CMT News

It may come as a surprise that Billy Currington has been waiting three years to release a new album -- especially after reaching platinum success with Doin' Somethin' Right, his last work that spawned two No.1 hits, including his sexy title track and the fan favorite singalong, "Good Directions." Though he wishes he could have had a little more time in the studio last year, he's excited to finally finish his third album, Little Bit of Everything, due out Oct. 14.

"Has it been three years since I recorded an album?" he joked, grinning during a recent interview with CMTcom. "So much has happened since then in that short amount of time. ... A lot has happened."

Weeks after his last album achieved platinum success in 2007, Currington came down with severe laryngitis and was forced to cancel nearly all of his tour dates. Shortly thereafter, he entered a 30-day trauma recovery program to deal with issues created by childhood abuse from his stepfather. Following the recovery program, Currington took an extended vacation.

"I guess it was a year ago," he said. "I took a little time off and went to Hawaii for about six months -- just took a little break from life. I did a little bit of writing over there, but mostly it was just taking a break and learning some things."

After Currington returned from Hawaii, he began working on A Little Bit of Everything, but a demanding tour schedule took up must of his time.

"You could call it three years in the making or you could call it just about six months," he laughed as he talked about finishing his third album. "Once you get out there and get on the road and you get so busy, you don't write as much as you used to before you had a record deal because you're doing so many other things."

Despite the countless hours he spent on the road, Currington still managed to co-write about half of the songs on the new album and found that his songwriting skills had matured.

"I think as far as my writing, it's just age in general," he said. "The more you live, the more years that go by, the more songwriters that you write with ... your writing gets better and better and better. The quality of the songs and the way that you think and all of those different things ... it just changes."

"Don't," the first single from the new album, is one of the fastest-rising titles on this week's Billboard country chart, having already climbed to No. 34. "I think it's just got everything that I had to offer as far as a singer, just the soul side of the song," he said. "I gave it everything."

He went on to explain that his newer music is more optimistic than in the past.

"I like to stay on the more happy and positive side of things for me," he said. "This album's for sure happier. It's got the feel of happiness, and it's not all just about being in love or anything like that. It's about good times, good life."

But for those who can't get enough of his sexy tunes, Currington says not to worry.

"Hey, don't think I'm not recording some love songs," he laughed. "Actually, there's one on there that's one of my favorites," he said, referring to "No One Has Eyes Like You," a song he wrote about five years ago.

The brawny, blue-eyed singer has not only had women swooning over his tenderhearted music, but also his appearance. He won a CMT Music Award for hottest video of the year in 2006 for "Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right," a production featuring a shirtless Currington and Miss Mexico rolling in the sand in Puerto Rico. He's also been featured in People magazine's "Sexiest Man" issue and graced the cover of Playgirl. But does this type of attention get old?

"I get asked that a lot," he laughed. "I'm like, 'No!" That was the fun side of things for me. I've never looked at myself growing up as like some sexy dude or something like that. ... People still like stuff like that. I do. I thought it was fun."

"Life's good," he said with his constant smile. He added that he's looking forward to the album release and for his fans to hear the new music. He also mentioned that he's working on a new video for "Don't."

But, sorry ladies, he keeps his shirt on for this one.