Cole Swindell has an impressive track record of charting hits: Seven of the singer's eight singles to date have peaked at No. 1 or No. 2. Whether he's releasing hard-partying bangers or poignant ballads, Swindell has a proven ability to connect with his audience. 

In February of 2018, the singer released the self-reflective, stripped-down single "Break Up in the End;" in a press release, he describes the track as "the perfect setup of what's to come [on the new album.]" Below, The Boot catches up with Swindell to learn more about why the song -- which was written by Jon Nite, Chase McGill and Jessie Jo Dillon -- was one he wanted to record.

Songs like this are the reason I initially fell in love with country music. The first time I heard it, I knew I had to record it -- that, and I wish I had written. I did write some on this album, but it's hard when you're on tour; back when I was a writer only, I wrote every single day. I knew going into this album that, hopefully, after the success we've had, we were going to be able to get our hands on some songs that, beforehand, we wouldn't have had a shot at. So while it was tough to see some of my songs not make the album, I am also really aware of how great the songwriters are in this town. Being able to rely on them is awesome.

I'm really happy with where I am in life now, but along the way, there were relationships that ended. Some of them were "Ain't Worth the Whiskey"-type endings, and there have been some like ["Break Up in the End"]. Those are the hard ones: You still think the world of each other; it's just not gonna work out. [This song is] a love story, in a way. Every little line describes a place that I've been at some point.

Personally, my breakups have been about half and half [in terms of being on the receiving end or being the one doing the breaking up]. I know what it's like to get hurt, and, unfortunately, I've also hurt some people. That's what keeps me guarded. I don't want to hurt anybody, and that affects my relationships to this day. But I also know that I'm not the only one who's experienced that.

Some people can't listen to [breakup songs] when they're going through breakups, but me, I'm the one that turns it up. That music lets me know I'm not alone. There may be people that you might think are invincible, but they go through the same things.

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