“Be a Light” sends an uplifting message about showing more compassion and thoughtfulness to others. The proceeds from the song go the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund, as first promoted via Rhett’s social media.
The song earned Tomlin and Scott their career-first Hot 100 hits, and for McEntire, "Light" helped the legend find her way back onto the all-genre tally after 10 years. Although the lyrics seem to point toward the current unsettling times, Rhett discussed why he put out the song a year after he wrote it in a recent Instagram Live.
"I wrote this song last year. This song was really just about being a light in a dark place; being an encouragement to people," he said last month. "We weren’t supposed to release this now, but I really felt like the song needed to come out today. I hope it puts a smile on your face in this crazy, crazy time."
Thomas Rhett Akins Jr. (born March 30, 1990), known professionally as Thomas Rhett, is an American country music singer and songwriter. His father is the singer Rhett Akins. Rhett has released four studio albums for Big Machine Records' Valory Music imprint: It Goes Like This (2013), Tangled Up (2015), Life Changes (2017). and Center Point Road (2019). These albums have produced nineteen singles on the Hot Country and Country Airplay charts, with fourteen reaching the No. 1 position on the latter: "It Goes Like This", "Get Me Some of That", "Make Me Wanna", "Crash and Burn", "Die a Happy Man", "T-Shirt", "Star of the Show", "Craving You", "Unforgettable", "Marry Me", "Life Changes", "Sixteen", “Remember You Young” and "Look What God Gave Her". In addition to much of his own material, Rhett has written singles for Jason Aldean, Lee Brice, Florida Georgia Line, LoCash, and Michael Ray among others.