Country music superstar Luke Bryan is always keeping it real and he recently shared a pretty funny story about a song that slipped through his fingers. Turns out he "stupidly" passed on a track that went on to become a massive hit for another artist Morgan Wallen . And the reason why? Well it's a bit of a head-scratcher involving trucks of all things!
"Sand in My Boots" Slip-Up: Luke Bryan Admits He Missed Out on a Morgan Wallen Smash Hit Due to Truck Song Fatigue
During a chat on Bobby Bones' podcast BobbyCast Luke Bryan spilled the beans about turning down Morgan Wallen's chart-topper " Sand in My Boots ." Bobby Bones asked Luke if he's been picking different kinds of songs lately and Luke mentioned Lainey Wilson's "4x4xU" as an example. Then he dropped the bombshell about "Sand in My Boots."
Luke explained that back in the day he felt like he had sung about trucks maybe a little too much. He joked "There was a point in my career where I had sang about trucks enough to where I passed stupidly on the Morgan [song] ‘Sand in My Boots’ because it had Chevrolet in it." Yep you heard that right. The line in the song "dodging potholes in my sunburnt Silverado" with the Chevy truck mention made Luke hesitate.
He confessed he was in a phase where he was overthinking his "truck song" image. Luke said "I just went through two years of my life where I was like Man I sing about trucks a lot I sing about tailgates." He felt like he was getting a bit pigeonholed as a "one-trick pony" known only for those kinds of songs. Who knew truck songs could cause such a dilemma?
From Spring Break Anthems to American Idol Judge: Luke Bryan's Evolving Career and Personality
Luke talked about his early career vibe when he was making "spring break stuff" and trying to appeal to the college crowd. He realized that maybe it was "time to move on" from being just the "fun-loving" spring break guy. He admitted "It didn’t get weird. It just felt like you know it’s time to move on from maybe the spring break me trying to sing college songs. But it was fun for me and it was awesome…"
Luke is totally aware of his image as the "fun" country star. He even joked "If I don’t get male vocalist of the year [honors] and Grammys because I may be known as the guy that has had fun throughout his career and put out a lot of fun songs I’m cool with that." He seems pretty comfortable with his place in country music even if it means being known for those party anthems.
Some of Luke's big hits that fit into this "bro-country" or truck song category include tracks like "That's My Kind of Night" "This Is How We Roll" and "We Rode in Trucks." He even acknowledged back in 2018 that while those songs were fun he knew there was more to country music and life than just trucks and tailgates. He said he wanted to "move the needle" beyond those topics.
American Idol Judge Almost Said "No Thanks!": Luke Bryan's Surprising Hesitation and Superstar Friends Who Changed His Mind
Speaking of career changes did you know Luke Bryan was not exactly jumping at the chance to become an American Idol judge ? Yep he admitted he was "70% against it to start" when ABC first approached him for the reboot back in 2018. He was already selling out stadiums and loving life as a touring country star. He thought "Life was so good just being [a country music singer]." He did not really want to go to L.A. or New York for meetings.
But ABC and American Idol were persistent. They flew execs down to Florida to convince him. Luke told them "I’m really probably not interested." He even joked that they did not realize he was doing just fine financially without the show. So what changed his mind?
His superstar buddies Blake Shelton and Keith Urban. Luke reached out to Blake who was a mentor on The Voice and Keith who was an American Idol judge before. Blake told him " TV opens up another domain and dynamic" and Keith said he "had loved it." That advice from trusted friends helped sway Luke. And then there was the salary negotiation. Luke said he and his manager threw out a "crazy number" and laughing he admitted "Dit they paid it." So American Idol got Luke Bryan and he has been a fantastic judge for seven seasons now alongside Lionel Richie and Katy Perry and now Carrie Underwood!
Key Takeaways: Luke Bryan's Career Moves and Funny Confessions
- Missed Hit: Luke Bryan "stupidly" passed on Morgan Wallen's "Sand in My Boots" because it mentioned a Chevrolet truck feeling he sang about trucks too much.
- Truck Song Fatigue: Luke felt pigeonholed as a "one-trick pony" for his truck and tailgate anthems wanting to evolve beyond that image.
- Spring Break Era: Luke acknowledged his "spring break" persona appealing to college-age fans but felt it was time to move on.
- Comfortable with Fun Image: Luke is okay with being known for fun party songs even if it means missing out on certain awards.
- American Idol Hesitation: Luke was initially "70% against" joining American Idol feeling he did not need it and preferring his stadium tour life.
- Friends Advice: Blake Shelton and Keith Urban convinced Luke that doing TV would be a good move opening new doors.
- Crazy Salary: Luke jokingly admitted that a "crazy number" salary offer helped seal the deal for him to become an American Idol judge.
Luke Bryan: From Truck Songs to TV Judge and Still Keeping it Real
So there you have it. Luke Bryan is a guy who can laugh at himself admit his mistakes and keep evolving his career. Even though he missed out on a huge hit song because of truck overload he is still doing just fine. And while he was hesitant to join American Idol it seems like it was the right decision in the end. From singing about trucks and tailgates to judging singing competitions Luke Bryan continues to be a relatable and entertaining figure in country music and beyond.