Chris Young Gets Personal on Deeply Moving New Single, ‘Drowning’
The touching ballad was inspired by the loss of a close friend.
Baritone-singing hit maker Chris Young digs deep into personal tragedy for his soul-baring new song, “Drowning,” which was officially released today (June 14th).
Built around a poignant piano and reverent rhythm — with grief and fond memories seeming to blend together inside Young’s hushed vocal — the star co-wrote his heartfelt ballad with longtime collaborators Corey Crowder and Josh Hoge about the untimely loss of a close friend.
“We wrote it really opened ended because everybody in the room was thinking about someone different,” he told SiriusXM’s Storme Warren, saying it was Crowder who had the idea for the song’s hook — “I’ve gotta say, missing you comes in waves / And tonight I’m drowning.” “I was like ‘Yeah we’re writing that.’ And now we’re all gonna try not to cry every time we play it. It’s just a really powerful song, and one of my favorite things I’ve ever written.”
Young actually did break down and cry during one recent performance of the song — having to stop singing entirely while attempting to debut it live on the Grand Ole Opry. He turned around and tried to reset, but instead the crowd just stood up and started applauding his moment of true vulnerability. Young says knowing how much the song means to him — and then seeing how fans have reacted to it — he knew it had to be his next release.
“Last week, I debuted my new tune ‘Drowning’ at the @opry and broke down in the middle of it,” he posted on Instagram. “Since then so many people have shared stories of loved ones lost and how they have connected to this song. I want you guys to have this one, and make it your own, so I’m going to release it this Friday.”
“Drowning” follows Young’s brawny “Raised On Country” as the next taste of his upcoming Raised On Country album — which is currently in the works and will mark his eighth studio project. He’ll be all over the road this summer headlining the Raised On Country Tour with guests Chris Janson, Jimmie Allen, LOCASH and Dylan Scott.
