Photo: Black River
Chris Young announced long-awaited details about his monumental 10th studio record.
Young teamed up with songwriters Dallas Davidson and Kyle Fishman on “I Didn't Come Here To Leave,” the single that takes on the same title as the country star’s upcoming album. Young unveiled the song as he announced the next chapter in his nearly 20-year career on Tuesday (July 8).
“At this point in my career, I hope someone listens to this album and says ‘Wow, he dug deep,’” Young said in a press release. “The funny thing is, I’m here saying ‘Yeah, it’s one of the best things I’ve ever made,’ and I believe it wholeheartedly. It’s wild to step back and see a really long list of things I’ve gotten to do already … But I didn’t come here to leave.”
Young co-wrote 11 of the 14 tracks that will appear on I Didn’t Come Here To Leave, which also includes his latest radio single, “Til The Last One Dies.” He said in a previous interview with iHeartCountry that “It’s just a beautiful song. …Ending a chorus with the hook line, ’11 real ones, one fake one, and I’ll love you ‘til the last one dies,’ is just absolutely chef’s kiss, gorgeous, beautiful way to say, ‘I love you.’”
“There’s been a lot of change — but none of it has felt anything other than perfect,” Young said when he released “Til The Last One Dies.” “I’ve been writing nonstop, and all last year I was like, ‘What am I going to do with all these songs?’ But somebody upstairs had a plan for me, because we’ve hit the ground running. This feels like such a new chapter and so invigorating for me as a creator, and that’s definitely an awesome thing.” Young added in his interview with iHeartCountry that he has “a career that I’m incredibly, incredibly grateful for,” and he’s “ready for the new chapter.”
I Didn’t Come Here To Leave, which was two years in the making, is due to release on October 17. That date is also the eight-year anniversary of Young’s induction into the legendary Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. Listen to the album’s title track here: