“Old School” premieres June 25th with “Happy Birthday America” to follow on July 1st
Toby Keith will release his new Show Dog Nashville single “Old School” Friday, June 25th via all digital music platforms, a lyric video and an iHeartMedia world premiere across 125 country radio stations.
Written by Ryan Hurd, Maren Morris and Brett Tyler, and co-produced by Keith with Kenny Greenberg, “Old School” celebrates “small town sticking around.”
“When I first heard the demo, it reminded me of Steve Miller,” Keith says. “But it had a little bit of a rap to it – not unlike the can of worms I opened years ago with ‘I Wanna Talk About Me.’ Then it’s got the coolest melodic waterfall and I was like, ‘Yeah, I gotta cut this.'”
Additionally, another new track “Happy Birthday America” will be released on all platforms – and with a lyric video – July 1st. Keith will perform the song on Fox & Friends’ Summer Concert Series on July 2nd. Across the holiday weekend, he will host the iHeart July 4th Country Takeover special celebrating “land of the free and the home of the brave.”
“Happy Birthday America” was written solely by Keith on the back of a boat under a fireworks display in 2020. A buddy said, “Happy Fourth of July, big dog,” and Keith responded, “Happy birthday, America. Whatever’s left of you.” And, of course, he immediately thought about writing that thought in song. “It had been a screwed up 18 months,” Keith remembers. “I was seeing both sides having concern over the end of democracy. We’ve fought and divided almost to the point it’s only about power and winning. Charlie Daniels had a song saying ‘God save us all from religion.’ And I’m thinking, God save us all from politicians.”
Both songs hail from a new full-length studio album due in the fall.
Last week, Keith teamed with Brantley Gilbert and Hardy for “The Worst Country Song of All Time.” The song is a tongue-and-cheek look at the country genre and lifestyle.
Later this year, Keith will receive the Academy of Country Music’s prestigious Merle Haggard Spirit Award, honoring him for “following his own path, crafting great songs and epitomizing Merle’s spirit.” Keith is also currently nominated for induction in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. He recently resumed his Country Comes To Town Tour in Arizona and, earlier this month, raised another $1.4 million to help sick children and their families in Oklahoma through his OK Kids Korral.
