Jake Owen Reveals Details for New Album, ‘American Love’
Jake Owen's fifth studio LP is releasing July 29, but he's giving fans many of the details right now, including the album cover, track listing, title and inspiration.
Owen signed into a live Facebook post, and he let fans in on the big surprise: seeing his new album cover. Even the singer hadn't seen it yet, so his excited reaction was truly genuine.
Owen's Facebook chat consisted of him walking down the hallway of Sony Music Nashville to the office of Tracy Baskette-Fleaner, the creative director for the label. She's the mastermind behind album covers like Maren Morris' Hero, Carrie Underwood Storyteller, Miranda Lambert's Automatic, Owen's Days of Gold, Brad Paisley's Wheelhouse and many more.
"Guys, today's the day! My new album American Love is finally here and it's on vinyl," Owen exclaims as he sees the cover -- on vinyl -- for the first time. "This is the coolest thing in the world," he adds. It's not clear if he plans to release American Love on vinyl, but nonetheless, Owen was pretty darn pumped.
The album cover showcases Owen sitting in his seafoam green 1966 Volkswagon Microbus -- the same one in the "American Country Love Song" music video.
This new record is new territory for the singer who's known for lighthearted beach and party tunes, and he feels really good about that. After the release of "Real Life" (which was also around the time his divorce was announced), Owen started over with new songs -- and he is not releasing the material he originally planned on.
“I was at a different place when I was making that record,” he tells EW of ditching the material. “I was still married, and all of the sudden that ended, and I had to find a way to feel good again.
“I started down that path and then I realized that, for me, making music is as about feeling good as the listeners that gets to hear it,” he says. “I have to make an album that I enjoy singing every night.”
The album is about love. But don't expect every track to be a gushy love song. It turns out Jake Owen enjoys singing about love on tour: “I kept noticing this reoccurring theme. The word kept appearing, but it was said in such different ways. I’m really proud that I got to encompass how love can be felt different ways but still remain the same, if that makes sense.”
His vocals will be on full display for American Love. Though he's not entirely walking away from the ultra-cool speak-singing he's known for, Owen wants to really show country fans he can sing. “Sometimes my voice gets hidden,” he admits. “People don’t even have the opportunity to know that I love to sing.”
The album will street July 29, and Owen reveals that he listens to it in his car. “It’s been a long time since I made a record that I put on in my car and listen to on my own — but I can’t stop. It makes me happy, and I know how much work I put into it."
Included in the album is a collaboration with Chris Stapleton. He helped write “If He Ain’t Gonna Love You,” and Stapleton also sings backup. “And it sounds so good,” Owen tells Taste of Country Nights host Sam Alex. “He sounds unbelievable on it, so I’m so excited.”
Hang tight; the album will be out soon enough. In the meantime, you can purchase "American Country Love Song" on iTunes.
Jake Owen, American Love Track Listing:
1. “American Love”
2. “After Midnight”
3. “Where I Am”
4. “Everybody Dies Young”
5. “VW Van”
6. “Good Company”
7. “LAX”
8. “If He Ain’t Gonna Love You”
9. “When You Love Someone”
10. “You Ain’t Going Nowhere”
11. “American Country Love Song”
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