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Luke Combs delivered a surprise announcement when he released “The Man He Sees in Me,” a heartfelt ballad about fatherhood that he’s teased on his social media pages for months, on Thursday afternoon (June 6). The award-winning country star confirmed the newly-released song is one of 12 tracks appearing on his next album, which is filled with songs about his life as a dad.
Combs and his wife, Nicole Combs, welcomed their firstborn child, son Tex Lawrence Combs, on Father’s Day in June 2022. Less than one year later, they announced Nicole was pregnant with Baby No. 2. Their second son, Beau Lee Combs, arrived in August 2023. Since then. Combs has shared sneak peeks of unreleased songs inspired by his two sons. He hinted in a recent post that a full album was in the works, and shared rare photos of his sons to offer a glimpse of his life as a dad. Combs shared the Fathers & Sons track list on Thursday:
- Front Door Famous
- In Case I Ain’t Around
- Huntin’ By Yourself
- Little Country Boys
- Whoever You Turn Out To Be
- Remember Him That Way
- The Man He Sees in Me
- All I Ever Do Is Leave
- Plant a Seed
- Ride Around Heaven
- My Old Man Was Right
- Take Me Out to the Ballgame
“To my boys,” Combs wrote in the note to Tex and Beau, which he shared on Instagram earlier this week. “First and foremost, I will always love you, no matter what. With this song, I want you to know that even though I’m not perfect, I try my hardest every day to be the best version of myself for you both. I’ll make mistakes along the way and some days you’ll be sick of your old man I’m sure, but dang we’ll have some fun, too. I can’t wait to see what you both turn out to be like and I hope someday down the road I get to watch you and your kids do the same. Love, Dad.”
Along with “The Man He Sees in Me,” Combs has shared snippets of “Huntin’ By Yourself,” “Plant a Seed” and “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” His next album will follow Growin’ Up (2022) and Gettin’ Old (2023). Collectively, those projects included “Doin’ This,” “The Kind of Love We Make,” “Going, Going, Gone,” “Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old,” “Love You Anyway,” “5 Leaf Clover” and his cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car,” among other highlights.
Fathers & Sons will arrive on Friday, June 14, just in time for Father’s Day. Listen to “The Man He Sees in Me” here: