Josh Gracin Sets New Platform With Hit Single "Good For You"

After taking some time off, Josh Gracin's new single "Good For You" is setting a new platform for his music moving forward as he steps back into the industry.

"I've always wanted to go way back in my roots and do something [with an] R&B and soul feel," Gracin told PopCulture.com. "So when I heard this [song] at the right time, I was like, 'I've got to do this, especially with the lyrics.' The lyrics tell a story, and to me that's what country music has always been about."

As long as that storytelling style is present in the country music world – which is something he is passionate about – Gracin feels free to have fun with new beats and styles. Sticking to the same style is not how Gracin would describe his approach.

"If you've listened to anything that I've recorded, it's been all over the map," noted the singer. "I mean, yes, it sounds like country and it sounds like me, but you can hear different genres in every single song and that's one of the things that the record guys back in the day used to tell me, 'Focus on the album and make it all from the same vein and find your niche.'"

Veering away from the norm and being all over the map is part of Gracin's niche, unlikely to change anytime soon.

"Going forward, I think you're going to see a lot more of that but I'm also going to keep doing me," Gracin expressed. "I feel that country music is the last genre that can change, grow, evolve and do different things and it certainly is doing that."

This movement in country music is a way for an artist like Gracin to compete with mainstream songs, while reaching an entirely new audience. After Gracin came in fourth on Season 2 of American Idol, his hits like "Nothin' to Lose," "Stay With Me," and "Favorite State of Mind" in the early 2000's, amplified his name. Although it's been seven years since his latest Redemption album, regardless of the gap in making music, Gracin already has a feeling of accomplishment.

"At this point in my career, if it went away tomorrow, I could say that I succeeded and that I did what I set out to do," Gracin said. "So now it's just making sure I get up on stage and make sure I give people who come to the show just an hour and a half or two hours of forgetting whatever their reality is. That's my goal and that's my job."

Another goal he has is to stay in communication with his fans, and the best way to do that is via social media.

"I do all of my own social media," boasted Gracin. "I have a little help but if you're seeing comments and likes, it's from me."

"My life is very much like I never left Michigan – where I was born and raised – I live every day like that and I try and treat people the way I want to be treated, that's the way I was raised. I think social media does that, it keeps you grounded and engaged with the fans."

In 2019, Gracin plans on getting back into the swing of things with writing and adding as many tour dates to the calendar as possible.

To purchase his new single "Good For You" download it on iTunes.