Fifteen years ago, Jason Aldean scored his first number one hit song ever with “Why.”
It’s difficult to imagine a time when Jason Aldean wasn’t a country music superstar. But it wasn’t until 2005 that Aldean really started to soar to fame. During that year, Aldean released his debut single “Hicktown” from his self-titled album. The song spent 28 weeks on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart and peaked in the number 10 spot. But it didn’t take long for Aldean to claim the number one spot on the charts. Just one short year later, Jason Aldean released another song from his album in 2006 called “Why.”
“Why” is very different from Aldean’s debut single. The song really showcased Aldean’s versatility and talent. “Why” highlighted his vulnerability and vocal abilities. The song is a power ballad about Aldean realizing the pain that he has caused his lover. During “Why” Aldean sings, “Oh baby, sometimes I wonder why does it always have to come down to you leaving before I say I love you? And why do I always use the words that cut the deepest when I know how much it hurts you? Oh, baby why do I do that to you?”
The song spent 32 weeks on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart and peaked in the number one spot in May 2006, making “Why” Jason Aldean’s first number one hit song ever.
Jason Aldean Said He Makes Music For Himself
Once you hit it big, it can be easy to get swept up in what you think people want from you. There are so many artists who began their careers creating music that was true to their souls. But once they started fearing the idea of falling out of fame, they resorted to making music that other people wanted from them. During an interview in 2019, Aldean talked about staying true to his music.
“My thing is, I make music for me. I don’t mean this to sound bad, but I don’t make music for fans — I make it for myself,” said Aldean. “And I make things that I think are cool that I enjoy doing that I want to go out and sing every night. And I hope there’s a fanbase that enjoys it.”
Aldean added that he’s grateful for the fanbase that he does have.
“I feel like the fanbase that I have obviously likes what we’ve done over the years, which is cool, because that’s what I do,” said Aldean. “And I cut things the way I cut it, and I cut it for myself. I want to cut songs that I want to go out and sing, I have to sing these songs a million times for the rest of my life, I want to like them.”
