Brantley Gilbert kicked off the morning with a brand new album, marking the country artist’s first full-length project in three years. The 10-track collection includes Gilbert’s highly-anticipated collaboration with Blake Shelton and Vince Gill.
“This album is a mixtape of great songs, and for me, there’s no better way to introduce the project than with my new single [‘Heaven By Then’],” Gilbert said as he announced his new album, So Help Me God. “This song wouldn’t be possible without my co-writers Hardy, Brock Berryhill, Michael Hardy, Jake Mitchell, Randy Montana, Hunger Phelps and Taylor Phillips and the legends of country music singing on it with me. Thank you [Blake Shelton] and [Vince Gill] for giving it a voice I didn’t have.”
Gilbert explained in a statement that So Help Me God is releasing years after his last album because he’s “a perfectionist.” The country star said this project is a longtime coming, and he worked with “some of the best writers in the country” to pen his latest songs, and the finished result is the perfect “mixtape.”
“In the past, my albums were almost direct reflections, direct chapters of my life,” Gilbert said. “Whatever I’d gone through since I wrote the last record would make its way onto the new album. There’s still some of that with So Help Me God since I’m a cowriter on all the songs – it’s been three years since the last release and a lot of life lived. But I feel like this album is more of a mixtape of great songs.
“We wanted to put songs that sounded good together, but also songs that covered a wide variety of genre influences. There’s a lot of different songwriting styles on the album. We’re super excited about it, and I can’t wait for BG Nation to hear what we’ve been working on.”
Gilbert previously reflected that he never realized how much he wanted to work with Shelton and Gill until the opportunity presented itself via “Heaven By Then.” He deemed it “a bucket list thing that I didn’t know was on my bucket list,” as he recalled the story behind the song. “Like these are two guys that I look up to, and they’re also two legends in country music. To have them on this song in particular, I just feel like they gave it a voice that I didn’t have, and just made it that much more special.” Gilbert and the team of cowriters wrote the track around 3 or 4 a.m. on a writing retreat in Texas, and he knew once HARDY had a guitar in his lap that “something’s about to turn into somethin’ special.”
“When they pave all the dirt roads/ And John Deeres are dinosaurs/ When the last back 40 gets sold/ And young boys don’t open doors/ When you can’t hunt a white tail/ And keep what you reel in/ Well, I hope I’m in heaven by then/ No, I don’t wanna go today but I don’t wanna live/ Down here at a place that thinks that that place don’t exist/ There comes a day this country’s somewhere country don’t fit in/ Hell, I hope I’m in heaven by then”
Gilbert’s fans will also recognize a few previously-released songs and collaborations on the country artist’s new album, including “Rolex On A Redneck” with Jason Aldean, “The Worst Country Song Of All Time” with Toby Keith and HARDY, “Son Of The Dirty South” with Jelly Roll, “Gone But Not Forgotten,” and “How To Talk To Girls.” See the full track list here:
1. “Heaven By Then” with Blake Shelton featuring Vince Gill | Brantley Gilbert, Brock Berryhill, Michael Hardy, Jake Mitchell, Randy Montana, Hunger Phelps, Taylor Phillips
2. “Rolex On A Redneck” featuring Jason Aldean | Brantley Gilbert, Brock Berryhill, Michael Hardy, Randy Montana, Taylor Phillips
3. “Miles of Memories” | Brantley Gilbert, Brock Berryhill, Josh Phillips
4. “She’s The One” | Brantley Gilbert, Brock Berryhill, Taylor Phillips
5. “The Worst Country Song Of All Time” featuring Toby Keith and HARDY | Brantley Gilbert, Michael Hardy, Hunter Phelps, Will Weatherly
6. “Son Of The Dirty South” featuring Jelly Roll | Brantley Gilbert, Andrew Baylis, Jason Bradley DeFord
7. “How To Talk To Girls” | Brantley Gilbert, Brock Berryhill, Brian Wayne Davis, Brandon Day, Chase McGill, Josh Phillips, Taylor Phillips, Michael Ray
8. “Little Piece of Heaven” | Brantley Gilbert, Brock Berryhill, Greylan James, Taylor Phillips, Cole Taylor
9. “Gone But Not Forgotten” | Brantley Gilbert, Brock Berryhill, Jason Blaine, Jay Brunswick
10. “So Help Me God” | Brantley Gilbert, Michael Hardy, Hunter Phelps, Will Weatherly