Some songs grow up right alongside the people who inspired them. For Rodney Atkins, that feeling hit home while recording “Watching You 2.0” alongside his son Elijah, revisiting the story behind his beloved hit with the grown-up boy who helped inspire it.
“There’s something almost impossible to explain about singing a song about your kid growing up while standing beside the grown-up version of him,” the country hitmaker tells Celeb Secrets Country exclusively.
That full-circle moment captures the heart of True South, Atkins’ first full-length album since 2019, which finds the Tennessee native celebrating the people, places and everyday moments that have shaped his life. From the bittersweet truth behind current radio single “The Years Are Short” to the personal story that led him to record “Believe Me,” a song written by his wife, Rose Falcon, the 12-track collection is a reminder that sometimes the little things leave the biggest mark.
“I’ve lived more, loved more, and lost people,” Atkins reflects, explaining how life has deepened his appreciation for the stories he wants to tell. And while the ACM Award winner has already given country fans plenty of songs to grow up with, he’s far from finished making memories — or music. “I’m grateful for where I’ve been, but I’m not finished becoming who I’m going to be.”
From the meaning behind True South to the family moments that made this album so personal, Atkins gets candid with Celeb Secrets Country about the stories, relationships and life lessons behind his latest chapter. Keep scrolling to read our full Q&A with Rodney below, and don’t forget to let us know if you’re loving the new album by either leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sliding into our DMs on Instagram at @celebsecretscountry.
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Celeb Secrets Country: You called the album True South, and that title feels like a pretty perfect snapshot of who you are as an artist. When you hear “True South,” what does that phrase mean to you personally, and what parts of your Tennessee upbringing ended up finding their way into this record?
Rodney Atkins: “To me, True South is about the things that shaped me: rural living, family, faith, hard work, humor, the outdoors and people who didn’t pretend to be something they weren’t. For me, that meant the terrain and people of Appalachia, East Tennessee and southeastern Kentucky. I cherish how I grew up, and that sense of place and those values are a big part of who I am.”
CSC: “The Years Are Short” is a relatable reminder that life moves faster than we think it will. What was the reasoning behind writing and including this song on the project?
RA: “There’s that old saying, ‘The days are long, but the years are short,’ and the older I get, the more I understand it. When your kids are little, some days feel endless. Then you turn around, and those years are gone.
I’m drawn to songs that make you notice something about your own life that was right in front of you. ‘The Years Are Short’ isn’t about being sad that time passes; it’s about being awake for it while it’s happening.”
CSC: You’ve had six No. 1s and songs like “Watching You” that became part of people’s lives, but you’re now making music from a very different chapter of your own life. Did you find yourself writing differently this time around?
RA: “In a way, I’m still writing about the same things, but with a lot more experience and an even deeper appreciation for the simple things that matter most. I’ve lived more, loved more, and lost people. I’m still raising kids. I’ve figured some things out and realized there’s still a lot I don’t know. I still love writing songs, twisting ideas around and refusing to settle for good enough. I never want to settle for ‘anything’ just to say I have “‘something.’”
CSC: There’s a lot of love, marriage, parenting and everyday life woven throughout True South. Did becoming a husband and dad change what you think is worth putting into a country song?
RA: “Completely. It changed what I think is important, so naturally, it changed what I think is worth singing about. I’ve learned that the little stuff isn’t little; it’s what makes life special. Country music has always taken ordinary life and shown why it matters. That’s the part I’ve always connected with most.”
CSC: You’ve been making country music long enough to have watched the genre change dramatically. What’s something about today’s country landscape that excites you, and what’s something you hope never disappears from country music?
RA: “Social media has changed it a lot. It’s exciting how quickly you can connect with fans. I think there’s a lot of real, authentic country music these days. There’s always going to be some of it that doesn’t hit me, but there’s more that I dig than I don’t. What I hope never disappears is the heart of country music: the storytelling, the honesty and the connection to real life.”
CSC: You grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you could take someone who has never experienced your version of the South and give them one song from True South as their introduction, which song would you pick and why?
RA: “I’d give them ‘True South.’ That’s why it became the title track. It’s about a sense of place: the people, language, landscape and things you carry with you when you leave, and appreciate even more when you come home. That’s the South I know.”
CSC: “Watching You” became the No. 1 song of the decade on Country Aircheck and earned you a BMI Million-Air Award. When you look back at that song now, what do you think it captured about being a dad that still resonates with people all these years later?
RA: “It captured something every parent eventually realizes: their kids are paying attention when they don’t think they are. ‘Watching You’ isn’t about a father sitting his son down to teach him a life lesson. The boy is learning by watching his dad live, both the good stuff and the things Dad wishes he hadn’t seen. Cussing and praying. Making mistakes and correcting them, but not lying down and quitting. Being a man.
Kids don’t just listen to what we tell them. They watch how we treat people, what makes us angry, what we laugh at, what we pray about and how we handle life when it doesn’t go our way.
I’ve also watched that song grow up with people. I’ve met kids who grew up listening to it and are parents themselves now. They tell me it’s their song with their kids, and that’s awesome.”
CSC: You’ve described True South as a love letter to family, memories and small-town life. If you could freeze one moment from the making of this album and keep it forever, what would that moment be?
RA: “Recording ‘Watching You 2.0’ with my son Elijah. The original song came from something that happened when he was a little boy. Now he’s a grown man singing it with me. There’s something almost impossible to explain about singing a song about your kid growing up while standing beside the grown-up version of him. I’d freeze the moment I looked over and saw him there singing with me.”
CSC: If True South is the soundtrack to this particular chapter of Rodney Atkins’ life, what do you hope fans understand about you after listening to this album?
RA: “That I’m more fired up than ever about life and music. I’m grateful for where I’ve been, but I’m not finished becoming who I’m going to be.”
CSC: Since we’re Celeb Secrets Country, what’s a behind-the-scenes secret from making True South that we wouldn’t know just by listening to it?
RA: “I heard ‘Believe Me’ and wanted to record it because it really reminded me of Rose. Early in our relationship, I decided to believe Rose and the way she saw me instead of listening to that self-doubt voice in my head, the one I’d heard so loudly my whole life. Being adopted, you struggle with self-worth sometimes. I didn’t know who wrote the song when I first heard it. I came home, told Rose I’d found a song I wanted to record and told her about it. She said, ‘I wrote that song.’I was blown away, so I asked her to be featured on it.
Another behind-the-scenes secret: Rose is singing on every song on the album.”
LISTEN TO “TRUE SOUTH” HERE:
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