History
The writing process for the song began years before it was officially recorded. [1] In April 2022, McCollum met with Natalie Hemby and Jeremy Spillman and the trio worked on the song and many others. [1] The song was initially slated to be recorded for McCollum's 2023 album, Never Enough , but was ultimately not cut. [1]
"What Kinda Man" was officially released on September 13, 2024, after being teased on TikTok in January. [2] [3] The song explored a different aspect of McCollum's music with a change from his typical style as he stated "I've only got two records left on my first-ever record deal, and I just didn't want to go put out a record that sounded like that last two...I always wanted to be John Mayer and George Strait, you know, and their records are sonically perfect. And I kind of came to the realization he last year [that] maybe that's just not me." [1] McCollum described the song as a step out of his comfort zone, while comparing himself to Willie Nelson, Chris Stapleton, Waylon Jennings, and Dolly Parton as they all earned their places in country music with their own unique sounds. [1]
MCA Nashville shocked McCollum as they picked "What Kinda Man" as his next single, stating "he thought the production might be too rough for country radio." [1] Co-writer Jeremy Spillman praised the song as relatable. [4]
McCollum's largest influences while writing "What Kinda Man" and all of his other songs are Rodney Crowell, Steve Earle, James McMurtry, and Robert Earl Keen, with McCollum often asking himself if they would think the songs are good for county music. [4]
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