Mitchell Tenpenny said he likes to have fun and take things easy.

On Thursday, Bureau County will have a chance to see the country pop star up close. Tenpenny will take the stage at the Bureau County Fair with special guest Lauren Alaina, continuing the tradition of country stars headlining the annual event in Princeton.

Tenpenny is a multifaceted entertainer, singer, songwriter, producer and artist. Since the release of his debut, “Drunk Me,” which went three times platinum and debuted at #1, he has set new standards for breakthrough country music, earning him recognition for surpassing the one billion streams mark, bringing his total to over 1.5 billion streams worldwide. Tenpenny’s latest album, “This Is The Heavy,” features the platinum-selling hit “Truth About You,” a song that made chart history by taking just three weeks since its last chart-topper, marking the shortest time between two #1 songs since 1982. “Truth About You” followed Tenpenny’s co-written #1 hit “At the End of a Bar,” which was nominated for an ACM Award.

“We love to have a great time,” Tenpenny told WALLS 102 FM radio host Dani Holland of Shaw Local Radio Network. “We’re going to bring a lot of energy. We thrive on the crowd. There’s something really special about playing at county fairs because they’re more intimate.”

Tenpenny’s music quickly conquered the country scene. He played his radio single “We Got History” on “The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon.”

“I’m just trying to do it every day out here, just give it my all, see what happens and have the time of my life,” Tenpenny told WALLS 102. “It’s been great to see some of the songs catch on and to perform them all over the country and have people sing them. I’m having fun out here and seeing what happens.”

One of Tenpenny’s most popular singles is a song called “Not Today,” which has a music video. He said he wrote a version in college that was more of a ballad, but he likes how the song resonates today in a faster, more modern version.

“I’ve always liked the idea of ​​overcoming something and getting through it, but maybe not today,” Tenpenny said. “I think it’s important to bear things and take the time to really heal.”

Tenpenny spoke about his father dying from cancer and said his mother also suffered from cancer, which prompted him to start a charity. The 10Penny Fund invests in programs that motivate patients, promote healing and build a supportive community. Tenpenny said he wanted to contribute to the well-being and mental health of a person battling cancer, an aspect he feels is overlooked. To donate, visit 10pennyfund.org.

Alaina will be on stage with Tenpenny on Thursday.

Grand Ole Opry member and Big Loud Records star Alaina has released “Unlocked.” Alaina has scored three chart-topping hits: the RIAA platinum-certified “Road Less Traveled,” the seven-time platinum “What Ifs” with childhood friend Kane Brown, and the two-time platinum “ONE BEER” with labelmates HARDY + Devin Dawson. The Georgia-born singer has shared the stage with Alan Jackson, Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Martina McBride, and Jason Aldean. She has headlined two tours, the sold-out That Girl Was Me Tour and the groundbreaking On Top of the World Tour presented by Maurices.

The gold medal-winning singer has performed on some of the world’s most prestigious stages, including PBS’s “A Capitol Fourth,” “Dancing with the Stars,” “American Idol,” CBS’s “Beyond the Edge,” “Today,” “Good Morning America,” “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” “The Tonight Show,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, ABC’s CMA Fest specials, the CMA and ACM Awards, Nickelodeon’s “All That,” the Dallas Cowboys’ Thanksgiving Day halftime performance, the MLB World Series performance of the National Anthem, and a performance at the White House for President Barack Obama, to name a few.

The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, August 22 at the Bureau County Fair. All tickets are sold online at bureaucountyfair.com.

For information about the artists, visit mitchell10penny.com and laurenalainaofficial.com.

Complete ticket information, including prices, can be found at bureaucountyfair.com. The 169th Bureau County Fair will be held August 21-25 in Princeton.

WALLS 102 will be at the fair

Shaw Local Radio Network will be broadcasting at the fair on Wednesday, August 21 and Thursday, August 22 from 4-6 p.m., just before Tenpenny and Alaina take the stage. Visit their tent and listen in for more details on the fair.