Chris Young Says It’s Important for Artists to Be Aware of Changes in the Music Industry

The music industry has seen a lot of big changes in recent years, but Chris Young says it's better to embrace the new stuff than to be intimidated by change.

"I think I could sit here and talk about how music has evolved over the past decade and how it's consumed and how it's purchased and talk about all the steps and missteps that everybody's made, whether it's songwriters, labels, artists," he tells MLB Fan Cave. "I think that's something you constantly have to keep track of. As an artist, a lot of people forget, you're in charge of your company, your name, your album, your music, for as long as that exists."

Young recognizes that his success translates into jobs for a lot of people and he takes that responsibility seriously, knowing that going along with some industry changes is worth it in the long run.

"You know, all of my guys that are on the road with me get paid because I work, whether it's your manager or your label or anything else, they all get a percentage of what you create," he says. "So, I think it's important for you to be cognizant of all that and what going on, things that do change, trends as far as the integration of social media as a platform to sell records. I think all that stuff is things that you should be aware of ... It's kind of strange when you think about, just in my lifetime, how much stuff has changed. I think that's, that's part of music. That's just like talking about how different country sounds today from where it sounded a decade ago, you know? Everything evolves, everything changes, and it's just a matter of doing what's right for you."

Young recently performed at the MLB Fan Cave Concert Series, where he also filled them in about his song-writing process.

"My writing process is really different depending on what I start with. I'm totally the guy that'll be walking through the airport singing something in my phone 'cause I got an idea, creeping people out like, 'why is this guy talking into his cell phone at the airport?'" he says. "But I'll sing ideas down, I'll open a notes section and type in a title if I hear somebody say something that I'm like 'oh, that might be a song!' Generally I always kind of start from the basis of I've got a title or I've got a chorus to something when I go in and sit down, whether it's on my own or with another writer."

Young didn't write his latest single 'Lonely Eyes,' but the song is working its way up the charts after the success of his No. 1 single 'Who I Am With You' and his Top 5 'Aw Naw.' He kicks off his 2015 A.M. Worldwide Tour on March 11 in Melbourne, Australia.

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