Caught Up In The Country

Rodney Atkins' first single in four years, (his previous release was "Eat Sleep Love You Repeat" from his Greatest Hits album), finds the Nashville artist remaining true to his country roots. "This is the spirit of being Country and why I love being outdoors," he told Billboard. "Some people go to Church and think about fishing, and others go fishing and think about God. That's what the outdoors is to me, and that's what this song is about. They came in, and we just had a blast recording it. It just became an event, and was something that was infectious. It's got some very different sounds to it from things I've done before, but it's very organic and fresh. It captures a lot of elements that I love about music, period."

The song features the Fisk Jubilee Singers, who are an African-American a cappella ensemble from Nashville's Fisk University. Atkins explained that the collaborative effort came about as a result of a performance with them at the Ryman Auditorium. "I went in and did 'Working On A Building,' the old gospel classic, and as I rehearsed with them, it was this old-fashioned, hand-clapping, foot-stomping feeling. Rose and I just looked at each other and said, 'This is Church. This is the spirit. This is how music should make you feel.' I had been working on this song called 'Caught Up in the Country,' and just thought, 'These kids need to be a part of this."

The Fisk Jubilee Singers were founded in 1871. This song represented their first ever Top 30 appearance on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, making them the oldest act ever to appear on the tally.