Luke Combs took to social media on Monday morning (Feb. 1) to share a few exciting updates with fans and reveal that he dropped a surprise new song called “The Great Divide.”
Out now, “The Great Divide” is a collaboration between Combs and bluegrass artist Billy Strings. The pair co-wrote the song in June of 2020 with Wyatt Durrette and recorded it on a “whim” within the past few weeks. Originally, the track was intended to be included on a bluegrass album Combs was working on, however, plans have shifted and that project has been put on hold.
“Something that I’ve always wanted to do is write and put out a bluegrass album. This is a song that was supposed to be a part of that project. It’s not a lead single or a lead-in to that project yet, because that is not done. But it felt like the right time to put this song out,” Combs shared in a statement. “When we wrote it, there were a lot of crazy things going on in the world. There’s still a lot of crazy things going on in the world. And I just felt like I had some stuff to say. It’s not meant to be political. It’s not meant to try and tell you what to think or tell you how to believe. That’s not my job. It’s just a guy kinda saying the way he was feeling when he wrote it.”
“This song is our interpretation of the conflicts and tension we had been witnessing/ experiencing around the time we wrote it,” Strings adds. “We wanted to shine a little light on the situation and offer a bit of hope during what has been a tough time for many.”
Throughout the song, Combs and Strings address the state of the world and share their hope for unity among everyone.
“We’re all so far, so far apart now/ It’s as deep as it is wide/ We’re about to fall apart now/ If we can’t reach the other side/ We gotta find a way across the great divide,” they sing on the chorus.
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Sonically, the song is a bit of a departure from what Combs’ fans are accustomed to hearing from him.
“Since it was meant to be on my bluegrass album, it will sound a little different than what y’all are used to hearing from me,” he explains.
In his video message to fans, Combs revealed that his bluegrass project has been “put on pause” and that “album three is up next.”
“I’m officially kind of gearing up for my next full album,” he confirmed in the video clip.
Combs’ next project will be the follow-up to 2019’s What You See Is What You Get and the deluxe version of the album, What You See Ain’t Always What You Get, which was released in the fall of 2020.
The superstar recently earned his 10th consecutive No.1 single with “Better Together” and is confirmed to perform a pre-race concert at the upcoming Daytona 500.
