Corey Smith, the Georgia artist best known for his cheers-for-beers college anthems, has evolved into an artist unafraid of the dark.

The early adopter of social media networking had initial success via MySpace. His earliest tunes, such as the rowdy favorite Twenty-One, combined country, Southern rock and gospel soul and often featured sing-along hooks perfect for a glasses-raised chorus.

Mr. Smith said his writing style was born of equal parts instinct and studious observation.

"I have a love-and-hate relationship with popular music, especially popular country music," he said in a recent telephone interview. "But I did study it and thought, at one time, that I would go into writing it. Part of what makes that music effective is the ability to write a hook. It's something I have always been aware of, and for me, it's a way to pull in the audience."

Although his early work documented carefree collegiate party culture, Mr. Smith said that as a husband and father, he was never going to be able to continue writing those tunes. He said people still believe he's some sort of professional party starter, armed with an acoustic guitar and an endless supply of beer-soaked choruses. His most recent work, though, finds him moving toward darker subject matter and a more sentimental state of mind.

"It's a blessing to be able to make music, and I know a lot of that has been because of these drinking songs," he said. "I mean, I know why these songs are popular, but people are making a mistake when they think that's who I am and what I'm about."

Mr. Smith said each album released is like a chapter in a book, an addition to a much larger body of work.

"I do believe it should be viewed in its entirety," he said. "As I mature, my writing changes. That's something I want people to see and understand."

Mr. Smith has become more comfortable on stage and credits his band with teaching him the importance of selling a song.

"It's something I've really learned to focus on over the past three or four years," he said. "I used to think that a great song didn't need to be performed that well. I thought the song could stand alone. Now that I've toured with great musicians, I've realized that performance can give an extra level of excellence to these songs."

Reach Steven Uhles at (706) 823-3626 or steven.uhles@augustachronicle.com.