Courtesy of Big Machine Records

NASHVILLE, TN (June 3, 2022) – KRISTIAN BUSH has a decades-long love affair with summer, so when it came time for volume two from his four-album layered release, 52, it only made sense to heat up playlists with the seasonal theme.

“I feel like I stumbled into a relationship with listeners as the person who provides smiles,” Kristian says. “It happened early in the Sugarland world; then it happened again when I became a solo artist. If I could go out and just play summer songs every summer, I would. This is me doing that.”

As anticipation rises for 52 – IN THE KEY OF SUMMER, fans can preorder and listen to “Everybody Needs ASomebody” and “When This Shirt Was New” in advance of the album release on June 24 via Big Machine Records.

“I think summer does two things,” Kristian says. “I think it’s a reminder to slow down, and it forces you to reminisce.”

The singer/songwriter says that each new song embodies one of the core characteristics of the season. “Everybody Needs A Somebody,” which he co-wrote with fellow country singer Lindsay Ell and Ellis Paul, prompts you to pause.

“Even though it’s talking about relationships, the melodies and the rhythms remind you to breathe and appreciate relationships in a way that sometimes in the winter you don’t,” Kristian says. “There’s a lyric in there that’s the calling card for this song. It goes: It’s who you call at two o’clock in the afternoon | Not who you call 2 a.m. alone inside your room.”

“When you start to think about who those people are in your life, that’s where that song really lives,” Kristian says.

“When This Shirt Was New,” which Kristian co-wrote with Connie Harrington, speaks to the nostalgic part of summer.

“It’s a very reminiscent time,” he says. “Every summer, you think about last summer. I don’t know why that isn’t talked about more, but that’s what that song is all about. Time does some beautiful things to your memory and your shirt.”

Kristian co-wrote 15 of the 16 songs on 52 – IN THE KEY OF SUMMER, and his co-writers are a who’s who of the music industry. In addition to Ell and Paul, the singer also shares writing credit on this album with Brett Eldredge, Zac Brown Band’s Coy Bowles, JT Harding and more.

Leading up to the album’s release, the multi-faceted entertainer will step into another role – presenter. Kristian will return for the fourth year to host the BBC’s coverage of CMA Fest. Throughout the event, he’ll chat with his artist friends about the questions he knows they want to answer.

“I ask them if a listener is coming to your music for the first time and you’re on your fifth album, where would you start them, and what do you think in your entire catalog points to where you’re going?” he says.

For him, the answer is simple. He knows where he’s going and indicates “What Goes Up” from 52 – IN THE KEY OF SUMMER.

“It’s pointing toward the juncture between rock and country, which is where this next album is headed,” Kristian says.

Kristian is also co-hosting “52 – The Podcast” weekly with acclaimed country music journalist Cindy Watts. The pair discuss the connections between his most popular songs with the new tracks on 52. LISTEN HERE.

Leaning into his rich experience as a true artist who has thrived in multiple formats, Kristian embraces his diverse musical legacy with 52. The four-volume collection is the follow-up to his critically acclaimed 2015 solo debut SOUTHERN GRAVITY. His eclectic career also includes successful runs with Folk-Rock duo Billy Pilgrim, Rock Jam band Dark Water and MULTI-PLATINUM Country duo Sugarland. 52 nods at each of those creative iterations with upcoming releases themed around Country Rock and love slated to debut this fall and early 2023.

 
52 – IN THE KEY OF SUMMER TRACK LIST:
1. Hail Mary | Written by Andrew DeRoberts, Adam Hambrick, Steve Moakler
2. Tangled Up | Written by Kristian Bush, Brandon Bush, Tim Owens, Benji Shanks
3. Everybody Needs A Somebody | Written by Kristian Bush, Lindsay Ell, Ellis Paul
4. When This Shirt Was New | Written by Kristian Bush, Connie Harrington
5. The Mmm Song | Written by Kristian Bush, Bob DePiero, Andrew DeRoberts
6. Faded | Written by Kristian Bush, Coy Bowles, Benji Shanks
7. House Band | Written by Kristian Bush, Travis Hill
8. Put A Smile On It | Written by Kristian Bush, Brandon Bush Tim Owens
9. Headphones | Written by Kristian Bush, Sam Hollander, Stephen Ruchelman
10. Tequila | Written by Kristian Bush, JT Harding
11. What Goes Up | Written by Kristian Bush, Connie Harrington
12. Soft Place To Fall | Written by Kristian Bush, Taylor Davis
13. Waking Up Lazy | Written by Kristian Bush, Mickey Jack Cones, Taylor Davis
14. Working My Way Down | Written by Kristian Bush, Brandon Bush, Brett Eldredge, Tim Owens
15. Don’t This Life Just Kill You | Written by Kristian Bush, Marv Green
16. You Can’t Stop The Sun From Going Down | Written by Kristian Bush, Monty Powell