Garth Brooks released his 12th studio album, Time Traveler, exclusively through Bass Pro Shops on Tuesday, Nov. 7. The album serves as the final installment of Brooks' The Limited Series, which features his last three studio albums — 2014's Man Against Machine, 2016's Gunslinger and 2020's Fun — as well as his Triple Live project.
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Brooks shared 10 brand new songs on the new album, and he personally chose two special artists to come along on the journey with him: Brooks & Dunn's Ronnie Dunn and Kelly Clarkson. Clarkson joins him on "The Ship and the Bottle," offering background vocals alongside Brooks' lead. The song was first recorded by Brett Young for his Ticket to L.A. album, but when Brooks heard it, he added it to the project.
Brooks recently told Billboard about the process of recruiting Clarkson for the song.
"The text was simple: 'Hey, I've got a song. It's not a duet. I would love to hear your voice on it, but I know you're slammed," he says.
The answer he got back from Clarkson was nothing short of emphatic.
"Three seconds later came back in all capitals: 'YES.' With exclamation points," he reveals. "It made an older artist feel very good that this younger artist would want to sing along on one of these records."
Brooks and Clarkson have never collaborated before, but the two appear share a friendly relationship. Clarkson performed Brooks' classic song "The Dance" as a tribute to him at the 2020 Kennedy Center Honors. Brooks has also appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show multiple times, even announcing his 2023 residency on the show last year.
Brooks named his album to represent the various styles of country music fans will hear on the project. He celebrated the release with a Talk Shop Live interview with Bass Pro Shops on Monday, Nov. 6.
