Luke Bryan on His New Album, ‘Signs’ and the Track Unlike Anything He’s Recorded Before: ‘I’ve Tried to Be the King of Not Overthinking Things’

“My fans have naturally kind of made me the guy that they go to to have fun,” says Luke Bryan .

It was with that thought in mind that the country superstar picked the songs for Signs, his ninth full-length studio album that comes out Sept.

18.

But as the artist who brought the world such good-timing party anthems like “Country Girl (Shake It for Me)” and “All My Friends Say,” ponders further, he notes that his fans equally respond to beautifully reflective songs like “Drink a Beer.” “A big thing you always hear from fans, too, is they want to hear songs of mine that throwback to where I was right when I came out and I feel like there’s several songs on this album that could be considered throwbacks,” he says.

“But there are also songs that reflect a more modern side, such as the title track, that gravitate towards pop-country.” So maybe, the American Idol judge figures, with Signs , he’s made an album that ticks all the boxes.

Bryan, who co-wrote two of the tracks on the set (“Fish Hunt Golf Drink” and “Crooked Rows of Corn”) says, he’s “really, really blessed.

By the time I make an album, I’ve had a lot of songs land in my lap [from outside songwriters]… But you know, the main thing with me is to just truly enjoy the process and try to make a well-rounded album, and I certainly feel like this is [one].” Bryan, who again played stadiums this summer with his buddy Jason Aldean (as well as arenas on his own Word on the Street Tour dates), talked to Billboard about making the album.

He began rolling out the track listing on Aug.

18 via a dedicated album website , and Billboard is exclusively revealing two more song titles, “Killer” and “Woods.” First single, “Country and She Knows It,” stands at No.

15 on Billboard ’s Country Airplay chart dated Aug.

29.

Billboard is announcing two more song titles on the new album, including “Killer.” That’s a song unlike any you’ve ever done before, from the perspective of a bullet in a gun.

It’s really deep subject matter, a really dark song — and really one of more well-written songs I’ve ever been a part of.

These boys [Davis Corley, Mark Addison Chandler and Nate Kenyon] that wrote this song really wrote something very unique and special, and they went out there on a limb.