Drew Baldridge Says Men ‘Can’t Just Go Halfway’ In Love As He Reflects On ‘Deserve Her’ Ahead Of Valentine’s Day [Exclusive]

As Valentine’s Day approaches, Drew Baldridge is reminding men what it really means to “Deserve Her.”

Last year, the chart-topping artist released “Deserve Her,” a heartfelt ballad that challenges men to step up and earn the love of their other halves every single day, not just every once in a while or on special occasions. Co-written by Baldridge alongside Harper Grace and Kyle Schlienger, the poignant track makes it clear that love takes effort, honesty, and showing up even in the small, everyday moments.

“You gotta hold her when she’s broken/ And be the rock when she slides/ She’s gotta know she’s more than a moment/ She’s gotta know you’re on her side/ And if you talk about forever/ There better be truth behind the words/ Oh boy you can’t just want her/ If you really want this to work/ You gotta deserve her,” he urges on the chorus.

The song has truly raised its hand not only during the Illinois native’s live shows, but also on streaming platforms — so much so that Baldridge revealed it was “almost a single.” As the track continues to gain momentum, Baldridge opened up to Country Now ahead of his performance at Conservation Aid at the Grand Ole Opry about the meaning behind it and how he hopes it will inspire some men to really step it up in their relationships.

“I always like to say it’s like the sequel to ‘She’s Somebody’s Daughter.’ [That song was] about women knowing their worth. This is a song about deserving the girl that you’re with. You can’t just go halfway,” he pointed out. “If you’re just going halfway, somebody’s losing. And that’s what this song’s about. It’s like, you can’t just take her out one night and make her feel special. You got to dance with her in the kitchen in her socks. And you got to go buy her flowers on days that aren’t Valentine’s Day. And you just can’t go to church with her on Sundays. It’s about praying over her every night. And I just think this is a message that girls really need in their lives. And so with it being close to Valentine’s Day, I hope there’s some guys out there that are just really deserving their woman at this time.”

The message hits close to home for Baldridge, who has been with his wife, Katie, for a decade.

“I’ve been in a relationship with my wife for 10 years and I’ve learned that love is not easy. Marriage is not easy. Marriage is hard. You’ve got to put in more effort than you think you do,” he added.

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, Drew Baldridge shared that their plans for the holiday will be pretty low-key. With Katie expecting their second son in the coming weeks, the couple is opting to keep things simple this year.

“Well, our big Valentine’s Day is spaghetti in. I’m on the road a lot. And so if we just have a Valentine’s Day where it’s us, we don’t really go out and do big dinners, especially now that she’s due in a month and a half. It’s mainly just spending time with my son. Him being a part of it also is something that we’re big on. So we’ll probably just have a spaghetti dinner in, stay at home, not fight the crowds, not travel anywhere because we do so much of that all year long,” he revealed.

Speaking of the new baby, Baldridge shared that his 3-year-old son, Lyric, is very excited to become a big brother and has spent a lot of time talking and singing to their unborn son.

“He is always touching mama’s belly and saying, ‘Brother, brother.’…it’s just the coolest thing ever seeing him, like he’ll sing to our little boy in mama’s belly. He’ll sit there and sing or act like he’s playing his guitar, stick his head in, blow on her belly. It’s just so fun. And I just can’t wait to see him react and how he’s going to be as a big brother.”