Released on October 22, 2018 from the studio album “What Makes You Country”.
Luke Bryan penned this song with Dallas Davidson and Ashley Gorley. It finds the singer defending himself against critics who accuse him of not honoring a traditional country sound.
“I would be foolish to say I don’t get frustrated with people picking me apart about not being country when I know I’m country,” Bryan admitted, before adding. “‘What Makes You Country’ is just about reassuring that I’m kind of stuck in my roots.”
Bryan has a list of what makes him country, which includes manners and growing up in Georgia.
“I think that what makes me country is where I was raised – Leesburg, Georgia – how I was brought up saying ‘Yes sir,’ ‘No sir,’ ‘Yes, ma’am,’ ‘No, ma’am,’ hopefully with manners and raised with a work ethic and raised in the outdoors fishing and hunting and playing sports,” he said. “I would say definitely it starts with my small-town upbringing and how we were raised; church on Sundays as much as we could. But just enjoying life and living life in a small town.”
The singer added that the song is also a way to stand up to those doubters who’ve questioned whether he’s country enough. “You know, if they hear that chorus – I got my dirt road cred when I was 12, on a no-cab tractor hauling hay bales – which I did, and still do – and they still wanna call me not country, well, they’re just being ignorant,” he said.
Bryan performed the song at the 52nd Annual Country Music Association Awards on November 14, 2018, with accompaniment from Lindsay Ell, Ashley McBryde, Chris Janson, Luke Combs, Jon Pardi, and Cole Swindell.
“What Makes You Country” – Single by Luke Bryan from the album What Makes You Country
Released October 22, 2018
Songwriters Luke Bryan, Dallas Davidsonm Ashley Gorley
Producers Jeff Stevens and Jody Stevens
Charted No.54 US Billboard Hot 100; No.7 US Hot Country Songs; No.1 Canada Country
