Back when he was coming up in the country music world, Kane Brown benefitted from advice and support from established artists including Randy Travis and Florida Georgia Line. Now that he's a bona fide superstar in his own right, Brown is passing that knowledge and support down to the next guy — and right now, that's up-and-comer Bailey Zimmerman.

In a new conversation with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1, Zimmerman explains that Brown is always willing to lend an ear or answer questions about his path to country stardom.

"I was actually just talking to [Brown] about this two nights ago. I said, 'How do you get to where you're confident that your music's going to keep continuing to do what it [does]?" the younger singer explains.

"And he said, 'Man, I live my whole life on 'what if'," Zimmerman continues. "Yeah. I live my whole life on 'what if.'"

It's worth noting that Brown actually has a song called "What Ifs," and its lyrical content is actually—- sort of — making that same point. The song describes a relationship in which one person worries what might happen if things go south, but Brown turns that line of questioning around, singing "What if I was made for you / And you were made for me? / What if this is it? / What if it's meant to be?" The song — a duet with Lauren Alaina — reached the No. 1 spot on country radio, becoming both Brown and Alaina's first-ever chart-topping hit.

The moral of the story is that an artist can never know whether or not their song is going to be a success — but keeping an open mind can yield life-changing results. Armed with support from Brown and confidence in his songs, Zimmerman is headed into 2023 with big dreams and big goals. The singer wants to learn to "be a better person" in the year that lies ahead, he adds.

"I've got these people [on my side] that have been doing it a long time and I'm just really excited to get by them and learn," he adds. "One, just to be a better person and treat people better, just to be better. But songwriting, music, just life in general, man. Just to get better and be better and learn a bunch."

Zimmerman will have the opportunity to keep learning from country music's hottest stars as the year continues. He's headed out on Morgan Wallen's One Night at a Time tour later this spring.

2023 Country Music Festivals Guide

Enjoy an updated list of country music's best festivals, across America, Canada, Great Britain and more. This list of 2023 country fests will be updated to reflect postponements, cancelations or lineup adjustments.