For Lucas Hoge, Garth Brooks ties a thread to his Nashville life and his raising in Hubbell, Neb. The singer's new song "Power of Garth" is a poignant tip of the hat to both the legend and his own family.  Listen to it during this exclusive Taste of Country premiere.

Hoge opens the mid-tempo country cut from his new Dirty South album (July 28) remembering his dad's work ethic and love of Garth Brooks cassette tapes. He calls out several of Brooks' song titles in describing his childhood.

"Every time I hear "The Thunder Rolls" / I'm right back to 10 years old / Those songs are like the soundtrack to my life / I was too young to understand why mama cried when she heard "The Dance" / Those melodies will forever be wrapped around my heart / And that's the power of Garth," Hoge sings at the chorus.

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"I’m such a huge Garth fan," Hoge tells Taste of Country. "He’s the artist that made it all click for me. I would wear his records out and still do!"

"I think any country music fan will agree that his songs really are the 'soundtrack' of so many important moments. I love singing this song and then hearing people share their own Garth songs after the show."

The new album will also include Hoge's song "Dirty South," a swampy uptempo jam that he says he relates to in a unique, but relatable way. It's about being outdoors "and how we all used to hang out and go fishing,” Hoge says. "This is about a guy on a car — I’m a car guy — and his girlfriend is with him and they’re just hanging out in the shade and falling in love with each other."

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