Kane Brown Reveals “Grand” Was Written When He Was In A “Dark Place” In His Life

Country star Kane Brown has dipped his toe into the pop world before as a featured artist, but with his latest release, he’s putting his whole heart into making his “Grand” entrance into the genre on his own.  “I’ve always…

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Madeleine O’Connell

Madeleine O’Connell graduated from North Central College with a bachelors degree in Journalism and Broadcast Communications before deciding to pursue her studies further at DePaul University. There, she earned her master’s degree in Digital Communication & Media Arts. O’Connell served as a freelance writer for over two years while also interning with the Academy of Country Music, SiriusXM and Circle Media and assisting with Amazon Music’s Country Heat Weekly podcast. In addition to Music Mayhem, she has been published in American Songwriter, Country Now, and Holler.Country. When she’s not attending a concert or adding new country music to her playlist, O’Connell spends her time dancing in the studio and traveling with her family.

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Posted on August 10, 2022

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Kane Brown; Photo Courtesy of Audacy/Screenshot

Country star Kane Brown has dipped his toe into the pop world before as a featured artist, but with his latest release, he’s putting his whole heart into making his “Grand” entrance into the genre on his own. 

“I’ve always been so scared to step out and just do the Pop thing. If you listen to a lot of my [songs], they still have that Country vein… this one doesn’t,” he told Audacy’s Julia. “Now, I’m not scared, I feel like I am who I am now, just being comfortable with myself.”

During the interview, Brown reflected on the writing process behind his new song and how the state of his life at the time impacted it. Many shared the same experiences in 2020. It was a time full of confusion and artists especially, expressed how lost they felt when the world hit pause on life music. 

“I was in kind of like a dark space over quarantine — not really knowing my purpose,” he said. “We weren’t able to tour or anything like that so I was just sitting in my house, as everybody else was.”

This song represents coming out of this difficult time by thinking on the bright side of things and realizing all the good that is around you, even if it can get lost in life’s more challenging days. 

He continued, “I started realizing that I have a beautiful family and this artist opportunity and all this and that life is just ‘Grand.’”

“Ain’t life grand/Only ones I keep around me is my fam/No coincidence, it’s always been the plan/And I always keep it trilly with the fans/Oh, ain’t life grand/And I love a little whiskey in my hand/Make it disappear then reappear again/Matter fact I never want this life to end, until the end, yeah,” Brown sings in the chorus. 

Ahead of the single release, Brown also announced that this song would be featured on his upcoming album Different Man, which will be available on September 9th. Some music industry members commented on the exciting news including radio personality, Bobby Bones and artists on the rise Callista Clark, Restless Road and more. 

“I would love to get an EP out eventually,” the “Whiskey Sour” singer shared. “I have a lot of Pop songs that I would love to get out to my fans.”

Without going into too much detail, Brown did say that he has also been thinking about adding a few collaborations to the full project. “I’ve been messaging with Jack Harlow recently,” he revealed. “We were just talking about how it just has to be perfect, so we just gotta find the right song.”

Harlow is a 24-year-old rapper from Louisville, KY, whose career has skyrocketed over the past few years. He gained popularity on TikTok in 2020 with his trend-setting hit, “What’s Poppin” and later earned a Grammy nomination for his collaborations with Lil Was X, “Industry Baby.” The funky sound of his latest full project released in May, Come Home the Kids Miss You, bares a close resemblance to the new sound Brown is experimenting with. 

In the past, Brown has worked with several artists outside of the country genre such as Nelly, Chris Young, Khalid, Swae Lee, John Legend and more. 

Kane Brown has just a handful of performances left before he heads to Melbourne, VIC to kick off his Drunk or Dreaming Tour. He currently has dates set in Australia, UK, Europe, NZ and Canada with special guests Chris Lane, Blanco Brown, Restless Road and Jessie James Decker. 

The country hitmaker recently announced his new album, Different Man, which “Grand” will appear on.

Arriving on Sept. 9, Different Man will feature 17 songs, including duets with Blake Shelton and his wife Katelyn, who will appear on the title track and “Thank God,” respectively. 

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Madeleine O’Connell graduated from North Central College with a bachelors degree in Journalism and Broadcast Communications before deciding to pursue her studies further at DePaul University. There, she earned her master’s degree in Digital Communication & Media Arts. O’Connell served as a freelance writer for over two years while also interning with the Academy of Country Music, SiriusXM and Circle Media and assisting with Amazon Music’s Country Heat Weekly podcast. In addition to Music Mayhem, she has been published in American Songwriter, Country Now, and Holler.Country. When she’s not attending a concert or adding new country music to her playlist, O’Connell spends her time dancing in the studio and traveling with her family.

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