Thomas Rhett: 2017 Grammys Nod Is ‘the Sweetest Feeling in the World’

Thomas Rhett is nominated for Best Country Song at the 2017 Grammy Awards, for his song "Die a Happy Man." It's his first Grammys nod, and the fact that the award is in recognition of a song's writers makes it all the more meaningful, the singer says.

"It’s the sweetest feeling in the world, for sure, as a songwriter, because I take so much pride in the songs that I write," Rhett tells The Boot. "I spend so much time writing the songs, so to be nominated for, to me, the highest accomplishment in my career thus far, is mind blowing."

"Die a Happy Man," which was written about Rhett's wife Lauren, was the second single from his sophomore album, Tangled Up, to reach the top of the charts. Rhett recently released "Star of the Show," another No. 1 single from the album; it's also about his wife and is his fifth, and most likely final, single from Tangled Up.

"When I was recording [Tangled Up], I loved about 80 percent of it, and I liked the rest," admits Rhett. "And I never wanted to be in that state again. And so, before [that] record even got released, I did nothing but write on the road.

"This time around, I had more songs than I could even record," Rhett continues. "This [new album, my third] is all over the place, just like the last one -- a very, very throwback record, in all aspects of the name. I’m so excited to get new music out to the fans."

Rhett wrote seven of the 13 songs on Tangled Up, but says that he worked hard to have even more songwriting credits on his forthcoming project.

"To me, the best song wins when I’m recording a record," Rhett says. "I would love to write every song, but there’s songs that I get sent that I’m like, ‘That just beats everything I have in that category.’ I’m always a sucker for the best songs.

"Not everyone can say what I want to say," Rhett adds. "So if I’m writing a song about something personal, I definitely want to be involved in writing the song. In this [next] record, I probably wrote about 90 percent; it was a really good year for writing."

However, Rhett might have to complete his new set of tunes on the road: The 26-year-old recently announced more dates for his 2017 Home Team Tour. Included in those new dates are two shows at Nashville's Ascend Amphitheatre, after the first one quickly sold out.

"I’m thanking my lucky stars," says Rhett. "We got lucky with a good package ... To put Nashville on sale, and it sells out, and we get to add a second night ... I’m just so excited to play my first big show in Nashville. For the tour to be extended is just a plus."

A list of all of Rhett's upcoming shows is available on his website. The 59th annual Grammy Awards will take place in Los Angeles on Feb. 12. The Late Late Show host James Corden will host the televised ceremony, which will begin at 8PM ET on CBS; the pre-telecast Premiere Ceremony will begin at 3:30PM ET and be available to stream online.

The Boot will be staying up late covering the most buzzed-about country winners, fashion and moments at the 2017 Grammy Awards. Readers can watch along with us by checking back to TheBoot.com for the latest Grammys headlines, liking The Boot on Facebook and following The Boot on Twitter.

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