Eric Church is cautiously optimistic about 2021. The 43-year-old believes that the coronavirus pandemic will come to an end next year, although maybe not as early as some would like.

“I think, for me, the thing I’m looking forward to most next year is getting around the corner from this virus and getting some kind of normalcy,” Eric shared with UMG. “I’m confident that next year is when we’ll finally put this in the rearview at some point in time. We’re all looking for a vaccine early in the year and the more we can take the cases down between January and May, I think the higher likelihood that we’ll be on a stage somewhere in the fall, late summer/fall, and then certainly into the fourth quarter. So, I’m looking forward to that.”

The North Carolina native is also eager to hit the stage again in 2021, even if he has to be patient for a few more months.

“I know there may be some early stuff where we can’t be at capacity,” Eric acknowledged. “I get that, but I’m looking forward to being back at capacity and being, seeing people grouped up and arms around each other’s shoulders. I miss that. I miss playing. I miss the camaraderie. I miss going town to town and doing that. It’s just what I was born to do, and I miss seeing the fans.

“Next year, we’re all hopeful. I’m hopeful and quite confident, actually, that next year will be the year that we get to start doing that and then hopefully more and more as we go,” he added. “That’s what I’m looking forward to.”

The reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year expressed his optimism during his acceptance speech for the coveted trophy.

“It’s gonna be music that brings us out of this,” he said at the time. “It’s not going to be politics. It’s not going to be sports. It’s gonna be music. It’s gonna be people that can gather their people, whether it’s vaccines, or masks, or however we do this thing, that is how we are going to leave COVID in the dustbin of history … We’re going to be the ones that carry this to where COVID doesn’t exist.”