Though Gary Allan admits to being the type of person who is a sucker for sad, heart-wrenching country songs, he says his next album will have a feel-good vibe.

“I’m in a pretty good place right now," Allan says in an interview with Sounds Like Nashville. "All my records reflect where I’m at mentally. If I’m going through something, you guys will know about it. I’m in a good place, so I think it’s going to be a feel-good record. I’m happy with my home life. ... My kids are all doing well. I’m doing well. I’m just happy.”

The new album, which Allan believes will be titled Hard Way, is finished, but he and his camp have yet to announce an official release date. The inspiration for the album title lies in the chorus of a forthcoming Allan song: “The hook in it is, God gave me the rain to wash away the pain and learn from my mistakes, so I made it the hard way," he says.

So far the album has been kept quiet except for the release of "Mess Me Up," a song Allan has been holding onto for some time.

“I’ve been a fan of the song for years,” he says. “I’ve had it for a while, mostly waiting for the label to come around for it, and I’m excited about the song. I’ve been playing it live and tested it that way. It’s one that just got under my skin. It’s a song that gets inside of you and rips you up a little bit.”

Though the lyrics of "Mess Me Up" don't exactly scream feel-good ("Twist that knife / Come on make it hurt / Make me go out in a field / Light a fire and just watch it burn / Stand me up on a Friday night / Tell me you love me / Then tell me that you've changed your mind), it will give listeners at least one heart-wrencher to contrast with the rest of the album.

See Photos of Gary Allan at the 2016 ToC Festival

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