Jake Owen's Album Update, and Dinner With Kanye West

Jake Owen's Love Bus Tour isn't over quite yet. The singer tells Taste of Country that his new ride is a very important part of his upcoming album — a project that has changed directions in the aftermath of his divorce.

A few new songs were written during his Love Bus road trip from Nashville to Key West, Fla., last month. Owen says his bus is now an important part of the album, and he'll hitch it to a trailer that will go with him on the road this summer.

“I learned (to) take your time in life," Owen shares of a trip that included a short breakdown when he ran out of gas. "Sometimes taking your time is very satisfying. I went 55MPH in a '66 Volkswagen van from Nashville to Key West. It was nice being in the righthand lane, just cruising.”

"Real Life" was Owen's first single from an upcoming album, but the singer tells The Boot it won't make the final cut when the project is released this summer. "American Country Love Song" is the current single. It's more in line with what he's released before, which is good for fans and him.

"I kind of went through a spot there just personally and everything with a lot in my life, and it kind of just flipped a switch for me to kind of revert back to some things that worked for me," he says, adding that he's thinking July for a tentative release.

“I think you’ll hear a lot of what’s been going on in my life.”

Could that mean a song about his recent dinner with rapper Kanye West? Or maybe even a collaboration? Owen was mum with details when a fan watching ToC's Facebook Live chat asked him about it, and the singer he was shocked someone even knew the two artists had dined. All he'd say is the dinner happened, he paid and the story would come later. Trust us, we tried to get more out of him.

Look for Owen at the 2016 Taste of Country Music Festival in Hunter, N.Y., on June 12. He, Kenny Chesney and Kid Rock are the headliners for the three-day festival.

Watch Jake Owen's Facebook Live Video