Country Star Dustin Lynch Was At An Impasse

Ahead of his sixth studio album, “Killed the Cowboy,” Dustin Lynch sensed some inner conflict.

He spent the last decade securing country radio hits, raking in billions of streams, and touring with the likes of Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Brad Paisley, and Kane Brown. He was inducted into the Grand Olde Opry by Reba McEntire. After all that, the question became, what next?

“I’m single, you know, at this point in my life, I’ve chased down a lot of dreams. But what’s the next level to unlock? You know, in my life, where do I want to be in five, 10, 20, 30 years?” he told The Associated Press.

If there is a narrative thread throughout “Killed the Cowboy,” it is a conversation about a life of domesticity and vulnerabilities that directly challenges any “bro country” labels that might plague a single guy in country music.

How do you deal with your own inner conflict?