LISTEN: Brad Paisley’s new song features Ukrainian President Zelenskyy

Country music star Brad Paisley is not one to shy away from supporting the military. He has even worn his grandfather's WWII dog tags during concerts and makes references to military service in songs like, "Welcome to the Future," "This is Country Music," and "Love and War." Although Paisley's last album came out in 2017, he has released a non-album single every year since then until 2022. On February 24, 2023, the one-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Paisley released a new single titled "Same Here."

The release of the new song was teased in a message to fans from Paisley that included the artwork and title of the single. However, the line listing who the song features with Paisley was redacted. In his message, Paisley said, "I've got a new song coming out in a few hours...any guesses?" The artwork featuring the northern hemisphere of the globe, including North America and Europe, now makes sense knowing that the song features Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Similar to his collaboration with Robbie Williams for the movie Cars 2, "Collision of Worlds," "Same Here" highlights the similarities that people share around the world. From chatting over a drink, to crying at a wedding, and being disappointed by your favorite sports team, Paisley's latest song emphasizes that people who speak different languages share the same emotions in different countries.

Before the final chorus, "Same Here" features a conversation between Paisley and Zelenskyy in which the country singer asks the Ukrainian leader how to say "Same Here" in Ukrainian. "Так само," Zelenskyy responds. He goes on to note that while they speak different languages, they share the same appreciation for their respective children, friends, soldiers, and freedom. The final chorus features Zelenskyy speaking in between lines sung by Paisley. "We're fighting for our children, our parents, to defend our houses and families," Zelenskyy says. "Так само. There's no distance between our countries in such values. That is very important to see that they are really in many, in many things really the same."

Paisley is not the first artist to release a new song based on the war in Ukraine. On April 8, 2022, Pink Floyd released the single "Hey, Hey, Rise Up!" in protest to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The first new music recorded by the band since 1994, the single features vocals by Ukrainian singer Andriy Khlyvnyuk that he recorded from the frontlines.