The 59th Annual ACM Awards are upon us and Thomas Rhett is ready to debut his brand new single, “Beautiful As You,” live for the first time in front of everyone but Chris Stapleton.

During his appearance on Audacy’s Superstar Power Hour with ACM Award-winning Katie Neal, Thomas Rhett shared the one person he avoids eye-contact with while performing at awards shows is Stapleton and here’s why. “He’s just so good,” Thomas laughed. “Even though we’re really good friends, I’m just like, ‘You’re on such on a different level vocally than everyone else in this building.’”

While he’ll be avoiding Stapleton, TR is over the moon to share his first new music in two years on such a big stage. “I haven’t put new music out in two years and so it feels really fresh for us,” he shared before shouting out the ACM Awards for supporting his new single. “Getting to debut a new song on an award show is such an honor — it takes a lot of trust, honestly, from the ACM folks. For them to [say], ‘we heard this song, we like it, you should play it!’ We’re very excited.”

After releasing last week, fans everywhere have been dancing it out to the new single, “Beautiful As You,” which stemmed from one of Rhett’s biggest inspirations, his wife Lauren. “I think in a nutshell, for me, this song fully represents who my wife is at the core,” he shared. “People tell me all the time, ‘You don’t give yourself enough credit,’ and it’s like, I don’t deserve any credit for the marriage I’m in. I genuinely, every day wake up and I wonder ‘Why?’ like, ‘How did this happen?’ It really is one of those songs about just lookin’ at the person you’re with and being like, ‘What are you doing with someone like me? Thank God you are — but why?’”

There’s a lot more fun to come as TR says the single is the first taste of his new album, arriving August 23. “It’s done, mixed, mastered, photo, video — all the things,” Rhett said of the new project which has been his main focus while not touring as heavily. “I’ve taken more time on this project than I really have on any project… It been a fun change of pace.”

Taking time away from touring has not only brought what he says is one of his most joyful albums, but it’s also gifted him precious time with his four daughters at home. “It’s been really fun to kind of immerse myself in school and softball and dance and horses and all the things they’re into,” he said. “It’s been a lot of fun to watch them really grow up this year and become themselves.”

It’s also given him the opportunity to go full dad mode and have more opportunities than ever to embarrass his girls like only the best dads do. “We’re going to pick them up from school and I’m going to wear my Chewbacca outfit and Lauren’s going to be Darth Vader,” he said of his plans for picking up his two eldest on May 4th, better known as Star Wars day. “They’re going to be super embarrassed, but that’s what a parent’s job is, is to embarrass their children, so… internally, they’ll think, ‘Mom and Dad are pretty rad,’ but they’ll probably [externally] be like, ‘Ugh! Mom and Dad are such idiots.’”

Hear more about Rhett and his adorable family stories, what he’s looking forward to most about the new album and so much more by checking out his entire conversation with Audacy’s Katie Neal above, and don’t forget to tune in to the 2024 ACM Awards taking place live from Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas on, May 16 at 8PM ET. Hosted by Reba McEntire, the show isfree to stream exclusively on Prime Video. No Amazon Prime account is needed.

Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Katie Neal