Courtesy of Big Machine Records
NASHVILLE, TN (June 24, 2022) – KRISTIAN BUSH is known for bringing summertime smiles, and now he’s turned up the sunshine for volume two of his four-album layered release, 52. Packed with 16 songs that evoke sweet thoughts of warm sunsets, frosty drinks and tan skin, 52 – IN THE KEY OF SUMMER, is out now via Big Machine Records. Nostalgia-soaked and sensory-laden tracks such as “Everybody Needs A Somebody,” “When This Shirt Was New” and “Tequila” amplify this top-shelf collection.
“When you look at songs as colors, these are the colors of summer,” Kristian says. “Rarely do you get to put out a record that coincides with what’s going on outside your window.”
The singer/songwriter explains each new song embodies a core characteristic of the season. “Everybody Needs A Somebody,” which he co-wrote with fellow country singer Lindsay Ell and Ellis Paul, prompts listeners to appreciate their closest relationships in a new way.
“There’s a lyric in there that’s the calling card for this song. It goes: ‘It’s who you call at two o’clock in the afternoon | Not who you call at 2 a.m. alone inside your room,'” Kristian says. “When you start to think about who those people are in your life, that’s where that song really lives.”
“When This Shirt Was New,” which Kristian co-wrote with Connie Harrington, is a sonic time capsule expressing so much more than just a simple object.
“It’s a very reminiscent time,” he says. “Every summer, you think about last summer. Time does some beautiful things to your memory and your shirt.”
“Tequila” is a buzzy singalong that pokes the veil between perception and reality.
“There’s nothing more intoxicating than the arresting beauty of a dancing woman in a long dress,” Kristian says.
Kristian co-wrote 15 of the 16 songs on 52 – IN THE KEY OF SUMMER, and his collaborators are a who’s who of the music industry. In addition to Ell and Paul, the multi-instrumentalist also shares writing credit on this album with Brett Eldredge, Zac Brown Band’s Coy Bowles, JT Harding and more.
“Now that I’m halfway into this process of putting out an entire album every three months, I have noticed that I’m releasing music at the speed of attention spans,” Kristian says. “It seems that we’re moving fast, and the idea of putting one song or one record out a year is just not fast enough. I’m just making your summer playlist of my songs for you.”
Kristian also co-hosts “52 – The Podcast” weekly with acclaimed country music journalist Cindy Watts. The pair discuss the connections between his most popular songs with the new tracks on 52. LISTEN HERE.
Leaning into his rich experience as a true artist who has thrived in multiple formats, Kristian embraces his diverse musical legacy with 52. The four-volume collection is the follow-up to his critically acclaimed 2015 solo debut SOUTHERN GRAVITY. His eclectic career also includes successful runs with Folk-Rock duo Billy Pilgrim, Rock Jam band Dark Water and MULTI-PLATINUM Country duo Sugarland. 52 nods at each of those creative iterations with upcoming releases themed around Country Rock and love slated to debut this fall and early 2023.
52 – IN THE KEY OF SUMMER TRACK LIST:
1. Hail Mary | Written by Andrew DeRoberts, Adam Hambrick, Steve Moakler
2. Tangled Up | Written by Kristian Bush, Brandon Bush, Tim Owens, Benji Shanks
3. Everybody Needs A Somebody | Written by Kristian Bush, Lindsay Ell, Ellis Paul
4. When This Shirt Was New | Written by Kristian Bush, Connie Harrington
5. The Mmm Song | Written by Kristian Bush, Bob DePiero, Andrew DeRoberts
6. Faded | Written by Kristian Bush, Coy Bowles, Benji Shanks
7. House Band | Written by Kristian Bush, Travis Hill
8. Put A Smile On It | Written by Kristian Bush, Brandon Bush Tim Owens
9. Headphones | Written by Kristian Bush, Sam Hollander, Stephen Ruchelman
10. Tequila | Written by Kristian Bush, JT Harding
11. What Goes Up | Written by Kristian Bush, Connie Harrington
12. Soft Place To Fall | Written by Kristian Bush, Taylor Davis
13. Waking Up Lazy | Written by Kristian Bush, Mickey Jack Cones, Taylor Davis
14. Working My Way Down | Written by Kristian Bush, Brandon Bush, Brett Eldredge, Tim Owens
15. Don’t This Life Just Kill You | Written by Kristian Bush, Marv Green
16. You Can’t Stop The Sun From Going Down | Written by Kristian Bush, Monty Powell
