Thomas Rhett’s current top ten single is “Country Again,” but with summer in full swing and the excitement of launching his Center Point Road Tour last Friday with Cole Swindell and Gabby Barrett, Thomas decided to surprise fans by releasing a bonus track called “Redneck Be Like,” which is a beat-heavy summer banger. While his current collection of songs, Country Again: Side A, is a much more mellow, country-centric project, Thomas is known for pushing the boundaries of country music and experimenting with different sounds. In fact, he says, “I think people over the last two records kind of expect that from me, to always have at least three or four songs that are kind of out there, as far as sonics go and production.”

The song mashes steel guitar with hip hop loops and beats, and some rock guitars with some of the countriest lyrics possible, to create a two minute and 45 second genre-bending party. But Thomas says even with songs like “Redneck Be Like,” “There’s still kind of the root of who I am. So, I don’t wanna call it shock factor, but I don’t think people would expect me to kind of go back into what I was doing when I was 21 years old writin’ music.”

Checking out the set list from Thomas Rhett’s opening weekend of his Center Point Road Tour this past weekend in Orange Beach, Alabama, it looks like “Redneck Be Like” has found the perfect spot, early on in the set list, to help fire up the party for Thomas and his fans.

Listen for “Country Again” on Bloomington-Normal’s #1 Country, B104.