Brett Eldredge Isn’t Lookin’ for ‘Love’

Brett Eldredge brought tears to our eyes with his debut single 'Raymond,' a fictional account of a nursing home worker who is mistaken by an Alzheimer's disease patient for her deceased son. Now, the Illinois native is changing his tune, literally, with the upbeat 'It Ain't Gotta Be Love,' which heads to radio next Monday (June 27).

"I'm done making people cry for a little bit," Brett jokes with The Boot. "I'm still going to make them cry, but I'm going to take a break from it. [laughs]"

'Raymond' was inspired by Brett's own grandmother's struggle with Alzheimer's, but his second single, while still based on reality, covers a much happier topic. "It's a song I wrote a few years ago," he explains. "I moved to town and I saw that a lot of people were going to bars and stuff, guys and girls alike, trying to find their next soul mate. I had just gotten out of a relationship was like, 'Come on, it ain't gotta be love. We don't have to take life too seriously, we can go out there and dance and have fun.' It's a real lighthearted and fun song. I can't wait to get it out to everybody. It's going to be awesome."

Unlike the stories you hear of artists writing songs and playing guitar since birth, Brett was a late bloomer. "My first summer [in Nashville], I realized that all these people were up on stage, sitting around jamming, writing songs and accompany themselves," he admits. "I thought I was really missing out on something, so I had to learn to play a lot better than I did; I knew like two chords. I locked myself in a room that whole summer and I taught myself how to write songs and play guitar. I was also learning old songs that would help me learn the guitar more and forcing myself to make it happen. I really started to love it."

The newcomer may be excited to switch gears on the radio, but 'Raymond' will always hold a special place in his heart. "Alzheimer's is like an epidemic now," he says. "There are so many people who have it in the country. It's a real tough disease. I wanted to find a way to put a positive outlook on it and any way I can bring awareness I'm always going to do that. My grandmother has it and it's tough. I'm going to keep singing 'Raymond' and touching people's lives."

'It Ain't Gotta Be Love' hits digital retailers Tuesday (June 28).

Brett is currently on the road, with his next stop tomorrow (June 24) in Manhattan, Kan. Get a full list of his upcoming dates here.