When Brett Young sat down with his co-writer, Sean McConnell, to write his two week #1 song, “Mercy,” the two had never met before.  Brett was almost finished with his album, and when he met Shawn, he told him that his record label wanted him to write some more up-tempo songs, so that’s what he had in mind to write that day, but he says, “I immediately fell in love with Shawn when he said, ‘I don’t really care about that. I’d like to write whatever we’re going to write today and I’d like to write the best song we can write today.’”

Once it was established that they weren’t going to write a song to fit a certain mold, Brett says, “We kind of got onto each other’s past relationships. And when you’re talking about past relationships you’re always talking about ones that didn’t work out. And I don’t know, for whatever reason, I used the word mercy in the conversation and he goes, ‘That’s it. That’s the song.’  Then he started playing something on the guitar.”

From there, the song fell out, and now “Mercy” is Brett’s fourth consecutive #1 song off his debut album.  His next single will be a new song off his sophomore album, which he is currently working to complete.

Brett Young – story behind Mercy  :34

“’Mercy’ was supposed to be an up tempo song to make the first record and it was my first write with Sean McConnell.  And I went in and I said, ‘Hey, the label says we need more up tempo songs.’ And I immediately fell in love with Shawn when he said, ‘I don’t really care about that. I’d like to write whatever we’re going to write today and I’d like to write the best song we can write today.’  And we had never met before and so he wanted to talk and get to know each other.  And we kind of got onto each other’s past relationships. And when you’re talking about past relationships you’re always talking about ones that didn’t work out. And I don’t know, for whatever reason, I used the word mercy in the conversation and he goes, ‘That’s it. That’s the song.’  Then he started playing something on the guitar.”