Brad Paisley Is a ‘Must’

Brad Paisley has been singled out by Entertainment Weekly as their "Must Country Crooner" in the magazine's current issue touting "115 Things You Can't Miss This Summer." The singer-songwriter-guitarist earns the honor for embracing the more emotional side of himself on the upcoming 'American Saturday Night' album.

"I feel like I'm in open-heart surgery on the Health Channel," he jokes about the new disc, due out June 30.

Brad's not taking his summer reading too lightly, however, noting that 'The Mind of God: The Scientific Basis for a Rational World' by theoretical physicist Paul Davies is tops on his own Must List.

Brad also reveals that his next single, 'Welcome to the Future' is "my favorite thing I've ever put on tape." He says that the hopeful anthem -- which concludes with a nod to the election of President Obama -- wasn't easy to sing in the studio. "The first time, I had to lean against the wall for a second," he admits.