Thomas Rhett released his highly-anticipated seventh studio album, About a Woman, on Friday, August 23. The country star has opened up about the inspiration behind his inventive new batch of songs, and how the experimental record came together. “The vision for this album was just joy,” he says. “It’s this weird melting pot, and [producers] Julian [Bunetta] and Dann [Huff] figured out a way to make it feel progressive yet timeless. They’re both old souls.” The trio of musicians work together seamlessly due to the “neat old school versus new school collaboration that came with knowing the same music and the same sounds in the same way.”

Rhett has four children with his wife of nearly 12 years, Lauren, who is his childhood sweetheart. The importance of love and family is threaded throughout Rhett’s new collection, while he is slyly looking for approval of his current songs from his kids. “On the way to school, I’m playing a new demo and I’m watching if they start moving or if they’re asking to hear it again,” he says. “So in a way, they influence a lot of the music. They can point out a bop.” (Billboard)