Billy Currington's 2010 CD, Enjoy Yourself. Photo by Kate Powers, courtesy of UMG Nashville.
The title of Billy Currington’s new album, Enjoy Yourself, says it all. "That’s what I want people to think about doing when they hear my music," the happy-go-lucky Georgia native says. "I want them to have a good time."
The album, Billy’s fourth since he busted onto the scene in 2003, builds on the success of his 2008 collection, Little Bit of Everything, which yielded three No. 1 hits: "Don’t," "People Are Crazy" and "That’s How Country Boys Roll."
During the course of his career Billy has netted eight Top Ten singles and six No. 1s. He’s sold nearly 2 million records and toured with the likes of Brad Paisley, Sugarland and will tour this fall with Carrie Underwood.
As with Little Bit of Everything, Billy’s latest features his now-trademark mix of country, R&B and beach music. "It’s a great mix. It reflects who I am," he says. "I’m definitely not just one thing. I’m the beach guy, I’m the country guy, I love my dirt roads and fishin,’ but I love New York City and L.A. and Miami, too."
The album is a perfect storm of material that Billy has been eyeing for just the right moment to release. "Some of these songs date back six to eight years," he says. "There’s always a right time for everything."
Finding the right song for the right album is a process Billy prides himself on. "I like to live with the songs I’m considering for an album. I like to go to bed at night and wake up in the morning and know I still love a song. If I still love it two years later, maybe other people will too."
The album’s title cut is a tropical entreaty to do just what it suggests and the first single, "Pretty Good At Drinkin’ Beer," is a No. 1 hit that taps into Billy’s laid-back attitude. Interestingly, he found the latter song on the same demo CD as "People Are Crazy." "I knew I should only pick one beer song for my last album so I held on to ‘Pretty Good At Drinkin’ Beer.’ When it came time to record, that was the first one I threw up in the air. Everyone was in agreement that it was a good summertime, first single for an album."
"Bad Day of Fishin’," Billy’s songwriting contribution to the record, hilariously advances his theory that a bad day of fishin’ beats a good day of anything else.
The equally hilarious "Like My Dog," includes the lyrics I want you to love me like my dog does. "It’s about a relationship with you and your dog and how you wish your woman would love you just as much and in the same ways," Billy says with a grin.
But the album is more than songs about dogs and beer. "Until You," which was written by Dave Barnes, is a love song pure and simple. "It’s got this great melody and simplified smart lyric about you and your girl out under the sky and overlooking the city at night, just enjoying each other’s company."
