LISTEN: Luke Combs Steps Away From Beer-Filled Party Anthems To Highlight Addiction In ‘Joe’

Luke Combs unveils the next installment of his upcoming album with the release of his highly anticipated song, “Joe.”

Co-written alongside Erik Dylan and James Slater, the stunning track finds Luke Combs illustrating the painful truth behind a man battling his addiction to alcohol. While the story may seem disheartening at first, the country star’s candid vocals emphasize the pure dedication that led the man to find the light “at the end of the bottle.”

“Gotta couple good buddies that all drop-in / Say ‘it’s good to see ya brother, man how you been?’ / I can’t complain, I’m doin’ alright / Sleepin’ pretty good, staying dry / Thank the Lord every mornin’ with a sweet Amen / For how far I’ve come from, how far I’ve been,” he sings in the chorus.

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The singer/songwriter took to social media upon the release of the track to explain a bit of the song’s backstory and the significance it holds in his life.

“There have been some folks in my family that have struggled with alcoholism and addiction through the years, I’ve got buddies who live a sober lifestyle, and I’m sure y’all know someone who has struggled with these type of things, or maybe you, yourself do. This song (“joe”) is really important to me for that reason. Our genre has so many songs about drinking and partying, hell, I’m probably one of the worst culprits of it.”

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Since this song takes on the opposite focus from some of his previous releases that are dedicated to alcohol, Combs hopes that those in his audience who live the sober lifestyle will never feel like they’re being left out of the shows.

“There’s nothing wrong with that I don’t think, but sometimes I wonder what someone in the crowd who doesn’t drink, or struggles with addiction is thinking or feeling when there’s thousands of people around them screaming ‘Beer Never Broke My Heart’ or ‘1, 2 Many,’” he continued. “I’ve always wanted a song for those people to have for themselves. To have a song they can sing at the top of their lungs and feel like they’re not forgotten. When Erik Dylan sent me the work tape of this a few years back, I knew I wanted to be a part of it. So if you’re reading this and this song speaks to you, I hope you love it. This one’s for you.”

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This song is a long time coming for Combs’ listeners who fell in love with the new tune through teasers shared on social media. Most recently, he previewed the song with an acoustic clip of just him and his stunning guitar licks. 

Fans instantly took a liking to the new song and have shared their excitement through comments like “Going to be the best song on this album” and “Sounds like another number 1!!! 🔥🔥”

Combs Performed The Song At The Grand Ole Opry

He also previously debuted the song in 2021 during a performance at the Grand Ole Opry. The powerful storyline easily blends with the honorable words that seep from Comb’s unwavering vocals, which illuminate his true talent. 

“Joe” marks the third single from his forthcoming album Gettin’ Old. It follows the release of “Love You Anyway” which debuted at #3 on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart, and the leading track, “Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old.”

Combs has already confirmed that his next song titled, ‘Five-Leaf Clover’, will drop on St. Patrick’s Day in celebration of the luck-filled holiday. 

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The new project, produced by Combs, Chip Matthews and Jonathan Singleton, is due out on March 24 via River House Artists/Columbia Nashville. With the unveiling of the new track list, the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year revealed that he co-wrote 15 of the 18 tracks. The remaining cuts were penned by songwriters including Eric Church, Travis Meadows, Johnathan Singleton, Randy Montana, Dave Turnbull, and one cover, “Fast Car,” was written solely by Tracy Chapman.

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Reflecting on the album, Luke Combs shared, “This album is about the stage of life I’m in right now. One that I’m sure a lot of us are in, have been through, or will go through. It’s about coming of age, loving where life is now but at the same time missing how it used to be, continuing to fall for the one you love and loving them no matter what, living in the moment but still wondering how much time you have left, family, friends, being thankful, and leaving a legacy. Me and so many others have poured their hearts and souls into this record, and I hope you love it as much as we do.”   

World Tour

Luke Combs will soon embark on a massive world tour that will visit three continents and 16 countries. The trek, which will be hitting stadiums and arenas across the globe, is set to kick off on March 25 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas and wrap up in London, England at The O2 Arena on October 19.

Riley Green, Lainey Wilson, Flatland Cavalry and Brent Cobb will serve as support on the North American tour date, while special guests on the Australian and New Zealand dates include Cody Johnson and Lane Pittman.

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The world tour will visit 16 stadiums across North America, including Nashville’s Nissan Stadium, Kansas City’s GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Foxborough’s Gillette Stadium and more. Hitting three continents and 16 countries, the massive outing will also stop in Australia, New Zealand, U.K., Ireland, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, France and Belgium.

Ticketing information and additional tour details can be found at www.lukecombs.com.