Country music has always been about as close to R&B as you can possibly get. We're storytellers.

Country is bringing in a little rock element... a little '80s element. Melody is king now. But its just in the music, its not so much in the songwriting, which is still very basic to the storytelling aspect of it.

I always like to challenge myself. I never want to be put into a box.

People, as critical as it looks, we're OK. We are in control, whether we feel it or not.

Country music has always been about as close to R&B as you can possibly get. We're storytellers.

Just when I think it couldn't get any bigger, 'Tuskegee' reaches a new level of success.

By growing up in Alabama, I had a melting pot of the whole pie: R&B, gospel, country.