Morgan Wallen is rapidly taking over as the 2021 outlaw of country music (if he isn't there already), and another rebellious type in the genre who doesn't care to fit in is an outspoken fan of his unique style.

Of course, Wallen himself couldn't help but admire the likes of Eric Church first, saying that the star was one of the originals that got him into country music in the first place.

“The way he wrote songs and the way that he said things really struck a chord with me. His realness, raw emotion and authenticity drew me in," Wallen told Billboard in the magazine's most recent issue, stating that he'd been "living country music more than I was listening to it,” prior to getting into Church's material.

That's some high praise, and Church quickly became a fan in return. “He’s real damn good and he’s authentic,” Church said. “That’s the key. Morgan is not trying to be somebody else. He’s just doing him. It’s refreshing to see and hear.”

Church contributed a song to Wallen's just-released Dangerous: The Double Album, which happened to be one of his own (the previously unreleased Quittin’ Time”). He likes Wallen's work on the song for "not just hitting the technical parts of the song but the emotional ones. Those are the ones that matter.”

Wallen's Dangerous marks his sophomore album, following 2018's If I Know Me. Its release begins what's positioned to be a big year for the reigning CMA New Artist of the Year, following his Saturday Night Live debut in December (two months later than scheduled after the singer broke the show's COVID-19 protocols by partying with University of Alabama students).

See the Best Albums of the 2000s: 

More From Taste of Country