Brian Kelley is ready to tell his Tennessee Truth with the release of his forthcoming, highly-anticipated debut album.
The singer, who is one half of the Florida Georgia Line duo, announced his first-ever full length solo project on Wednesday (Mar. 6) alongside the release of his new song, “Kiss My Boots,” a track that features his most personal lyrics yet, marking a pinnacle moment of his songwriting journey.
“I wrote this song just about a year ago purely to heal. The best country music is real, this song is real, and I’m real. I hope this song helps you heal through whatever challenging times you’re facing,” Kelley shared of the defiant new song, which finds the singer channeling his inner Hank Williams Jr.
“It was healing to write. I feel released now,” Kelley added. “Everyone processes things differently. I went inward. I went to work and stayed busy. I’m proud of myself for doing it that way. It was worth it. Now, I have a song that helped me through a tough time. Hopefully, ‘Kiss My Boots’ can help a lot of people. Give them some confidence and help them get their power back.”
New Song, “Kiss My Boots”
Produced by Dan Huff and co-written by Kelley alongside Dylan Guthro and Redferrin, “Kiss My Boots” is about finding the liquid courage to speak the “Tennessee Truth” after struggling with the feeling of betrayal.
“You’ve been throwin’ dirt on my name ’round this town like it ain’t small/ Like your friends ain’t my friends, and I wouldn’t end up hearin’ it all/ I fell on the sword, but, only the good Lord knows the hell that you put me through/ Sober me would never tell, but tonight I’m on the Tennessee Truth,” Kelley sings in the opening verse before going into the chorus, “I’m crankin’ hank, drinkin’ jack, airin’ out the past/ Want the world to know that you did me wrong/ I don’t how you act sweet, after how you did me/ Here’s a middle finger to you through a song/ Comes out in the whiskey, comes out when I’m tipsy/ I can’t help but tell that Tennessee Truth/ I’m crankin’ hank, drinkin’ Jack/ I’m crankin’ hank, drinkin’ jack/ And you can kiss my boots.”
Story Behind The Song Brian Kelley’s “Kiss Me Boots”
Kelley recently shared the story behind the song on his YouTube channel in a four-minute video. He explained, “It’s a song about betrayal, and it’s a song about, for me, getting my power back and saying how I feel, saying what I think, and owning that in a song. I’ve learned so much about songwriting over this record cycle. ‘Kiss My Boots’ is another example of just continuing to show up. You never know what you’re going to get. You never know what idea you’re going to land on. And as a songwriter, as an artist, you always want to put your truth into songs. You always want to leave a little bit of yourself and as much as yourself in these songs. And that’s what I did. I poured my whole heart out and left it right there on the table.”
He was inspired to tell his whole truth in this song by his former labelmate, Taylor Swift. “I was lucky enough to tour with Taylor Swift back in 2013 for five shows and really learned a lot, tried to soak up as much as I could, and I loved, she just puts everything in her songs, what she’s going through, what she’s been through, who she is, and I’ve always done that as a songwriter, as an artist, as a musician, and through the highs and lows of life, and through going through a really tough situation over the past couple years, this was no different.”
“I wanted to pour my heart out, put it in a song, and just be real, because that’s what country music is,” he continued.
Kelley Was Surprised To Learn The Song Would Be His Next Radio Single
Brian Kelley had no intentions of the song becoming a radio single.
“I was kind of surprised when my team came to me and said, Hey, this is going to be the next single, obviously excited. And the day that we wrote it, I had no intentions of thinking it would be a single, it would be all over the radio,” he admitted.
Kelly went on to revealed why he wrote the song, detailing, “I wrote it to heal. It was for me when I turned it in after recording it and the label and my whole team hearing the cut of it, they said, Hey, man, this is a song that can help a lot of people. So many people can relate to this song. So many people have gone through relationships that have been betrayed and gone through tough times, and this is a song that has a universal message. And I’m really, really grateful for all the support for my whole team, and I’m really excited for everybody to find their Tennessee Truth in this song.”
Debut Album, Tennessee Truth
The track will appear on his upcoming debut album, Tennessee Truth. Arriving on May 10 via Big Machine Records, Tennessee Truth will feature 12 tracks, including “Kiss My Boots” as well as previously released tunes “Trucks, Ducks, Bucks & Beer,” “Dirt Cheap,” “How We’re Livin’” and his chart-climbing single, “See You Next Summer.”
“It’s been a long time coming, and I can’t help but tell that Tennessee Truth. I’ve taken the last several years to process, heal, and get it all out on paper. I’m incredibly proud of this collection of songs and I can’t wait for you to hear all 12,” Kelley shared in statement with fans.
Kelley co-wrote eight of the twelve tracks on the project, which was produced by award-winning producer Dan Huff.
Brian Kelley’s Tennessee Truth Track List
- Acres
- How We’re Livin’
- King Ranch
- Trucks, Ducks, Bucks & Beer
- Goin’ Places
- Barefeet Or Boots
- Dirt Road Date Night
- 10 O’Clock On The Dock
- See You Next Summer
- Doin’ Nothin’
- Dirt Cheap
- Kiss My Boots
Tennessee Truth is available for preorder now.
