social media platforms. In early January, Brenn! posted a self-recorded version on TikTok, the daredevil filming himself on his roof for the accompanying video. It soon exploded, creating its own trend as listeners realized the song’s rush mirrored the feeling of a runner’s high, and fans started posting gleeful videos of themselves running to it. That was only the first time “4runner” became a smash. After months of teasing a new version of the track, Keller released the official version of “4Runner” on April 28, the initial glimpse into a productive Nashville session with accomplished producer Mike Robinson. 

While filming the music video, Brenn! —a lifelong athlete who played most every sport in high school—went bounding through a meadow in a series of backflips he’d done countless times. But on this one occasion, as the cameras were rolling, he landed poorly and both of his ankles snapped on contact, creating an unwanted viral moment and netting him three months of bed rest. 

Photo Courtesy: Chase Denton