Jade Carter
BRELAND blazed a rare trail with his genre-blending new single.
The singer-songwriter and producer, 30, interpolated 50 Cent’s iconic early 2000s anthem, “In da Club,” into his new song, “In My Truck.” He made it happen with approval from both 50 Cent and Dr. Dre, a near-impossible effort. BRELAND teased “In My Truck” on Fat Joe and Jadakiss’ podcast last month, and officially released it on Friday, March 27, marking first single to make its debut in about a year and a half. Watch the music video below.
BRELAND’s ‘Really Unique’ Journey To Make ‘In My Truck’ Happen
“We’re in this era now where so many of these songs that we all loved growing up are getting flipped and kind of repurposed,” said BRELAND, who also likened the new song to his 2019 breakout single, “My Truck.” “And I was really fortunate to be able to get 50 Cent and Dr. Dre to allow me to do that. I think it’s a fun record. I think it’s perfectly timed for the spring and the summer. …There’s no guarantee you’ll get [approval from 50 Cent and Dr. Dre]. So, from that perspective, it was kind of nerve-wracking because I was obviously excited about the song.” Ultimately, BRELAND says his interpolation of the hip-hop classic into his new single is a “clever flip,” especially for those who grew up listening to the original, and the response has been “overwhelmingly positive.” “I was very fortunate that they allowed us to do that.”
BRELAND worked on “In My Truck” around the globe in a “really unique,” rare recording process, he told iHeartCountry. He was playing shows for the troops in Europe when it “all started coming together” over the summer. The country star recorded vocals between Tibelisi, Georgia and Kosovo, and he filmed the music video in Japan. A frequent traveler, BRELAND said he always brings a recording setup to capture new ideas on the spot; however, this was the first time he recorded a single around the world because “it felt pretty urgent,” especially when the near-impossible clearance came through.
‘This Next Chapter…’
“At the end of the day, I think I’m on a journey right now that is for me to do, and my path is different than anyone else’s, and no one knows what’s meant for me better than I would,” BRELAND told iHeartCountry of his ambition and remaining true to his belief in his artistry (including with “In My Truck” and more upcoming music). “I’ve been really just leaning in on my own intuition in that situation and leaning on my faith. And this next chapter, there’s so much music that’s coming, whether it’s songs that I’ve written for people, songs that I’m featured on, cool collabs, and then some music that I’m putting out myself after a long time. …It is a lot of betting on myself, if you will, because I believe in the work that has gone into making these songs possible. And I believe that they’re all really fun and catchy, and some meaningful ones in there as well. So, I’m hoping that people can feel that energy from me in these next few months at every show with every new song that comes out.”
More music from BRELAND means more blurred lines between traditional genre boundaries. The Cross Country hitmaker — who grew up in a musical family with gospel-singing parents — embraces all genres, rather than containing his music “to fit cleanly in a box,” he said. “And that’s a strength for me.”
The music he’ll release over the course of the next few months will run the gamut, and he hopes doing so will encourage listeners to check out different styles of music. “In My Truck,” for example, likely appeals to “a bunch of people who probably don’t listen to much country music at all, who are exposed to country music through this song. …And I think there’s going to be a lot of people who discover this song who maybe end up finding the original and going through some of 50 [Cent]’s catalog and 2000s hip hop in reverse order,” BRELAND said. “I think either way, that’s a cultural bridge that I’m happy to be able to help build and hopefully it can do exactly that.” And even though there might be naysayers when it comes to blending musical genres, BRELAND said, “that doesn’t bother me.”
“I think it’s part of the beauty of making art, is that everyone gets to have their own relationship to it and everyone gets to have their own perspective and interpretation of it.”
5 Years Of ‘BRELAND & Friends’ Benefit Show: ‘Such A Blessing To Me’
BRELAND is getting ready to bring his artist friends together for his fifth annual BRELAND & Friends benefit show at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. The star-studded event supports Oasis Center, an organization that offers a range of support for local youth and their families.
“I’m a Christian man…and for me, it looks like being able to love your neighbors and being able to take care of people that need it,” BRELAND shared. “This BRELAND & Friends show is really kind of an expression of that for me to be able to try to make a tangible difference in the community. …It’s really a blessing because all of these artists who come out to perform, all of the proceeds from this show go toward the organization. None of the guests who come out are getting paid. We’ve had a lot of really big stars that have come out, and we’ve got some big stars that are coming out this year. And it just goes to show the heart of some of these country artists, and people outside of the genre as well.”
This year, special guests include Ashley Cooke, Dasha, Kameron Marlowe, Conner Smith, Durand Bernarr, K. Michelle, Kaitlin Butts, Pink Sweat$ and Walker Hayes. BRELAND teased, “we’ve got some really special performances. We got some surprise guests planned, and I’m really excited about the lineup so far and some more names that people don’t even know about.
“So much of what I do in this industry is built on relationships, whether it’s opening for artists or writing songs for artists or being able to get artists on my songs, and all of that pales in comparison to being able to share a stage with an artist for a cause that we believe in. So, I think it’s my Magnum Opus,” BRELAND said of his annual, “one-of-a-kind” benefit show, which he hopes will continue to grow over the years. “It’s my greatest offering that I can do on a yearly basis. And hopefully we’re doing BRELAND & Friends 20 in 15 years, and BRELAND & Friends 40, and that we can bring out even more artists and maybe we graduate from the Ryman to Bridgestone Arena or Nissan [Stadium] or something like that, and we bring out artists from around the world. I could see it getting even bigger and bigger, and making a bigger impact here in the community. And I’m ambitious, so I’m always thinking about what could be possible and how we can try to position ourselves for it. But at the same time, in the present moment, it’s just such a blessing to me. …There is something really special about BRELAND & Friends.”
BRELAND & Friends is set for Wednesday, April 8 at 7:30 p.m. CT. Find more information from the Ryman Auditorium.
‘Ready’ For What’s Next
BRELAND is looking ahead to a fresh chapter in his artistry with a positive outlook.
“I’m feeling good. I’m feeling ready,” he said. “This is really a chapter in my life that so many different things have converged and kind of coalesced at the same time. …I feel like I have such a better understanding of myself that I’ve been able to form over these last couple of years and a more focused approach to what I’m doing. And so, hopefully that yields some great results and some more cool moments like this.”
