Luke Bryan was one of the leaders in country music’s masculine era of music, known now — with a mixture of appreciation and disdain, depending on the audience — as the bro-country era. Bryan, along with artists like Florida Georgia Line, Jason Aldean and more, made a lot of money singing about male-centered topics, with songs like “Country Girl (Shake It For Me),” “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day” and more.

Although country music is slowly shifting towards more inclusive, less male-dominated music, Bryan admits he has a nostalgia for that season in country music, one he unapologetically embraced, even if he disliked its moniker.

“I don’t care for defining that era as ‘bro-country,'” Bryan tells The Tennessean. “I feel like a group of artists focused on hitting the mark on a lot of fun stuff that we loved, that the fans also enjoyed, that became very popular.”

While that season in country music largely excluded women on the airwaves, the 46-year-old acknowledges that being part of that movement was extremely lucrative for him and beneficial to his career.

“Nothing is better than creating a song that you know people will respond to and get fired up by,” the “Country On” singer concedes. “Even if it’s about a world people don’t know anything about, if the story feels authentic – me singing ‘Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Everyday’ or talking about sitting on a truck tailgate drinking a beer doesn’t precisely describe the life of someone in Boston at Gillette Stadium, but they believe [that track] – then people will gravitate to you.”

Although too early to fit in the movement, Bryan says it is Garth Brooks who became the unlikely inspiration for the reign of male artists in country music.

“For not just me, but all of us, Garth taught country music stars how to approach our careers with a rock star mentality,” Bryan shares. “Being ‘rock ‘n’ roll’ level enormous by selling out football stadiums on multiple nights – and reaching meteoric heights because of it – programmed us to dream of achieving that level of success.”

Still, Bryan admits that the bro-country movement, while he may not agree with the accuracy of the term, did not leave room for much more than white male singers, which is why he is grateful that the tide is, finally, turning.

“It’s no secret that [diverse populations] haven’t been represented well in country music,” Bryan says. “But now that we’re making a collaborative effort as a genre to give everyone an equal chance to shine, great artists still have to sing great songs, and that’s happening. As long as it continues to happen – and we grow more comfortable with what representing all facets of many ways of life look like – country music has a bright future.”

As the shift in country music continues, perhaps without Bryan at the helm, he is proud of the newer class of rising country artists, male and female, who are becoming the reigning hitmakers.

“People will want to be your fan as long as you are uniquely yourself,” Bryan says. “And there are so many people – Kelsea Ballerini, Walker Hayes, Ashley McBryde, Carly Pearce, Chris Stapleton – all being themselves and potentially having the same success that [Aldean, Florida Georgia Line and I] had.”

Bryan will co-host the 2022 CMA Awards this week with Peyton Manning. The 2022 CMA Awards will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, November 9, at 8:00 PM ET on ABC.