Luke Bryan has a new single, out now. The Georgia native just dropped “Country Song Came On,” a song written by Ryan Beaver, Dan Alley and Neil Medley, from Bryan’s latest Mind of a Country Boy album, out now.
Bryan instantly liked “Country Song Came On” when he heard it, but especially the line that says, “I was almost one boot out of the door when the band kicked in / Two, three, four / Blame it on ETC for keepin’ that neon burnin’ on me.”
“’Country Song Came On’ is like a honky tonk gem for me,” Bryan says of the uptempo track. “When I heard it, I was like, it brings me back to the days when I was playing a lot of honky tonks early in my career. And the fact that I was able to put ETC, which is a nod to Earl Thomas Conley, one of my favorite artists ever, just makes me smile every time I hear it. And this song will definitely make you want to drink a draft beer.”
The new song comes after Bryan just celebrated his 31st No. 1 single, with “Love You, Miss You, Mean It.”
“When I heard the song, it just kind of made me think about my marriage and my relationship with my wife,” Bryan tells his record label. “We kind of dated in college, took some time off and then we finally got back together. So this song tells the story of young love taking a little break and then circling back around and making it happen.”
Mind of a Country Boy is Bryan’s eighth studio album, and perhaps the project he is most proud of throughout his career.
“I’ve been able to take my time and really compile songs for this album,” Bryan says. “If it’s a song that I cut two or three years ago, and I still love it, and it still sounds fresh, then I feel like it’ll stand the test of time … I think this album, as I’ve tried to do with all my albums, just has a little bit of everything.
“I do some things different vocally on this one that I’ve not done before,” he continues. “It’s about each song having its place and having its meaning. It’s trying not to be overly redundant with songs. I think that’s why I’ve been blessed to have a long career and what I feel like this album’s going to do.”
It’s been 17 years since Bryan’s debut I’ll Stay Me was released in 2007. While some artists might be considering slowing down at this point in their career, the 48-year-old says he is in many ways just getting started.
“I’m still loving it, and as long as I am I’ll keep doing it,” Bryan tells Forbes. “When I look back on my career and how we’ve accomplished even more than I dreamed of, when the day comes down the road, I’ll be able to walk away with only fond memories and proud of how we built the dream.”
Bryan will serve as a host of the 2024 CMA Awards, along with Lainey Wilson and Peyton Manning . Find all of Bryan’s music and upcoming shows at LukeBryan.com