Russell Dickerson on his current success: ‘It’s like the mania is happening’

“Russellmania” isn’t just the name of Russell Dickerson‘s tour. It’s a real thing that’s happening to him, much to his surprise.

It’s all thanks to “Happen to Me,” his biggest song yet. Speaking to People, Russell says when he and his co-writers penned the tune, “We were just like, yeah, it’s a cool song, and it’ll be great live.” But he says he realized “something was going on” when he began teasing the track earlier this year. It’s since become his sixth #1 hit and has also crossed over to the pop charts.

“It’s like the mania is happening, and it’s so fun,” he tells People. “I finally have a massive single on the radio that lines up with the Russell Dickerson that you see onstage.”

And to Russell, onstage is where things really count.

“When I close my eyes and dream of success, it’s the live concert setting,” he says. “It’s not on a stage receiving an award or a Grammy. It’s singing these songs and the crowd is louder than I am. If I get to play to seven-, eight-, 10-, 12,000 people a night, I will be happier than I could have ever dreamed.”

Russell predicts that 2026 is his “bucket list” year, during which he plans to do an even bigger tour, in larger-capacity venues than he has previously. He also hints that he and wife Kailey Dickerson are thinking of a new addition to their family, who’d join sons Remington Dickerson, 5, and Radford Dickerson, 2.

“No news yet,” he says. “Maybe sometime next year.”