Brett Eldredge Shares Title Track of New Album, ‘Illinois’ [LISTEN]

Brett Eldredge has shared the title track of his upcoming sophomore album, Illinois. The song -- and the album's title -- pays homage to Eldredge's home state.

"It's a part of who I am and always will be a major part of who I am, from the people that I grew up with there to the family values I learned there, the hard work I learned from that state," Eldredge tells USA Today. "It shapes where this album goes and shows a lot of who I am, deep-rooted in family but also always looking for love and believing in love, fighting through the heartbreak and recognizing the heartbreak."

Eldredge invited songwriter Tom Douglas to his hometown of Paris, Ill., to help him write the pensive tune.

"He's such a poet that his wheels were turning the whole time, as we were going fishing on the banks of the same ponds and lakes I grew up fishing, walking around the town square, waving and saying hello to the same people I was saying hello to when I was a kid," Eldredge recalls. "He got to meet my family. I have a picture of him standing in front of the corn stalks, as they're way above his head. He was so fascinated by this little town in the middle of nowhere."

Songwriter Brad Crisler also helped finish the song, which Eldredge says relates to anyone, regardless of where they are from.

“You can be from Texas, Utah, Tennessee …,” Eldredge explains. “Wherever you come from, it’s always in your heart, and that’s what I wanted to capture with this song.”

Illinois will be released on Sept. 11. It is available for pre-order on iTunes and Amazon.

Listen to Brett Eldredge, "Illinois":

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