After more than a decade of bro country clogging up the airwaves, a new trend has emerged out of Nashville. New as in old, that is. Yes, ’90s country is back. For proof, one need look no further than 37-year-old Texas native Cody Johnson, who filled St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center Friday night with about 15,000 giddy fans, many of whom weren’t actually alive in the ’90s. In recent years, acts like Luke Combs and Cole Swindell have made increasingly frequent nods to the era of Garth and Shania, but Johnson has fully embraced it. That means forgoing hip-hop influences and love songs about trucks in favor of classic country sounds (fiddle, banjo, steel guitar) married to massive pop music hooks. Much like George Strait, an obvious influence, Johnson takes an almost workman like approach to his unfussy, catchy songs. Johnson even has his own Wranglers line, just like Strait, and invited ’90s survivor Sammy Kershaw to open for him. It fits that Johnson built his following the old fashioned way, self-releasing albums and touring constantly, to the point the buzz he had generated in his home state couldn’t help but spill over nationwide. In 2016, his sixth album “Gotta Be Me” entered the country charts at No. 2, an amazing feat for an independent act. That led to a deal with Warner Music and a string of radio hits, all of which he played Friday night. With a strong, husky voice, Johnson played like a guy who learned how to grab the attention of a crowd by winning them over one by one. He brought a certain intensity to everything on the set list, from the would-be line dance anthem “Dance Her Home” to a reverent cover of the (Dixie) Chicks’ “Travelin’ Soldier.” At the end of “Dear Rodeo,” a song that references his years spent as a professional bull rider as a teen, Johnson took off his cowboy hat and basked in the applause with a sincerity that suggested he can’t quite believe he made it. He followed it up with the slow burning “Nothin’ on You,” which inspired a mass singalong from the crowd. (The fans were clearly ready for it, as they chimed in on the choruses of a number of songs that played before Johnson took the stage, including Zac Brown Band’s “Chicken Fried,” John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” and Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer.”) In his lengthy introduction to 2018 breakthrough hit “On My Way to You,” Johnson talked about his faith, his years of hard work and sacrifice in such an earnest manner, he’s got a future leading a church if the music thing goes south. Related Articles Music and Concerts | Review: Julie Albers’ enthralling cello solo heightens SPCO concert filled with grand sounds Music and Concerts | Review: The songs, not the story, are the draw for the Temptations musical ‘Ain’t Too Proud’ Music and Concerts | Due to undisclosed ailment, Donald Glover cancels Childish Gambino tour, which included a stop at Xcel Energy Center Music and Concerts | Concert review: Jeff Lynne lights up the X one last time with the Electric Light Orchestra Music and Concerts | Mary J. Blige to play her first Twin Cities show in 15 years at Xcel Energy Center in March