Country star Brad Paisley has developed a "deep connection" with a number of fans after joining them online for a virtual happy hour over the weekend.
The Whiskey Lullaby hitmaker recently launched his new single, No I in Beer, and he has been inundated with invites from devotees seeking to raise a toast with the musician while people are stuck in isolation during the coronavirus crisis.
Paisley decided to take a few of them up on their offers, and crashed a number of online gatherings on Saturday night, much to fans' delight, and the experience is one the singer truly cherishes during these challenging times.
"It's fun, but it's strangely very emotional for me," he explained on U.S. breakfast show Today. "I finished it and felt... this deep connection and also inspired by how these people are adapting and staying connected with friends...
"It's really a strange time, but it's also a time of unity where you just see a lot of people doing the best they can to stay sane."
Paisley actually wrote the original song - which features the chorus line, "We're all in this together" - in 2018 with Kelley Lovelace, and decided it was the perfect tune to help raise spirits.
"It's not just a 'We'll get through whatever you're going through' thing," he told The Associated Press of the new single. "It's literally a rallying cry. It's a fight song."
Paisley tweaked the lyrics when the COVID-19 outbreak began to take hold in the U.S., and now the track features a tribute to essential workers on the frontlines of the fight against the coronavirus.
"It's a just a shout-out to the people who are keeping this country going," he said.
"People are utilising this time to connect and to feel solidarity as human beings," he added on Today. "This song wasn't written for this specific moment we are all facing, but it takes on a new meaning for me when I hear it now."
