Florida Georgia Line Explain Why They Gave ‘Burnin’ It Down’ to Jason Aldean

Jason Aldean recently scored the 12th No. 1 single of his career with his latest hit, 'Burnin' It Down.' The song is the debut single from his 'Old Boots, New Dirt' album and is the fastest-breaking single of Aldean's illustrious career.

But what might be most surprising is that 'Burnin' It Down' was co-written by the Florida Georgia Line guys, Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley, along with hit tunesmiths Chris Tompkins and Rodney Clawson -- and it was originally intended to be a hit for FGL  instead.

“The timing was tough on it,” Hubbard tells ABC News Radio, explaining that they knew when they wrote it that they wouldn't be able to release it themselves for another year. “We were listening to it one day, and I think it was B.K. that said, ‘Hey dude, I think Jason would kill this song. We should try to give it to him, and at least let him hear it.’ And next thing we know, he’s cutting it.”

Adds Kelley, “You know when the right song gets to the right person when you hear it back like that. It sounds incredible. He crushed it.”

“We’re songwriters at heart, first and foremost," Hubbard continues. "To get an outside cut’s big for us. I mean, that’s what we dreamed of for years.”

'Burnin' It Down' has already earned platinum status, signifying sales in excess of one million units. With the racy lyric, "We're just hanging around / Burnin' it down / Sippin' on some cold Jack Daniel's / Jammin' to some old Alabama with you, baby / Laying right here, naked in my bed," Aldean says he knew it was different from what his fans were used to, but he trusted his instincts, and the risk paid off.

“We definitely got a few sideways looks and some raised eyebrows when we released this thing,” he says. “It’s so awesome that my fans trust that I have a pretty good ear for the kinds of songs they will like and that they follow me to new places with each album. I couldn't be happier with all the excitement around the new music ... it definitely feels like we've got something pretty cool happening going into album release.”

Download 'Old Boots, New Dirt' here.