Brett Eldredge is entering a new chapter in his life, and he can’t wait to experience it with the people who love him the most — his fans.
The 36-year-old country star dropped his fifth studio album Songs About You today (June 17) and the twelve-track musical masterpiece finds the singer/songwriter stepping into himself in a way that he never could have imagined.
“The anticipation [for this album] has been strong, especially since I put out [my last album] ‘Sunday Drive’ in the heaviest part of the pandemic and I couldn’t do anything with it,” Eldredge tells Celeb Secrets reporter Ilana Epstein in a media session. “I think now being able to go back to touring, making this record and getting back to that energy… I think this has an extra level of excitement for a record that I’ve ever had.”
Songs About You follows Eldredge’s fourth studio album Sunday Drive, which marked the genesis of his new journey of self-discovery. From Sunday Drive‘s release to now, the Paris, Illinois native says that he’s gone through a lot of changes in his life — he’s more confident and feels strong about both the music he’s making and the person he’s becoming.
“I wanted to work on myself and through my record encourage others to find self-acceptance. In some ways, it feels like my first record in a way that I’ve discovered a sound that I haven’t had yet. It’s really exciting to be able to feel that good to be able to put a record out and just know we did the best we possibly could as a team creating this,” Eldredge says.
“At the end of the day, I can go to bed and say that I’m proud of that record and I think a lot of people are going to be really moved by it. The excitement is what I’ve always searched for in my music and never knew exactly how to say that. And that’s where I’m at right now.”
A big advocate for mental health and self-acceptance, Eldredge made sure to include songs on this project about standing up for yourself, against the worries in your mind, and even bullies that may try to tear you down. He says it’s been a “powerful” thing for him to incorporate these topics on his latest project, and hopes that it encourages others to find the same self acceptance he found while making the record.
“[Mental health and self acceptance] is so important to me. I’ve been trying to find that self love that I kind of ignored for a long time because you’re just chasing your love for music or your love for the next stage. And then you’re also chasing the pressures, feeling the pressures and all these different things. A lot of people pull at you from different ways, and in this life, no matter what you do, people want things and you want to make everybody happy. And I always got to that place where I wanted to make everybody happy, but then I felt empty. So I really had to do that work. ‘Sunday Drive’ was the start of that work for me and ‘Songs About You’ made me step into myself and in a way that I never even could imagine that I could,” he reveals.
“And I still have my days, but when I went into making this record, I never felt more confident in myself and strongly about what I’m doing, the music I’m making, and even more importantly, the person that I am away from all the music. I really had to work on myself and and I wanted to make a record that encourages others to really find that self acceptance and not be so hard on yourself.”
To celebrate its release, Brett shut down the Skydeck at Assembly Food Hall inside Fifth + Broadway in Downtown Nashville during the 2022 CMA Music Festival last Friday (June 10). Performing previously released singles like “I Feel Fine,” “Songs About You,” “Wait Up For Me,” “Want That Back” and “Holy Water” along with some of his most iconic hits, Eldredge gave the fans a live show that they’ve been craving since the global pandemic hit the US in March 2020. With high energy, a full band and catchy tunes, the hour-long set was a taste of what people can expect on his headlining Songs About You Tour, which kicks off this weekend (June 19) in his home state of Illinois and will make several stops across North America. Full dates and ticket links can be found here.
Additionally, the 36-year-old will head to New York City on Wednesday (June 22) to perform “Holy Water” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
You can learn more about Songs About You by watching our full interview with Brett below — don’t forget to let us know what you think of Brett’s new album by either leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sending us a tweet at @celebsecrets.
LISTEN TO “SONGS ABOUT YOU” —
With reporting by Ilana Epstein. For more Country news, visit CelebSecretsCountry.com.
