Brett Young Talks New Album, ‘2.0,’ And The Evolution Of His Life And Career [Exclusive]

Ten years into a career that’s racked up seven No. 1 hits alongside a catalog of emotional and authentic anthems, Brett Young has found himself in a season of reflection and growth. The result is 2.0, a project that’s offers a deeply personal look into his current chapter of life as country singer, husband and a father.

The new album, out now via Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment, was co-written entirely by Young and features collaborations with Lady A, Hannah McFarland and George Birge.

Choosing The Project’s Title

The story behind the title, “2.0,” originally stemmed from Young’s newly recorded version of his early hit – “In Case You Didn’t Know 2.0.” The latest recording features not only an added voice, but also a new verse written by his duet partner, Hannah McFarland. Young explained that while the idea to use the song’s updated title to sum up the album was always on the table, it eventually took on a broader meaning.

“I just started thinking through where I’m at in my life and what the last year and a half has been like, what’s been significantly different or seemed significant in general. And the thing that really stuck out is health and wellness and the perspective shift of focusing on being healthy and being around for my family. And so ‘2.0,’ not only being the new version of ‘In Case You Didn’t know’ that we have on the record, but also kind of 2.0 being Brett 2.0, the chapter of life that I’m in,” he explained to Country Now.

Working With Hannah McFarland

According to Young, Hannah McFarland was the perfect voice to bring a fresh perspective to his fan-favorite tune. He discovered her on social media and, at the time, had no idea where she was in her career. All he knew was that her voice was something special. So much so, that he compared her talent to that of Lee Ann Womack.

“I just fell in love with her voice on Instagram,” he explained. “And so I didn’t know if she had anything going on. But when I had the idea to do ‘In Case You Didn’t Know’ specifically, and I don’t know what the reason is, but I just knew that I didn’t want a name that anybody knew. People already know the song. So I wanted it to be somebody new, and I wanted it to sound fresh and interesting.”

Listen

Current Single, “Drink With You”

“In Case You Didn’t Know” sits as the final track on the 11-song album while Brett Young’s current single “Drink With You” claims the top spot. The temptation-fueled track kickstarts the project on a lighter, yet universally relatable note.

Penned by Young with Emily Weisband, Jesse Frasure and Tony Lucca, the steamy storyline captures the emotions of a couple who acknowledges that nothing good will come if they give into the temptations and find themselves having a drink together under the moonlight. The chorus builds that tension with vivid imagery before leading to a moment of clarity.

Young says the writing process for this song was a fun one, as it gave him and his fellow songwriters the chance to illustrate the classic story of someone reaching out to an ex “that they definitely have no business getting back with,” he said while recalling the creative session.

“We realized as we were talking through it that it’s not like some people, it’s everybody. And so we went, okay, this is universally relatable. And so in recognizing that, we just went full assumption mode, we are going to assume everybody knows exactly what we’re talking about in this song.”

Locking Down 11 Tracks

In between “Drink With You” and “In Case You Didn’t Know 2.0,” listeners will find a more grounded version of Brett Young coming through the remainder of the narratives. Young’s laid-back West Coast sounds layered with nostalgic ‘90s country instrumentation elevates the narratives as he reflects on trying to balance life as a chart-topping artist with his roles as a husband and a father.

He goes on to explain that the track list was carefully curated from a much larger batch of songs. Young admits the process was a challenge, especially in an era where artists are releasing massive albums, but he chose to focus on creating something cohesive and honest.

“It’s always hard not to do what a lot of people are doing, namely Morgan [Wallen] and Luke [Combs] and guys like that right now putting 20 plus songs on a record, I have so many songs that I’m sitting on, but the process of whittling it down to make the record, it is always difficult…this chapter of my life is very significant, but there’s still all the songs you would expect from me on a record. You have heartbreak, you have love songs, there’s a little bit of everything. And that is the album.”

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Collaborations With Lady A And George Birge

Among the most personal moments is “Who I Do It For,” a standout collaboration with Lady A that touches on the emotional toll of being away from family as a touring artist and feeling the depths of “dad guilt.”

“I have this crazy dad guilt,” he admits. “And so one of the things I have to remind myself all the time is that a certain time in their life, they’re going to be old enough to understand. And I just pray that comes sooner than later and that we’re doing a good job of explaining that me being gone isn’t me not wanting to be with them. It’s actually me wanting to take care of them.”

That theme of growth and perspective also comes alive on “You Don’t Know What You’re Missing,” featuring George Birge. The song flips the script to portray a younger Brett, back when he was a single guy who thought settling down was the end of all the fun in life. Now, as a family man, he admits he had it all wrong and he knew Birge would help him get that message across to fans.

“I called a couple buddies in town, Riley Green is a writer on that song with me as well, and by the time we were ready to put a feature on it, Riley had done a bunch of features, and he had just released an album, and we wanted somebody kind of young on the scene. I know George has been around for a long time, but he’s finally getting paid his due, in my opinion. And even though George is seemingly this young guy on the scene, he also is married with children, so he gets both sides of the conversation. It just felt like a perfect blend and we asked him to be on it, and he absolutely crushed it.”

The full-length album weaves together moments of vulnerability, celebration, and wisdom, all grounded in the authentic storytelling fans have come to love from Brett Young over the years. As he continues to evolve both personally and professionally, 2.0 stands as a testament to where he’s been, where he is now, and the journey still ahead.

2.0 Track List:

1. Drink With You 

(Brett Young, Jesse Frasure, Tony Lucca, Emily Weisband)

2. Kiss To Forget 

(Young, Ashley Gorley, Jon Nite, Jimmy Robbins)

3. Who I Do It For 

(featuring Lady A) (Young, Nite, Kyle Schlienger)

4. Goodnight Into Good Morning 

(Young, Nite, Robbins)

5. That Ain’t Yours 

(Young, Adam Hambrick, Robbins)

6. You Don’t Know What You’re Missing 

(featuring George Birge) (Young, Riley Green, Erik Dylan, Nite)

7. Full House

(Young, Ross Copperman, Nite)

8. Tastes Like You

 (Young, Justin Ebach, Noah Needleman, Nite)

9. You Still Got It

(Young, Dave Pittenger, Justin Wilson)

10. Say Less 

(Young, Ben Caver, Ebach)

11. In Case You Didn’t Know 2.0 (featuring Hannah McFarland) 

(Young, Tyler Reeve, Schlienger, Trent Tomlinson)

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Tonight, Brett Young continues his Back to Basics World Tour 2025 with a show in Rama, ON. Afterward, he’ll resume touring on July 25, making stops across Virginia, Ohio, California, and back to Ontario, Canada before heading overseas. With upcoming dates in Sweden, Denmark, the UK, and beyond, Young has an exciting and busy few months on the road ahead.