Country superstar Garth Brooks recently delivered a blunt, emotional message to fans with the release of “Anthology, Part VI: The Comeback, The Next Five Years,” he feels as though this chapter of his storied career may have come to a close.
“So when I say this wraps it up … it does kind of wrap it up,” Brooks said during a livestream on Dec. 1.
The six-disc collection, which drops December 5, serves as a sprawling retrospective of his comeback era: from dive-bar gigs and massive stadium tours, to his Vegas residency and a triumphant return to Ireland.
It features 60 songs, dozens of previously unpublished photos, behind-the-scenes stories, and live recordings spanning a decade of ups, downs, and reinvention.
Brooks Has Retired Once Before
Brooks framed this announcement by revisiting the first major pause in his career: his 2000 retirement, when he stepped away from superstardom to raise his children in Oklahoma.
At the time, he vowed never to use the term retire.
“I retired once,” Brooks said. “And God and the people were sweet enough to let me come back. I decided then I would never use the ‘retire’ word again.”
The “Friends in Low Places” singer previously addressed his retirement in “The Anthology Part IV: Going Home” back in December 2024, according to Whiskey Riff.
“It was one of those things. More than anything else at that moment, I wanted to be a good dad, just one-tenth what my own dad was,” he said on his retirement.
He added how he learned how difficult fatherhood could be after he stepped away from music.
“My job before that was pretty easy. ‘Honey, I’d love to help with the kids, but I got to go out on a tour where people are going to be screaming my name, and everyone’s going to be trying to make me happy,'” he said.
Not Necessarily Goodbye, But a New Chapter
Despite the dramatic proclamation, Brooks emphasized he wasn’t swearing off music altogether.
Instead, he described this as the culmination of one journey — capturing everything from intimate dive-bar shows to sold-out arenas — and suggested any future work would look different.
“Time is going to do what time is going to do,” he said. “I’m just lucky to have the chapters in my life.”
Such framing leaves the door open to whatever the future might bring: occasional performances, selective new work, or simply a quieter life outside the spotlight.
For now, though, Brooks seems content to step back from the constant pressure of touring and album cycles. He is currently slated to perform on June 15 and June 16 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Brooks is also set to play in London at Hyde Park on June 27.
