Toby Keith delivers a way-back jam with his up-tempo new single, “Old School,” highlighting the big times of small-town living.
Written by country star husband and wife Ryan Hurd and Maren Morris with Brett Tyler, the feel-good track is a nostalgic ode that lives firmly in the moment — all about a tried-and-true way of life. But with a bouncy beat and Keith’s vocal full of youthful energy, the hit maker sings that sometimes the old ways are more fun.
“When I first heard the demo, it reminded me of Steve Miller,” Keith says in a press statement. “But it had a little bit of a rap to it — not unlike the can of worms I opened years ago with ‘I Wanna Talk About Me.’ Then it’s got the coolest melodic waterfall and I was like, ‘Yeah, I gotta cut this.’”
The new single is hitting iHeartMedia radio stations now, and next Keith will celebrate the Fourth of July with “Happy Birthday America,” another new track set to drop July 1. Written last year as Keith watched a fireworks display, the patriotic track speaks to a changing national landscape.
“It had been a screwed up 18 months,” he explains. “I was seeing both sides having concern over the end of democracy. We’ve fought and divided almost to the point it’s only about power and winning. Charlie Daniels had a song saying ‘God save us all from religion.’ And I’m thinking, God save us all from politicians.”
Toby Keith will perform “Happy Birthday America” on Fox & Friends’ Summer Concert Series on July 2, and he’ll also host the iHeart July 4th Country Takeover special. Both new songs are part of an upcoming full-length studio album (due this fall), and Keith’s Country Comes To Town Tour is in motion. He’s also featured on “The Worst Country Song of All Time” with Brantley Gilbert and Hardy.