Artists and audiences don’t always see eye to eye. That’s how some bands get surprised by their biggest hit or watch the public overlook songs they would consider their personal favorites. Country star Brad Paisley found himself in the latter category upon the release of “Welcome To The Future”, the second single from his eighth studio album, American Saturday Night, in 2009.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly that year, Paisley recalled how former President Barack Obama’s first inauguration inspired the song. “There’s three things I wanted to do,” he explained. “I wanted to show this world through my eyes, my kids’ eyes, and my granddad’s eyes, with this look of hope.”
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The Top 10 Country Hit Was Inspired by President Obama
Brad Paisley and his co-writer Charles Du Bois used several metaphors to illustrate how generational mindsets and experiences change over time. A child in the 1980s imagining Pac-Man on an iPhone. An American WWII veteran watching his grandson perform in Tokyo. The achievements of Black Americans since the Jim Crow era, including the election of the first Black president.
Paisley said Obama’s inauguration as the 44th president was a historic moment that transcended political divides. “I’m in the ABC green room watching it on a feed. In Times Square, right out the window, people are going crazy. Running out of pubs, millions of people in the street. Blacks, whites, hugging, just this amazing thing. It was just like, ‘What in the world has happened?’ You just had to be moved. I think it’s something to be really proud of as a country,” Paisley told EW.
“It’s really rare that you feel musically that something you do is more important than just entertainment. And I feel like this song is maybe more important than just entertainment.”
“Welcome To The Future” Peaked at No. 2
Brad Paisley performed “Welcome To The Future” live for the first time at the White House as part of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Music Series for Education. “It was one of the most emotional experiences I ever had in my life. I had to do everything I could not to break down,” Paisley told Deseret News.
“Welcome To The Future” shared an empowering, unifying message that embodied the hope that was pervasive throughout and immediately following Barack Obama’s journey to the presidency. Interestingly, though, Paisley ran into a dilemma that has plagued countless artists across all genres. In the world of popular music, the general public isn’t all that interested in hearing a message.
Paisley’s 2009 track stalled out at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Prior to this release, Paisley reached No. 1 ten times in a row. Zac Brown Band’s “Toes”, a feel-good tune about having your “toes in the water, a** in the sand,” beat “Welcome To The Future” for the top spot.
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