Platinum Country music superstar Rodney Atkins is set to release his highly-anticipated fifth studio album, Caught Up In The Country, via Curb Records tomorrow (5/10). The long-awaited project is Atkins’ first long-form collection of original material since 2011.
The album drops just as the title track enters the Top 20 at Country radio. The boot-stomping single, featuring the Fisk Jubilee Singers, has already garnered over 86.6M on-demand streams and over 600k in song equivalent sales. In addition, the song spawned a digital-only remix single from Dutch DJ Sam Feldt, which became a surprise viral hit.
Fans have already resonated with the five previously released songs leading up to the final album. In addition to the title track, Atkins released “My Life,” “What Lonely Looks Like,” “Thank God For You” and “Figure Out You (Riddle) [Feat. Rose Falcon]” to all DSPs, collectively amassing nearly 89M on-demand streams in advance of the full 12-track LP.
On May 8th, ET exclusively premiered the lyric video for “Figure Out You (Riddle) [Feat. Rose Falcon],” which features personal photos of the singer, his two sons and his wife, Rose Falcon. The singer also gushed to ET about the couple’s new baby on the way. Watch the lyric video HERE.
Continuing the celebration of new music, listeners can catch an exclusive interview with Atkins on The Bobby Bones Show on release day (5/10) at 8/7 am CT. In addition, a radio special will air on SiriusXM’s Y2Kountry during street week beginning May 10 at 5 p.m. EST. “Rodney Atkins: Caught Up In The Country LIVE on Y2Kountry” will re-air every day at select times through May 16.
These media appearances come on the heels of Atkins being presented with BMI’s prestigious “Million-Air” award on Apr. 16 in recognition of more than 4 million plays of his song, “Watching You,” from his critically-acclaimed album, If You’re Going Through Hell.
With Caught Up In The Country, one of country music’s biggest stars is starting his next chapter. From “Young Man,” which continues a series of songs inspired by Atkins’ eldest son; to “My Life,” the powerful story of his wife Rose Falcon’s beloved grandmother, Caught Up In The Country is made up of what Atkins calls “life songs, not just ditties.” Musically, the project—produced by Atkins, Ted Hewitt and Blake Bollinger—demonstrates similar ambition.
“With an album, you’re building a house, not just trying to build a back porch. I needed to try things, not limit myself to just sing the notes and get out of the way,” Atkins says. “I wanted to really tell a story in the shape and the melody of these songs—there’s more diversity on this record than I’ve ever had before—and to really take time to figure out the nuances because, ultimately, it’s a whole bunch of nuances that add up to make something special.”
Atkins’ new music follows a season of personal renewal for the respected artist, which he credits for helping him to take stock not just of where he’s been, but also where he’s going. In 2013, he married fellow performer Rose Falcon, and her impact—whether lyrically, in a duet, or just in spirit—is evident throughout Atkins’ new music.
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