Michael Ray Admits He Loves a ‘Sad Country Song’ Even at His ‘Happiest’ Following Release of New Single ‘Whiskey and Rain’ (Exclusive)

There’s something about a sad country song that does it for Michael Ray. The hit music maker, known for singles like “Her World or Mine,” “Think a Little Less,” and “Kiss You in the Morning,” just pushed out another track titled “Whiskey and Rain,” and the lyrics are heartfelt and profound. While it’s no secret to fans that Ray is still going through a tough split from estranged wife Carly Pearce after she filed for divorce in June, in an exclusive interview with PopCulture.com, he revealed that he’s a sucker for a sappy country song whether he’s feeling sad or not.

“Even at my happiest, I love sad country songs,” Ray confessed during a segment of our PopCulture @ Home series. He noted that his new song, to him, has two different meanings. “What I loved about ‘Whiskey And Rain’ is it does have deep lyrics to it. And it does have a good story to it. And it’s just about going through stuff, and sometimes you just gotta go through it, weather the storm. And I love the fact that it kinda has two different meanings to it too. It’s going through it, you know, sometimes you gotta sit at the house, pour a whiskey, just hear the rain and go through it.”

He continued: “But know that tomorrow’s a new day and you got a brand new 24 to be better than you were yesterday. So it kinda has the two different meanings to it, to me at least. And I felt, like I said, it was just a great insight to the fans on what they can expect on the rest of this record.”

The 32-year-old has noted he appreciates the old sounds of country, the music he grew up on in the ’80s and ’90s. That was something he wanted to “conjoin” with today’s industry sounds as he brings a new record to life. Ray said as soon as he and his team heard “Whiskey And Rain” they knew that track embodied “everything that we’re wanting to [do]” in regards to the “direction” he wants to take this new record.

While Ray is still deciding whether he’s planning to drop an album or an EP next, saying “we had six songs cut already” that they plan on using, he is guaranteeing fans new music soon. With “Whiskey And Rain” being his primary focus, he’s unsure of a release date for either the album or EP due to the uncertainty of 2020 as we know it. “My buddy said this the other day, and it made so much sense. He goes, ‘Everybody’s saying 2021 like it’s just all going away, you know?’ And I’m like, ‘Man, you’re right.’ We don’t know when we’re going back out on the road,” Ray said.

While tour dates and other details are still up in the air, one thing is for sure, Ray is working on new music, and he’s thrilled for fans to hear it. For more on Michael Ray and your other favorite country music artists, keep it locked in at PopCulture.com.