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Luke Bryan is speaking his mind.
“Y’all will finally know what’s on my mind,” the five-time Entertainer of the Year winner said as he confirmed details about his eighth studio album on Thursday afternoon (August 8), following a few days of teasers to stir anticipation for the announcement. “It’s been a long time coming.”
Mind Of A Country Boy, produced by father-son duo Jeff and Jody Stevens, is set to arrive late next month. The 14-track album includes a few previously-released highlights that Bryan has released in recent months, including the title track, “But I Got A Beer In My Hand,” “Country On,” “Southern and Slow” and “Love You, Miss You, Mean It,” which Bryan debuted before its official release on the historic Ryman Auditorium stage earlier this year in Downtown Nashville, Tennessee. Along with his album announcement, the American Idol judge also released “Closing Time In California” on Thursday.
“I’ve been able to take my time and really compile songs for this album,” Bryan said in a press release. “If it's a song that I cut two or three years ago, and I still love it, and it still sounds fresh, then I feel like it'll stand the test of time.”
“I think this album, as I've tried to do with all my albums, just has a little bit of everything,” he continued. “I do some things different vocally on this one that I've not done before. It's about each song having its place and having its meaning. It's trying not to be overly redundant with songs. I think that's why I've been blessed to have a long career and what I feel like this album's going to do.”
- “Mind Of A Country Boy” (Luke Bryan, Ben Hayslip, Dallas Davidson, Rhett Akins)
- “Love You, Miss You, Mean It” (Ben Hayslip, Jacob Rice, Jordan Minton, Rhett Akins)
- “Country Song Came On” (Ryan Beaver, Dan Alley, Neil Medley)
- “Pair Of Boots” (Bobby Pinson, Taylor Phillips, Tofer Brown, Jaxon Free)
- “But I Got A Beer In My Hand” (Chase McGill, Matt Dragstrem, Geoff Warburton)
- “Kansas” (Chase McGill, Hillary Lindsey, Matt Dragstrem)
- “Country On” (Mark Nesler, David Frasier, Mitch Oglesby, Styles Haury)
- “Fish On The Wall” (Dallas Davidson, Chris Tompkins, Ben Johnson)
- “She’s Still Got It” (Rodney Clawson, Heather Morgan, Will Bundy, Jim McCormick)
- “Closing Time In California” (John Byron, Mark Holman, Hillary Lindsey, Chase McGill)
- “For The Kids” (Luke Bryan, Justin Ebach, Brad Tursi)
- “Southern and Slow” (Matt Dragstrem, Josh Thompson, Chase McGill)
- “I’m On A Tractor” (Neil Thrasher, Lee Thomas Miller)
- “Jesus ‘Bout My Kids” (Jeff Hyde, Tucker Beathard, Ben Stennis, Brad Rempel)
Bryan is in the midst of his headlining tour titled after his forthcoming album. The lineup on the “Mind Of A Country Boy Tour” includes, on select dates: Tenille Arts, Chayce Beckham, George Birge, King Calaway, Dillon Carmichael, Larry Fleet, HunterGirl, Ella Langley, Tracy Lawrence, Kameron Marlowe, Chase Matthew, Meghan Patrick, Lily Rose, Josh Ross, Alana Springsteen, Zach Top and DJ Rock. Bryan also included shows at Truist Field in Atlanta, Georgia, and Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois, with Bailey Zimmerman, Marlowe and Beckham, and Zimmerman, Lawrence and Beckham, respectively. Next month, Bryan will also add “Farm Tour” shows, including never-been-played before locations in its 15th year. The lineup of those shows includes Conner Smith, Tucker Wetmore, The Peach Pickers (songwriters Rhett Akins, Dallas Davidson and Ben Hayslip) with Rodney Clawson and DJ Rock.
The “Southern and Slow” singer isn’t slowing down any time soon after wrapping up his 2024 tour dates. Bryan will kick off 2025 with his 10th annual Crash My Playa in Riviera Cancún, Mexico, featuring an “insane” lineup: Jason Aldean, Kane Brown, Bailey Zimmerman, Dustin Lynch’s Pool Party, Dylan Scott, Elle King, Jackson Dean, Nate Smith, Dasha, Ella Langley, Tucker Wetmore and DJ Rock. Bryan predicted the milestone event will be “the best Playa party yet.”
Mind Of A Country Boy is set to release on September 27.
The album will arrive four years after Bryan’s latest full-length record, Born Here, Live Here, Die Here. The Georgia-born singer-songwriter released his debut album, I’ll Stay Me, in 2007, and followed it with Doin’ My Thing, Tailgates & Tanlines, Crash My Party, Kill The Lights and What Makes You Country. Listen to “Closing Time In California” here: