Celebrate the Heart of Country, Americana, and Roots Music!

Drop Us A Line, Y'all

Y'all interested in advertising, partnering up, contributing stories, joining our team, or just got a question? Well, don't be shy, drop us a line!

Follow Us

Fans Coming Up To Chris Young With Tears In Their Eyes After Listening to “Drowning”

by
  • Arden is a Senior Country Music Journalist for Country Thang Daily, specializing in classic hits and contemporary chart-toppers.
  • Prior to joining Country Thang Daily, Arden wrote for Billboard and People magazine, covering country music legends and emerging artists.
  • Arden holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Tennessee, with a minor in Music Studies.

When Chris Young debuted his extremely emotional new song, “Drowning,” at the Grand Ole Opry in early June 2019, he couldn’t help but break down midway through the performance.

“I thought I was okay at the end of the first chorus, but by verse two, I knew I was in trouble,” Young recalled to People. “I tried my best to pull myself together, but I just couldn’t. And then the audience all stood up and started applauding, and that was it. I couldn’t finish the song.”

RELATED: Who Is Chris Young And What Journey Has He Been On?

“Drowning” will appear on Young’s upcoming album, Raised on Country. The project’s full details have yet to be announced, and Young doesn’t even have a release date because “releasing anything right now is a little bit different” due to the pandemic. But the country star has been teasing collaborations with Lauren Alaina, Kane Brown, and Brad Paisley.

A Song Coming From A Heavy Place

Written by Chris Young with frequent collaborators Corey Crowder and Josh Hoge, “Drowning” is a song that deals with the grief that comes from losing someone important in your life.

In a press release, Young explained that when he wrote the song with Crowder and Hoge, they were each thinking of “someone that we lost way too soon.” And for Young, that was a best friend named Adam, who died in a car accident a few years ago. Young found himself thinking about his longtime friend, and the lyrics literally started falling out of his broken heart.

RELATED: Here Are 15 Chris Young Songs That Are Seriously Spine Chilling

“So, I’m gonna pull out pictures, ones with you in ’em. Laugh and cry a little while reminiscing. By myself, I can’t help that all I think about is how you were taken way too soon. It ain’t the same here without you. I gotta say, missing you comes in waves. And tonight I’m drowning,” the song goes.

Since the beginning of his career, Adam had been by Young’s side, even in 2006 while filming the reality television show. “Adam used to drive over and sit with me in the parking lot of Nashville Star,” Young recalled of Adam, whom he met after high school.

 “We had everyone convinced that we were brothers,” he laughingly said. “We got to know each other’s families really well.”

But Adam left too soon. Ever since then, the country star had not spoken or written music about Adam’s death until “Drowning.” 

“The song is still very open-ended because we wanted to make sure that it was a song that really anyone could relate to,” Young said. “But yes, it’s definitely my way to pay tribute to Adam.”

Even though the song came from such a heavy place, it’s in no way a burden. Young has been surprised and pleased by the number of people who have approached him with their personal stories. The song peaked at No. 18 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

Young said Adam’s family also reached out after they heard the song, and that, “They loved it, and they appreciated me honoring his memory with this song. And yeah, that makes me feel great.”

But when it comes to Adam, he hopes he is listening.

“I think he would be proud of it,” the singer said. “I did hear from his family — they loved it, and they appreciated me honoring his memory with this song. And yeah, that makes me feel great.”

You can listen to the heart wrenching “Drowning” in the video below.

Latest Stories

Blake Shelton smiles on stage with guitar and mic during Vegas show, putting his own spin on George Strait’s classic.

Blake Shelton Nails George Strait Classic With His Own Spin on “All My Ex’s Live in Texas”

Sometimes you don’t mess with a George Strait classic, unless you’re Blake Shelton standing under the Vegas lights with a grin that says you’re about to pay tribute and stir ...

Dolly Parton smiles during Khloé podcast interview, sitting by mic and lamp as she shares why she won't stop sharing faith.

Dolly Parton Says People Tell Her To Stop Talking About Her Faith But She Won’t Listen

If there’s one thing you can count on Dolly Parton for, it’s that she’ll say exactly what’s on her heart and not give a single rhinestone what anyone thinks. In ...

Little Mississippi boy in plaid shirt smiles at mic during preschool graduation where he recited New Testament books and sang a George Strait classic.

4-Year-Old Boy Recites New Testament Books Then Belts Out ‘All My Ex’s Live in Texas’

If there’s ever been a preschool graduation that screams “God bless the South,” this is it. Somewhere in Mississippi, a four-year-old kid just made the entire congregation beam with pride ...

Young George Strait smiling on stage playing guitar in 1987 when “All My Ex’s Live in Texas” hit No. 1 and proved he ran country.

On This Day in 1987, George Strait Hit No. 1 with ‘All My Ex’s Live in Texas’ and Proved He Ran Country

Sometimes a song just cements your throne forever, and for George Strait, it was a little tongue-in-cheek love letter that made every Texan proud to claim him as their king. ...

Scotty McCreery with his wife and both grandmothers, who he revealed passed away hours apart in a heartbreaking double loss.

Scotty McCreery Reveals Both His Grandmothers Died Hours Apart in Heartbreaking Double Loss

You just don’t see some country heartbreaks coming, and this one hit Scotty McCreery straight in the soul. This week, the North Carolina native and Opry favorite shared the gut-wrenching ...

Brooks & Dunn performing on stage together, fitting their story about admitting they struggled to get along for years.

Brooks and Dunn Admit They Struggled to Get Along for Years and Tried to Blow It Real Hard

Country music’s greatest duo was basically a bar fight waiting to happen. When Brooks & Dunn stormed out of the gate with “Brand New Man” in 1991, it looked like ...

LeAnn Rimes and Eddie Cibrian smiling outdoors, not taken when she spoke about feeling hated after their affair scandal.

LeAnn Rimes Says So Many Women Hated Her After Affair With Eddie Cibrian and She Felt Like a Target

Ain’t every country ballad pretty, and LeAnn Rimes knows her verse is messy as hell. View this post on Instagram A post shared by leann rimes cibrian (@leannrimes) Back in ...

Jana Kramer with husband Allan Russell and her kids outdoors, not taken when she admitted she sometimes skips sunscreen.

Jana Kramer Admits She Skips Sunscreen Sometimes on Her Kids and Feels Fine About It

“Come at me.” That’s Jana Kramer’s whole vibe right now, and boy, they sure are. Turns out you don’t have to drop a scandalous album or torch an ex on ...

Kenny Rogers’ twin sons Justin and Jordan just turned 21 and fans say they look just like the late country music legend now.

Kenny Rogers’ Twin Sons Just Turned 21 and Fans Say They Look Just Like Him Now

A couple of chocolate cakes, two wide grins, and a whole lot of “They look just like their daddy”. That’s how Kenny Rogers’ twin sons rang in their milestone 21st ...

Waylon Jennings once called Garth Brooks the most insincere person he ever saw

Waylon Jennings Once Said Garth Brooks Was the Most Insincere Person He Ever Saw

Sometimes you need an old outlaw to call out what everyone else is too polite to say out loud. Back when Nashville was shape-shifting in the ’80s and ’90s, country ...

Leave a Comment

For security, use of Google's reCAPTCHA service is required which is subject to the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.