Luke Bryan Does a Dramatic Reading of New Song ‘Hooked on It’

Luke Bryan‘s new album, What Makes You Country is set for release on Dec. 8, and the country star has been teasing fans with new music in the lead-up to the launch. His latest track, “Hooked On It,” is an ode to growing up in a small Southern town, and the singer shared a special video with fans to celebrate the song.

Hearing the country star somberly read lyrics like “First time I tied a plastic worm and felt him on the other end / It was get the net, get him in the boat / Yeah buddy, I was hooked on it,” is certainly a departure from Bryan’s normally energetic delivery, and certainly paints the song in a bit of a different light.

The violin music in the background only serves to make the video more dramatic, as do Bryan’s facial expressions as he recites the song, which was co-written by Bryan, Dallas Davidson and David Lee Murphy.

In addition to his new album, Bryan is also gearing up to serve as a judge on the reboot of American Idol, which premieres on ABC in the spring. Bryan will sit on the panel alongside Lionel Richie and Katy Perry, and the trio told Variety that none of them are planning on taking the Simon Cowell role.

“We’re artists, not record company executives or critics,” Bryan explained. “These 15- and 16 year-olds are still a couple of years away, but you can see their promise, the potential. We’re not there to discourage them. If we word it wrong, they may give up all up.”

“We’ll tell these contestants to give us all they’ve got, and then I find myself asking myself the same thing,” he added. “When you hear that God has laid his hand on these people’s voices, it makes you want to go out and be a better artist yourself.”

Photo Credit: Facebook / Luke Bryan