"What Happens in a Small Town" is a song recorded by American country rock artist Brantley Gilbert and Canadian country music artist Lindsay Ell. It is the first single from Gilbert's 2019 album Fire & Brimstone.
Gilbert said that he wrote a song and presented it to Scott Borchetta, the president of his label, but was uncertain of its potential as a hit single. As a result, he contacted Rhett Akins and co-writers Brock Berryhill and Josh Dunne, saying that they wanted an "uptempo feel-good radio song". As they wanted the song to be a duet with a female artist, Gilbert asked Borchetta for recommendations, and he suggested Lindsay Ell.