Luke Bryan is a husband, a father, a singer, a songwriter, a judge on American Idol, a business owner and more. The 46-year-old is, by his own admission, juggling a lot, with varying degrees of success and failure.
“I’m not really balancing it that well this year,” Bryan admits to Entertainment Tonight, adding that it’s his wife, Caroline, who often gets the brunt of his hectic schedule.
“I’m like, ‘Baby, this is a rough year,” he says. “Let’s just get through it and then we’ll find a boat and go to the Caribbean or something.'”
Bryan plans to “slow down a few things” in the future, but one of those likely won’t be leaving American Idol, where he has served as a judge for the past six seasons.
“My future with Idol [will continue] as long as the show is growing and popping, and we feel like we’re doing beautiful work as a show,” Bryan says (via Taste of Country). While it has yet to be confirmed whether he, Lionel Richie and Katy Perry will return next season, Bryan remains optimistic about their future on Idol.
“We felt like this year was what we had all worked together to get to,” Bryan says. “As long as the vibe feels like we’re moving onward and upward — and we’re getting emotionally moved, we’re telling the stories of kids and the American spirit, and it’s a show that kids [and] parents can cry and laugh together and have fun [watching] — it’s gonna be a tough show for me and Lionel and Katy to walk away from.”
For now, Bryan, who is spending the next few months headlining his Country On Tour, is soaking up as much time as he can with his sons, Bo and Tate, when their collective busy schedules allow.
“They’re playing travel baseball,” Bryan reveals. “You just try to make your time with them at home really, really count.”
Included in Bryan’s hectic few months is working on a new album, after Prayin’ in a Deer Stand was released at the end of 2022.
“We’re going in, hearing songs, writing songs, and when we get what we like, we go in the studio,” Bryan revealed. “I’ve got some songs that I’m really proud of and I’ve got some new vocal things that I’ve done that I think fans have never heard. … Got some other little tricks up my sleeve.”
“I just try to go in the studio, find the best songs I can, write the best songs and sing them and make the best music I can,” he adds. “Thankfully it’s worked for years and [I’m] just always excited to roll new music out.”
Bryan is currently enjoying a Top 25 hit with his latest single, “But I Got A Beer In My Hand.” Find music and tour dates at LukeBryan.com.