Tim McGraw is one thoughtful guy! The superstar, who will release his newest album in May, opens up about the emotional workout of creating a record that will be meaningful to both the artist and the fans.

"It's about making a great record, about making something you feel proud of, making something that sort of purges you emotionally," says the singer. "If it doesn't purge you emotionally, then you're not gonna have the reaction you want from the fans who listen to it. Because music has to be cathartic, and all art is about purging your emotions."

McGraw debuted his newest song, 'Shotgun Rider,' last week during Jimmy Fallon's inaugural week as host of 'The Tonight Show.' He says that movies aren't so different when it comes to the emotional response they draw out.

"I mean, that's why people enjoy [a great record] and that's why people go to a movie, 'cause they can cry and they feel better about crying after they come out," McGraw insists.

After ten No. 1 country albums, the cowboy hat-wearing hitmaker knows a thing or two about making a record that will last. During his more than 20-year career, McGraw has delivered countless singles that pack a powerful emotional punch and quickly become long-lasting hits -- like 'Live Like You Were Dying' and 'Highway Don't Care.' He says that the best music always leaves the listener and the artist wanting more.

"It makes you think and it makes you reflect," McGraw dishes, adding that an artist's work should still leave some questions unanswered, making fans want to "go back in again and try to answer those questions, knowing that those questions aren't gonna be answered the next time you do it, either."

He furthers, "It’s what makes art propel and makes an artist propel, and makes listeners stay engaged with you.”

Along with 'Shotgun Rider,' McGraw's forthcoming album will include his latest hit, 'Lookin' for That Girl.' He will kick off his Sundown Heaven Town Tour in May, hitting 30 cities throughout the summer, where he'll undoubtedly wear his heart on his sleeve.

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