Luke Bryan Reflects on 22nd No. 1 Hit With 'What Makes You Country'

Luke Bryan is celebrating his 22nd No. 1 hit with 'What Makes You Country' — the title track [...]

Luke Bryan is celebrating his 22nd No. 1 hit with "What Makes You Country" — the title track song and fourth single from his sixth studio album.

"We reminisced our childhoods and how we were raised when we got together to write this one," Bryan said in a statement of the song, which he wrote with Dallas Davison and Ashley Gorley. "A small town upbringing learning work ethic, manners, how to hunt and fish. Just living and enjoying life. I'm proud to be country and that I've been able to follow all my dreams and still remain true to who I am."

The Georgia native credited his rural upbringing with giving him the inspiration for the hit song.

"I think that what makes me country is where I was raised — Leesburg, Georgia — how I was brought up saying 'Yes sir,' 'No sir,' 'Yes, ma'am,' 'No, ma'am,' hopefully with manners and raised with a work ethic and raised in the outdoors fishing and hunting and playing sports." Bryan acknowledged in a press release. "I would say definitely it starts with my small-town upbringing and how we were raised; church on Sundays as much as we could. But just enjoying life and living life in a small town."

Bryan is proud of how he was raised, and especially how his childhood became the launching pad for his successful career.

"What makes me proud to be country is the fact that I've navigated so many aspects of this career and held onto being country in a lot of ways," Bryan shared in a video detailing the making of his single's music video. "I've gotten to follow all of my dreams and still remain true to who I am as a person. Be proud of what makes you country — there's room for everybody to be country."

Bryan will soon kick off his second season of American Idol, working alongside Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, with Ryan Seacrest again returning as host.

"Second season of Idol — I'm more excited this year because I know what to expect," Bryan said. "I'm not going to be scared the whole time. The fact that me and Lionel and Katy and Ryan we have one season under our belt, we know how much we can have fun with one another.

"We know how serious the contestants take it," he continued. "We're excited. I know we're more excited than last year, just because we know what to expect. It's gonna be a lot of surprises and a lot of fun."

American Idol kicks off on Sunday, March 3 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Photo Credit: Getty / Jeff Kravitz

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