Jason Aldean Celebrates Triple No. 1 Hits With Party in Nashville
Jason Aldean's triple No. 1 party for "Lights Come On," "A Little More Summertime" and "Any 'Ol Barstool" was a full circle moment. The Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville, where he hosted the event, is also where the superstar won over the approval of BBR Music Group Executive Vice President Jon Loba after a particularly compelling showcase.
That show landed him a record deal with the indie label in 2005. Five chart-topping albums and 19 No. 1 singles later, Aldean gathered with the three recent tracks' 11 songwriters to celebrate the back-to-back hits, with each one hosting a distinct meaning for Aldean. "Lights Come On" landed in his hands after Florida Georgia Line's Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelly entered a writing session with Jordan Schmidt, Jimmy Robbins and Brett and Brad Warren in a treehouse in the woods, hoping to create a show opener for the duo. But when the song was completed, the duo felt it was a strong fit for Aldean, who cut it days later and knew he wanted it as the lead single off They Don't Know.
"It's one of those feel-good songs," Aldean tells Taste of Country and other media about "Lights Come On," calling it a "stadium anthem." "It just kind of gets people out of their seat immediately when the song comes on, and I think that's sort of one of our calling cards are those kind of songs. It's a shoutout to the fans, and it's just cool."
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"A Little More Summertime" (Wendell Mobley, Jerry Flowers, Tony Martin) boasts more sentimental value for Aldean, who was driving through a little beach town in Florida when he heard the song for the first time. "It was almost like something out of a movie," he describes. And when his wife Brittany Kerr "fell in love with it," he knew it had to be his. "That was pretty much it, I had to cut it at that point," he admits. "But I love that song."
Aldean also has a personal connection with "Any 'Ol Barstool," which he was drawn to by its traditional country roots that the singer grew up with. "I think that's a side of what I do that we don't put out there a whole lot," he says, comparing it to his other poignant song, "The Truth." "I think it's one of the most well-written songs on the album."
He was surprised by fans' enthusiastic response to the emotional track, co-written by Josh Thompson and Deric Ruttan, which has become a crowd favorite during live shows. "That song surprisingly at my shows gets one of the biggest reactions of any songs we play now and I would've never thought that with more of a mid-tempo ballad kind of thing," he explains. "But people freak out over that thing and I think it's just because it's a great song."
Aldean will have a shakeup in his personal life this fall, as he and Kerr are expecting their first child together.
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