Jimmie Allen’s ‘Make Me Want To’ Was Inspired by Historical Event

Jimmie Allen had a No. 1 hit with his debut “Best Shot” single, and is now back at radio with the song’s follow-up, “Make Me Want To.” Allen wrote the song with Paul Sikes and Jennifer Denmark, about professing love early in a relationship, and was inspired by a historical event

“I wrote it about a guy that catches feelings fast,” Allen told PopCulture.com. “He’s ready to tell a girl he loves her after the first date. And I feel like, it’s never too soon to tell someone you love them, but it can be too late. So I’d rather, if you got feelings, if you love an hour in, if you love them two days in… People try to say that’s not possible, but I’m a fan of the Renaissance days where there weren’t any distractions with social media and everything, and we could just focus on that one person in your life.

“I felt like love was sooner back then and it was a lot stronger because, we look at Francis, the Prince and then King of Spain and Mary from Scotland,” he continued. “People forget they were young. He was like 16 when he died from malaria and she was like 14. And they were literally in love back then. I wasn’t around back then. I definitely wish I could have been there to experience the pureness of relationships and love back then.”

“Make Me Want To” is the second single from Allen’s successful Mercury Lane freshman record, with most of the songs inspired by Allen’s eclectic upbringing..

“Mercury Lane is the street I grew up on in Delaware, in this town called Milton,” Allen said. “I learned so much about how to be a man, and be father, to never give up, to chase your dreams not matter what and it’s been great. And I felt like I wanted to put songs on the album that would resonate with different groups of people. I didn’t wanna make an album and say, ‘Okay, I want to just make a country record, or just a pop record, or a rock record, or R&B record.’

“I’m a country boy,” he continued. “I grew up in a small town, but I love the stories in country music. I love he stories in Christian music. I love the feel and melodies in pop and R&B, and I love the groove in Hip-Hop, and some of the chord changes that they have in jazz and I try to find a way to incorporate them all.”

Photo Credit: Getty / Terry Wyatt