Jake Owen Gets Real About the Dark Side of ‘Making It’ in Nashville
Jake Owen admitted he might not have moved to Nashville if he had known “what happens when you make it.”
Photo Courtesy Jake Owen
Jake Owen is opening up like never before in the latest episode of God’s Country Podcast, reflecting on his Florida roots, moving to Nashville with no real plan, his longtime admiration for country supergroup Alabama, and the realities of fame—including the toll it’s taken on his family life.
Sitting down with Dan and Reid Isbell, known as The Brothers Hunt, Owen’s conversation turned deeply personal as he looked back on arriving in Music City as a young, naïve dreamer and reflected on where he is today.
“I came here with nothing and yesterday I was like, you know, looking out over my farm in my pool. By myself. Because weird… ’cause I came here with nothing and I’ve gained a whole lot when it, you know, when it comes to the, the business side of it, I feel like I’ve, I’ve done a lot of incredible things, but, I also came here with no children, no relationships 20, 22 years ago,” he shared. “And now I’m blessed to have two children. I’m blessed to have had two relationships that were fruitful and amazing.”
Owen, 44, went on to acknowledge the unexpected weight that came with his success in Nashville and even admitted he may not have moved there to chase his dreams if he had known how things would turn out.
“But I’ll say that like everything that I thought I moved here for… that I was looking for, I definitely fulfilled, but I also have been given a lot of things that I never, never signed up for or didn’t know that would come along with it. And I think if people would’ve told me that I may have just stayed in Vero,” he admitted.
The “Journey of Your Life” singer quickly added, “I’m glad they didn’t,” clarifying that he’s grateful he didn’t know the path his life would take him down, as he might have missed out on many of the opportunities his career ultimately brought him.
“I think people, people put emphasis on making it in Nashville, put emphasis on like, are you sure you wanna do that?Man, you know, there’s a lot of people up there, blah, blah. That’s not what people should put the emphasis on when people move to Nashville,” he stated, later adding that they should put emphasis on “What happens when you make it.”
He continued, “Let’s talk about when you make it. What are you gonna do then? Life goes on, friends get lost. You know, relationships get broken. All kinds of things that no one talks about other than if you make it and then they think that when you make it, it’s all, glitz and glamor. And so long answer to your short question, 22 years here has taught me a lot about people, myself, the business, just, you know, life. It’s been amazing, man.”
Owen got especially candid about hitting a breaking point around Christmas 2025 reflecting on the end of his second relationship, taking responsibility for his role while also admitting just how much it hurt. He spoke about the contrast between the success people see on the outside and the personal struggles he’s dealt with behind the scenes, sharing that it all became too much in that moment and he ultimately broke down.
Following this extremely vulnerable moment, Owen returned to social media to clarify his mindset. Since then, Owen received overwhelming support from fans, fellow artists, and more and told The Brothers Hunt
“When I looked back at that video that I posted, I was like, ‘I don’t even know that dude. I don’t know who that guy is, but that guy’s, that guy’s hurt. That guy’s lost and it made me realize in that moment, like, you know, that I wasn’t who I think I thought I was trying to become, but it set me on a different path of understanding that like, we’re all like, broken in ways and you gotta find out how to, how to, you know, fix yourself.”
Jake Owen’s latest album, Dreams to Dream, is out now.
For more with Jake Owen on the God’s Country podcast, click the video above.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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