It doesn’t seem like a stretch to hear Craig Morgan singing the praises of country music or talking about his love for the United States. He’s been doing both for so long that they have become big parts of his identity.
With his new album, My Country, he doubles down on both subjects and celebrates them as shared interests for many Americans. Released Nov. 6, five days ahead of Veterans Day, the album connects the two meanings behind its title.
“The title, My Country, refers not just to country music itself but to my country as in ‘my nation,’” he explains, and longtime fans know that both are very close to his heart.
As a songwriter, recording artist and performer since the start of this century, Morgan is well established in Nashville. He has also demonstrated his allegiance through 17 years of service in the U.S. Army and Army Reserve—and by returning to the Reserve in 2023. On the new album, he does what he has done best for many years.
“I don’t think I’ve ever stayed too far from who I am and what I’ve done musically, so I consider this a continuation of what I’ve done in the past,” Morgan says. “I feel like I’m writing better and we’re producing better music than ever and that I’m singing as strong as I ever have. That comes with experience and time and learning a whole lot of things about how to do it and also how to take care of yourself.”
Old-School Sounds for New Fans
His seasoned skills are obvious. The opening track, “I’m Country Music,” kicks off with a note from a pedal steel that’s thicker than cane syrup before Morgan intones over waltz time from the point of view of country music itself.
After a rhythmic string of descriptions that includes “four wheels on chert rocks, a bench seat and a toolbox,” he shifts into a lilting chorus: “I’ll pour out my heart while you pour out a drink … Nice to meet you, I’m country music.”
Morgan and his band have been performing the song live since he released it as a single in September, and he’s been heartened by the response.
“I feel like it’s a song that truly answers the call to where we’re at in our country music format,” he says. “I think people really have this appetite right now for more traditional-sounding country.”
Taking On a Toby Keith Classic
The new album also includes Morgan’s rendition of Toby Keith’s “American Soldier.” Morgan dials it in to emphasize the lyrics in a heartfelt way that rings even truer when you know his military background. To drive the point home, he punctuates the performance with a recitation of the U.S. armed forces oath of enlistment.
“Long May You Wave” continues the patriotic theme, while Morgan believes his core fans will relate just as strongly to the touching and sentimental subject matter of “The Will.”
Along with the new material, the 11-song album includes previously released hits and fan favorites, including “That’s What I Love About Sunday,” “Almost Home” with Jelly Roll and “International Harvester” with Lainey Wilson.
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Craig Morgan’s Military Service, Then and Now
A native of Kingston Springs, just outside Nashville, Morgan joined the Army shortly after graduating from high school. As a paratrooper, forward observer and fire support specialist, he served with the 82nd and 101st Airborne divisions.
His overseas deployments included Operation Just Cause in Panama and Operation Desert Storm in Iraq. After nearly 10 years on active duty, he served for another 6½ years in the Army Reserve.
Morgan re-enlisted in the Reserve in July 2023, following a 13-year break in service. He was motivated partly by a desire to complete a 20-year military career, but he also believed he could help encourage others to serve.
From his viewpoint, patriotism is alive and well—and so is the nation’s military.
“There’s no question it’s strong,” he says. “I do believe that there is a very small portion of people in this nation that aren’t as strongly patriotic as the majority of people, but I don’t think we’re nearly as divided as the mainstream media would have people believe. And I will tell you this: I have never seen a more proud and more honored and more capable Army that we have right now.”
Singing ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’
Morgan is assigned to the 313th Army Band at Redstone Arsenal near Huntsville, Alabama, where he serves as an associate bandmaster. Promoted to Chief Warrant Officer 2 in January 2026, he also makes recruiting-oriented speaking appearances and performs as a vocalist.
Often, that means singing the national anthem. He did so at the Indianapolis Colts’ Sept. 13 home opener against the Baltimore Ravens at Lucas Oil Stadium.
He was nervous, he says, but then again he always is when he sings “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Morgan estimates that he has performed it easily more than 100 times during his career—and perhaps many more than that.
Asked if it’s a difficult song to sing, he replies with a big laugh: “There’s a reason artists don’t wanna do it. I mean, we all see the videos when something goes wrong or they have issues, but you don’t see a lot of videos when it goes great.”
Why the National Anthem Is So Difficult to Sing
Thankfully, he hasn’t gone viral on that front. He shares some of what makes singing the anthem so challenging.
“Most of the difficulties are self-induced,” he says. “When you’re standing in front of 60,000 people and there’s no music behind you and you have this feedback, reverb, delay and other issues that can come with singing in a stadium, it can be very haunting.”
Tempo is also a consideration because the anthem usually needs to be timed close to 90 seconds, often to coincide with a flyover by military jets. The last thing a singer wants to do is begin in too high a key, which could put the song’s crescendo far out of range.
“And me personally, I always worry about screwing up a lyric. Sometimes you can be so focused on it that you can overthink it,” Morgan says. “But again, the pressure is self-induced. It’s the national anthem and it represents the United States of America, so if you have the tiniest bit of pride in your country, you just don’t want to mess that up.”
A Veterans Day Appearance for the USO
Morgan’s support for the military continues on Veterans Day with an appearance in Atlanta for the USO. The organization named him a Global Ambassador on Nov. 9, recognizing more than two decades of contributions.
On Nov. 11, Morgan is scheduled to make his first appearance in that role at the America250 x USO Celebration of Service at The Coca-Cola Company’s Atlanta office campus. He will perform for attendees including soldiers from Fort Benning and their families.
The new title builds on a 24-year relationship with the USO that has taken Morgan to 56 military bases in 18 countries, where he has entertained nearly 55,000 service members.
How to Hear Craig Morgan’s ‘My Country’
Craig Morgan’s My Country is out now on streaming platforms. CDs can be ordered through his official website, where fans can also find tour dates, apparel and other merchandise.
