Students share their thoughts on new Luke Bryan album

By Nick Singer

Country superstar Luke Bryan has been making music history for the better part of the last 20 years. Earning over 30 #1 chart-topping hits, like “Play It Again” and “Roller Coaster” just to name a few, this small town peanut farmer from Leesburg, Georgia has cemented his place in country music stardom. 

Thomas Luther “Luke” Bryan was born in Leesburg, Georgia on July 17, 1976 local to peanut farmers Tommy and LeClaire Bryan and was the youngest of three kids. Luke spent his childhood growing up on the family peanut farm, helping out during the annual harvest season and listening to country music. This simple southern lifestyle laid the foundation to many of his songs which he would end up writing down the line, which millions of people around the world would end up relating to. As Bryan entered his teens, he would begin singing and playing guitar in bands, finding his voice and really discovering his passion for music. 

As Bryan got more serious and started building a fanbase as a local entertainer, he decided he wanted to move to Nashville, Tennessee at 19 in hopes of pursuing a career in music and to make a name for himself. Everything was looking bright for Bryan until tragedy struck: Bryan’s older brother Chris was killed in a car accident, leaving the Bryan family in shambles. 

As the family was grieving their loss, Bryan decided to stay at home in Georgia with his family to support them in their dark time. Bryan ended up attending Georgia Southern University and would continue to work at the family farm every day after his classes for the next few years. Luke graduated in 1999 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. Post graduation, he continued to work on the farm for another year but finally moved to Nashville after being strongly encouraged by his father to chase his dreams. 

Bryan, now in his early 20s, is finally chasing the dream he has always wanted since he was a teenager. Applying the work ethic he acquired from the farm to his music, Bryan spent the next five years writing songs during the day, and performing his original music at local clubs at night, trying to get recognized. 

Bryan was eventually signed to Capitol Records after an A&R rep from the label saw him perform one night at a show. Shortly after, Bryan released his debut album “I’ll Stay Me,” which featured his first ever Billboard charting single “All My Friends Say,” which peaked at number five. This would be Bryan’s first taste of mainstream success; he would then go on to release #1 charting albums like “Tailgates & Tanlines” and “Crash My Party,” and would go on to collaborate with artists such as Florida Georgia Line, Jason Aldean and Jordan Davis, just to name a few.

After a long adventurous ride of numerous tours embarked, albums released and awards won, Luke Bryan would release his eighth studio album “Mind Of A Country Boy” in 2024. Bryan has built a diverse catalog of music, known for countering his high energy bangers like “I Don’t Want This Night To End” and “Crash My Party” with more laid back ballads such as “Do I” and “Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset.” This time around, Bryan has decided to slow it down and focus more on stripped down, acoustic, and arguably more meaningful songs. 

Many perceive this album as Bryan’s look on his own life over the past 15 years, channeling his emotions through music, and really allowing the listener to experience a more vulnerable side of him. This album primarily focuses on the topics of family, outdoor living and Luke’s career, hence the title, “Mind Of A Country Boy.” Luke’s new album features songs such as “Love You, Miss You, Mean It,” “Kansas” and “Closing Time In California,” just to highlight a few.

Junior fashion merchandising and management major Lexi Richard discussed her favorite track from the new album, “Love You, Miss You, Mean it.” 

“It’s a really good song, I like listening to it a lot. It reminds me of all those classic era Luke Bryan songs that my mom would play for us when I was younger,” Richard said. 

She was first introduced to Luke Bryan by her mother, who would play him for her when she was growing up.

 “My mom would always play country music, so growing up listening to it made me a big fan,” she shared. 

Richard shared her thoughts on the album’s sound and direction.

 “I didn’t expect it from him. I do enjoy listening to the new album though because the songs are much more acoustic and stripped down compared to his previous music. Overall I think it’s a nice changeup and this album could be the start of a new era for Luke,” she said. 

The song “Love You, Miss You, Mean It” was a single off the album and ended up becoming Bryan’s 31st #1 hit. 

Sophomore fashion merchandising and management major Angela Bracco discussed her favorite tracks off the new album, “She’s Still Got It” and “Love You, Miss You, Mean It.”

Bracco first started listening to Bryan’s music in 2019. 

“I got into Luke Bryan probably in 2019 when I started listening to country music,” Bracco shared. “I always listen to Luke Combs, HARDY and Morgan Wallen, but I have always loved Luke Bryan’s music too.” 

Bracco shared her opinion on the new album and the current state of country music. 

“I like the new album, even though it’s more mainstream than his other music. 2024 introduced a lot of new country music and the genre gained many new fans partially because outside artists from other genres were making country songs,” Bracco said. “While I don’t think it’s his best work, I think this album highlights his musicality and there’s a lot of diversity in the style and songwriting which showcases his talent.” 

The album received mixed reviews by fans and critics; most criticism for the album expressed a wish for more “up tempo” and “energetic” songs. Many felt the only song that broke up the slow pace of the album was “But I Got A Beer In My Hand,” which was originally released as a single in 2023. 

Overall, the album introduced a new era for Bryan, allowing the fans to explore his softer side, and allowed Luke to appreciate the little things in life just a little bit more. That’s the meaning behind the album, and this may be the start of a new direction for the Country singer/songwriter. Bryan will be headlining his own music festival “Crash My Playa” for the 10th year in a row this January. “Crash My Playa” will take place in Cancun, Mexico in January 2025.