In 2020, Atkins made history with the first country hit in the UK and Europe to feature overtly gay lyrics. ‘Freedom’ was playlisted by hundreds of major country radio and pop stations. His debut album - Truth Be Told - shot to #1 on the country download charts in both the UK and New Zealand and built on the success of the album's preceding singles, which racked up four #1 chartings, thirteen Top-5s, and a further seven Top-10s across the UK, Canada and New Zealand.