Chris Young posted a video update for fans on Thursday morning (February 1), admitting he’s “still processing” his recent arrest and “false accusations” against him after a run-in with state agents at a Nashville bar. To show his gratitude for sticking by him, the country star, 38, said he’s releasing another track from his forthcoming record.
Young said in the video he posted to Instagram (watch below):
“Hey guys. So, I just wanted to say something. I’m still processing a lot through the false accusations and everything that went on the past week. But I wanted to say, first and foremost, thank you to everybody that had my back. It meant the world to me, and I had so many friends and fans reach out and just say, ‘we got you,’ ‘we don’t believe you did any of this.’ So, it’s really nice to see the charges get dismissed. Not something I wish anybody has to go through ever. But, like I said, the bright spot was seeing just all the love and support. So, what I wanted to do, as a ‘thank you’ to you guys — because this was not planned — is drop a new song from the album, so you guys will have something to listen to. So, we’re gonna put out ‘Double Down’ at midnight, and I really hope you guys enjoy this one. Crank it up, enjoy it and again, I appreciate you. I love you. Thank you.”
Young was accused of resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and assault on an officer, following a run-in with Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission agents at a bar in Nashville, Tennessee. Young has since been cleared of all charges. Surveillance video evidence released in the days after the January 22 incident raised questions about what happened that night. Some videos showed the 6’4’’ country artist falling backward after being pushed by an agent, who reported that Young “struck me on the shoulder,” (though the surveillance videos didn’t appear to show Young making contact with the agent).
Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk confirmed in a statement: “Regarding the Chris Young incident — After review of all the evidence in this case, the Office of the District Attorney has determined that these charges will be dismissed.”
Young, who was unable to publicly comment on the incident before his charges were dropped, has since posted about it on social media. He recently shared a surveillance video on TikTok, set to his David Bowie-inspired single, in response to the “trolls”: “For all the trolls saying ‘don’t touch a cop’ … I didn’t touch him.” He added in his caption, “stop coming at me.”
The “Young Love & Saturday Nights” star also posted a photo of bruises he apparently sustained following the incident, including one on the back of his arm and another on his back, “too close to my spine.”
Young is set to release his ninth full-length studio album, Young Love & Saturday Nights, next month. The highly-anticipated album is his most ambitious to date, spanning 18 tracks. The project will include a few previously-released anthems, including the title track and “Looking For You,” among others:
1. Looking for You
2. All Dogs Go to Heaven
3. Young Love & Saturday Nights
4. Don't Call Me
5. What She Sees in Me
6. Country Boy's Prayer
7. Double Down
8. Call It a Day
9. Drink to Remember
10. Don't Stop Now
11. Fall Out
12. Fire
13. Gettin' Older
14. Right Now
15. Million Miles
16. Everybody Grew Up
17. Knee Deep in Neon
18. Down
Most recently, Young debuted “Right Now,” and shared an exclusive behind-the-scenes glimpse of the music video with iHeartCountry. Young previously said in a statement that the song tells a story of being in “that in-between phase of a relationship going, ‘It’s late, I can’t sleep. I’m wondering where you are and you’re wondering where I’m at. Let’s not wonder about it anymore. Let’s be in the same place.’”
“Double Down” is described as a “fast-tracked” anthem from Young's soon-to-debut Young Love & Saturday Nights, per a release issued Thursday. The song was written by Monty Criswell, Derek George and Tyler Reeve: “Double down on a good time/ Paint the town, talkin’ real bright/ Neon redneck, head bobbin’ / To the hell yeah, honky tonk sound/ Get a little loud, stomp your boot heels/ Talkin’ plowed like a cornfield/ Two steppin’ shuffle, thumb on your buckle/ Raisin’ up trouble/ There goes another double down/ Double down, down, down.”
“I’ve been living with it for so long, I’m so excited for people to actually be able to dig into it and hear all of it as a whole as opposed to one or two teaser clips,” Young said of his 18-track album in a previous conversation with iHeartCountry. “It’s always fun to post that stuff, but I want people to really dive into this album and enjoy the work that we’ve put into it.
“I know it’s gonna sound cliché, but this is one of my favorite projects I’ve ever made,” he continued. “If there was actually any inspiration for me being fired up and working on myself, it would probably be that the music is so good. I’m really, really proud of this project. I want people to hear it.”
Young Love & Saturday Nights will release on March 22.