Jake Owen‘s third album, Barefoot Blue Jean Night, comes out on Monday!! The album already has one blockbuster radio smash with the title track certified Gold and closing in on the top of the charts — and for Jake, the first single is just the tip of the iceberg on an album that he’s truly proud of. Jake tells us that Barefoot Blue Jean Night is his best, most fully realized album — the one where he had the time to focus on finding the very coolest songs, from start to finish. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)

• Unlike his previous two albums where he co-wrote nearly every song, Jake co-wrote only one on Barefoot Blue Jean Night — and not only was Jake thrilled with the songs and the way the album turned out, so were the songwriters. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
• Jake celebrates his 30th birthday this Sunday, August 28th, just one day before the release of his new album — and for anyone thinking of doing something special for him in honor of the occasion, Jake has a tip for us! (AUDIO INFO BELOW) 
• Pre-order Jake’s new album NOW at such outlets as Amazon (here) and iTunes (), where your iTunes advance order will get you an instant download of album track “Alone with You,” while a bonus live version of Jake’s hit, “Don’t Think I Can’t Love You,” will be available with the full album!
• Jake is currently on tour with Keith Urban! For all the latest on upcoming show dates, visit Jake at JakeOwen.net!
• Look for Jake on GAC’s Top 20 Country Countdown in the episode premiering tonight at 8pm, ET!
• In other Jake news, it was revealed on Thursday that Jake and The Band Perry will announce the final nominees in five CMA Awards categories live on ABC’s Good Morning America on Tuesday, September 6th, during the show’s 8:30am, ET half-hour — and the show will also feature a Jake performance of “Barefoot Blue Jean Night”!

  Start to finish, Jake Owen is thrilled with the songs on his new album, Barefoot Blue Jean Night. (:30)
“I’m excited. This record is a big, big step for me in my career in the way I recorded it and went out and really spent a lot of time divin’ in to findin’ the best songs possible. This record is somethin’ that I really am so proud of that I really think people can put it in and listen to it from top to bottom, and every song is just a great, great song. So, that’s what you make records for, you know, not just for songs, but for albums and for memories and to be able to throw it in your truck and just listen to it from top to bottom and never have to hit the ‘next’ button.”

  Jake Owen says that Barefoot Blue Jean Night is his proudest album yet. (:33)
“I can honestly walk away from this process of this record and wipe my hands and go, ‘Man, I did everything I could, the best of my ability, and this is it.’ And, whereas I felt like on a couple of the albums before that I made, I…there was parts that I felt like weren’t complete. And because of time and me being on the road and tryin’ to make it without havin’ the right opportunities to do it, I felt like I left some things out. And this time I don’t feel like I left any stone unturned.”    

  Jake Owen focused on being an artist more than a songwriter when it came to his new album, Barefoot Blue Jean Night. (:41)
“When you’re makin’ an album full of songs that you didn’t write, you’re really interpreting the songwriter’s version of that song, and you’re puttin’ your spin on it. And I’m so used to writin’ my own songs, I know how I’m gonna sing it, so it just comes out naturally. But it’s weird for me to hear someone else sing a song, and then me almost have to like — I won’t use the word ‘copy’ — but like, put your own spin on it, it’s weird, it’s kind of different to make it your own. But lookin’ back on this record now, and listenin’ to the demos and then listenin’ to the finished product on my record, it’s pretty neat to hear the difference. You know, even the songwriters that are listenin’ to it are like, ‘Man, that’s…I love what you did to my song, man. That’s awesome.'”

  Jake Owen offers a suggestion for anyone who wants to help celebrate his 30th birthday on Sunday, just one day before the release of his new album. (:03)
“If you want to give me a birthday present, buy my record!” (laughs)