Luke Combs rails against the crushing anxiety and worry of daily life in “Why,” an intimate new duet with pop singer-songwriter Jon Ballion.
Combs shared a preview of the unreleased track on social media. He let fans take a listen to one of his verses, which features some soaring high notes and a sentiment that’s both honest and searingly relatable.
“Stressed and strung out about the things that could happen / And I could move mountains with the worrying I’ve done / So I called my father and he started laughing / Said, ‘You think it’s bad now, wait ’til you have a son,'” Combs sings.
“Why” is a bit of a left turn for Combs sonically, since it’s got poppier production than his normal fare. But when it comes to lyrical themes, this song is right on track for the singer, especially after his 2024 Fathers & Sons project.
Combs has been trending towards more mature, introspective themes for a while now, and he’s also been open about his struggles with OCD and anxiety.
In real life, he’s a dad himself, and he’s also been candid about the profound changes his two young sons have brought to his life and music. In 2025, he’s putting the brakes on touring in order to spend time with his young family.
Read More: Why Luke Combs Isn’t Really Touring in 2025
In the chorus of this song, Combs puts down his defenses and lets anxiety wash over him: “If the higher I fly is the further I fall / Why love anything at all?” he wonders.
According to the tease, Jon Ballion is the lead artist on “Why,” and Combs is a featured guest — so it’s unlikely that this song will be part of a future album tracklist for the country superstar.
However, it does seem like Combs is working on his next batch of songs: He said in a recent life update that he’s “actively working on new music,” and that he plans to mount a major tour in 2026.
No official word on when “Why” will be out in full, but if Combs’ tease is leaving you wanting more, Bellion also shared a separate preview — featuring his own vocals — over on his social media page.
Where Combs’ verse focused on anxieties about life, family and parenthood, Bellion’s seems to focus on a fear of falling in love. But a different set of worries amounts to the same question in the chorus: “If the higher I fly is the further I fall / Why love anything at all?“
After meeting at a music festival in 2016, Luke Combs and his wife Nicole has been inseparable. The two were engaged by 2018 and tied the knot in 2020. Fast-forward four years and the couple are now proud parents of two little boys, Tex Lawrence and Beau Lee. Despite the rapid pace of their relationship, Luke and Nicole Combs remain one of the cutest and most devoted couples in country music, and these photos prove it.