The country singer opened up to ET about how proud he feels watching fans singing along to his single 'Most People Are Good,' and the positive response he's gotten from the meaningful tune.
"I believe you love who you love / Ain't nothing you should ever be ashamed of."
That's a line off of Luke Bryan's song "Most People Are Good," from his most recent album, What Makes You Country, and the celebrated singer says it makes him proud to see his fans singing along from the audience while he's performing on stage.
ET's Kevin Frazier caught up with Bryan at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, where he became the first country artist to ever headline a concert at the historic baseball stadium, as part of his What Makes You Country XL Stadium Sized Tour. During our interview, the 42-year-old singer opened up about the power of the song's inclusive message.
"I thought about every level of humanity and what that [lyric] does. I felt like it could be translated and taken in so many ways and people we're gonna hear that and hear a country music artist do it and go, 'unbelievable,'" Bryan said, reflecting on the impact he felt the song would have.
Now, the singer said he gets a great deal of joy out of seeing how passionate and enthusiastic his fans are about the message and meaning of the tune.
"I've said it many times, but every line of that song has a tremendous purpose and a tremendous beauty to it," Bryan said. "I'm watching people sing that together, I'm watching country fans sing that together, it makes me proud. It makes me proud that I could find a song, record a song and perform it [and be] making a difference out there in the world."
While Bryan says he appreciates the positive response he's gotten from the country music community for his song, he said that the message in the lyrics transcend the musical genre they are presented in.
"It's just a special song," he shared. "It's not about whether a county music artist did it. Whoever would've performed that song, I think it would've touched a lot of people."
While Bryan's new music, which has blended various musical genres including hip-hop and rock, has received some pushback from some of his country fans, the singer says that any form of experimentation will be met with criticism, but you can't be afraid to make your own art.
"I think if you're gonna blaze your own trail [in] any form of putting yourself out there, you know, you're not gonna make everybody happy," Bryan said. "You have to be a little bit polarized, you can't be cookie cutter."
The singer said he's "really really happy" with the work he's created and the impact it's having, and pointed to the massive crowd at Dodger Stadium, in the heart of Los Angeles, as a "direct reflection of bringing everybody to the party."
For Bryan, playing at Dodger Stadium -- which has been home to some of the most iconic concerts in music history -- is an amazing experience. ET was invited to check out the show up close and personal, with stageside seats and VIP treatment from Verizon's Up Program. Needless to say, it was not only an amazing experience for Bryan, but for all who attended.
"It's one of the most iconic sports venues in the world," Bryan -- who performed hits like "Country Girl (Shake It For Me)," "Don't Want This Night to End" and "That's My Kind of Night" -- shared. "I saw the Braves and the Dodgers play here probably 12 years ago, and then to be here now… I remember sitting behind home plate looking up at the hills back here and I was just like, 'God, this is beautiful.' I don't even know if I'd ever even been to LA at the time."
"And now, to come back... I mean life doesn't get any better," he added. "My thing is never take a second for granted and just get out there and absorb those fans. Absorb the moment of Dodger Stadium. Look around, take in the air, take in the sky and hopefully have a big time."
Bryan's What Makes You Country XL Stadium Sized Tour continues through North America and wraps with a performance at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan, on Oct. 26. Hear more in the video below:
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