"What Happens in a Small Town" is a song recorded by American country rock artist Brantley Gilbert and Canadian country music artist Lindsay Ell.

It was released on January 14, 2019, as the lead single from Gilbert's fifth studio album, Fire & Brimstone.

Gilbert said that he wrote a song and presented it to Scott Borchetta, the president of his label, but was uncertain of its potential as a hit single.

As a result, he contacted Rhett Akins and co-writers Brock Berryhill and Josh Dunne, saying that they wanted an "uptempo feel-good radio song".

As they wanted the song to be a duet with a female artist, Gilbert asked Borchetta for recommendations, and he suggested Lindsay Ell.