Brooke Eden says the pain of a breakup was still fresh when she wrote her new single "Act Like You Don't." But it's not the usual type of breakup, or song.

The song was easy for Eden (and co-writers Jesse Frasure and Cary Barlowe) to write because she needed to write it. She told Taste of Country about the back-and-forth nature of the relationship that inspired it.

"We were doing this thing where we were broken up, but we were still trying to be friends, which is the hardest thing," Eden admits. "One morning I got a text from my ex saying, 'Hey I really miss you, I really wanna come by and hang out today.'"

That was the breaking point. The routine had become too regular, and as much as she wanted to move on, she couldn't, so she told him, "If you ever loved me and you still love me, I need you to act like you don't."

Act Like You Don't Cover Art
Red Bow Records
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Her response to this guy found its way almost verbatim into the song. This all happened about two years ago and she's not sure he's heard her song — well, his song. She promises she's over this guy now, and enjoys hearing stories from fans who have been in similar situations. It's become an anthem.

"I feel like you go through a breakup it's one of the most lonely times that you can go through," Eden adds, "because the person you can always talk through hard times with is the person you're not supposed to be talking to anymore."

Look for Eden at Taste of Country Music Festival in Hunter, N.Y. this June. Sam Hunt, Miranda Lambert and Jason Aldean are headlining the three-day festival.

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