ET spoke with the singer at his Luke's 32 Bridge bar in Nashville on Sunday.
Luke Bryan has his sights set on quality time with his family. While the 46-year-old American Idol judge's career has been moving at breakneck speed, he's looking forward to slowing things down and savoring quality time with his wife and kids in the near future.
"I'm not really balancing it that well this year," he admitted in an interview with ET's Rachel Smith on Sunday at his Nashville bar, Luke's 32 Bridge, where the "One Margarita" singer hosted his Nut House Fan Club party.
Referring to his wife of 16 years and college sweetheart, Caroline Boyer, Bryan continued, "I'm like, 'Baby, this is a rough year, let's just get through it and then we'll find a boat and go to the Caribbean or something.'"
Teased by Smith that "you always say that," Bryan zinged back with a laugh, "That's what she says!"
Bryan just wrapped an emotional season on Idol, which saw Iam Tongi crowned the season 21 champ, and served as the headlining act for last week's CMA Fest. Now, he's gearing up to kick off his Country On Tour trek on June 15, followed by a Las Vegas residency at the new Resorts World Theatre on Aug. 30.
"I love to get out there and work," Bryan told ET, acknowledging that while he is still going to be "real active" next year in his professional life, he's also "gonna slow down a few things."
With a few recent days off, Bryan jumped at the opportunity to go "golfing and fishing with the boys" and to spend time at the baseball field. Together with Caroline, the singer shares two sons: Thomas "Bo" Boyer Bryan, 15, and Tatum "Tate" Christopher Bryan, 12.
"They're playing travel baseball," Bryan gushed. "You just try to make your time with them at home really, really count."
While Bryan's family is undoubtedly a key support system, the country star is also endlessly grateful to his fans -- the "Nut House," as they're called -- for having his back over the last 15 years. Today, he said, he's able to happily feel "comfortable" while soaking in his big career moments. For example: headlining country music's biggest festival.
"It's all surreal," he marveled. "I'm glad that I can really calmly process it now. I used to get really excited and almost didn't enjoy it, because I was so amped up."
Meanwhile, the performer is currently promoting his summer-ready new single, "But I Got a Beer in My Hand," while working on a new album.
"We're kinda going, hearing songs, writing songs, and when we get what we like, we go in the studio," he shared of the process. "I've got some songs that I'm really proud of and I've got some new vocal things that I've done that I think fans have never heard. ... Got some other little tricks up my sleeve."
He continued, "I just try to go in the studio, find the best songs I can, write the best songs and sing them and make the best music I can and, you know, thankfully it's worked for years and [I'm] just always excited to roll new music out."
It's a process that's not only working, it's setting the bar high for Bryan's fellow entertainers. His 2013 album, Crash My Party, was honored with the Academy of Country Music award for Album of the Decade in 2019. In 2021, Bryan was named ACM's Entertainer of the Year for a third time. He's also a two-time Entertainer of the Year at the Country Music Association's CMA Awards.
Asked what's left on his bucket list, Bryan's goals are simple.
"Just a fun career," he answered. "Laughter and happiness and joy and everybody getting along and coming to shows. ... That's the thing with me. ... You get so caught up in a new accolade or something, I don't really like to operate in that space. I just like to enjoy the moment."
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