CURRENT SINGLE – “Country Again”
Thomas Rhett (TR) is celebrating his latest single, “Country Again,” becoming the 18th #1 song of his career this week. It happens the same week he was celebrating “Crash and Burn” landing at #1 on the charts back in 2015. Back then, Thomas shared the story of how he got his hands on the song that was co-written by Chris Stapleton and Jesse Frasure. “I remember being in the parking lot of my business manager’s office,” said Thomas, “and he was like, ‘Man, I have this demo that I want to play you that Chris Stapleton wrote.‘”
Some people may not know Thomas co-wrote his debut single, “Something to Do with My Hands,” with Chris, so he says, “We have been friends for years and I’ve always been such a huge fan and a huge supporter, And when I heard him sing ‘Crash and Burn,’ I was like, this isn’t the sad country song singing Chris Stapleton that I’ve been listening to for five years. This is crazy. What is this?”
Whatever it was, TR loved it and he says, “I just texted Chris and I was like, ‘Hey man, I heard this song you wrote called ‘Cash and Burn. If you ever wake up one day and decide that you don’t want anything to do with this song, please let me be the first person to have it.’”
As we now know Chris ended up giving the song to Thomas to record, but TR remembers reality setting in when he got the green light to record it. “I was like, okay, now I have it. How in the world am I gonna pull it off?” Because Thomas admits, “Chris singing a demo is the most terrifying thing for an artist to go in and try to re-create and make your own. We had to lower it like 12 keys cause I can’t sing near as high as Chris.”
But Thomas’ ended up recording a great version of “Crash and Burn,” which became a #1 song for him six years ago, and he says, “Now when I hear it, it feels like I was in the room writing it. That’s how close that song is to my heart. I am so thankful that he let me cut that song.”
Coincidentally, Jesse Frasure, who co-wrote “Crash and Burn” with Chris Stapleton, is the co-producer of Thomas’ new #1 song, “Country Again.”
Thomas Rhett – first heard Crash and Burn :55
“I remember being in the parking lot of my business manager’s office and he was like, ‘Man, I have this demo that I want to play you that Chris Stapleton wrote. ‘ And I wrote my first single ever with Chris Stapleton. We have been friends for years and I’ve always been such a huge fan and a huge supporter, And when I heard him sing ‘Crash and Burn,’ I was like, this isn’t the sad country song singing Chris Stapleton that I’ve been listening to for five years. This is crazy. What is this? So, I just texted Chris and I was like, ‘Hey man, I heard this song you wrote called ‘Cash and Burn. If you ever wake up one day and decide that you don’t want anything to do with this song, please let me be the first person to have it.’ And he texted me a couple months later and said, ‘Hey man, ‘Crash and Burn’ is all yours.’ And at that point it set in. I was like, okay, now I have it. How in the world am I gonna pull it off? Because Chris singing a demo is the most terrifying thing for an artist to go in and try to re-create and make your own. We had to lower it like 12 keys cause I can’t sing near as high as Chris. And now when I hear it, it feels like I was in the room writing it. That’s how close that song is to my heart. I am so thankful that he let me cut that song.”