Big MachineThis week, Tim McGraw returns to the top of the country chart for the first time since 2016’s “Humble and Kind,” as “I Called Mama” ascends to number one.

Before Tim shared the emotional song with the rest of the world, first, he needed to run it by his mother.

“I didn’t send it to her until I knew it was gonna be the single,” he explains. “And then I sent it to her, and my mom’s gotten better with the phone now.”

“So, I sent it to her and I said, ‘We’re gonna release this single and it’s gonna come out Mother’s Day weekend,'” he continues. “And then she sent me crying emojis.”

Tim knew that meant his mom needed a moment.

“I knew better than to call her because I knew what she was doing,” he says. “I knew she wouldn’t be able to talk at the time because I know my mom pretty well.  I knew exactly what she meant when she sent those emojis, that’s why she didn’t call.”

“And it’s also a cool thing is that the single art is my mom,” he adds. “It’s a picture from her, right before she found out she was pregnant with me, actually.”

“I Called Mama” is the lead single from Tim’s new album, Here on Earth. 

By Stephen Hubbard
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