Chris Janson says that his new album, Real Friends (out Friday (Oct. 18)) is his favorite of all his studio projects to date. In large part, that's because of who was around him while he was making it: As the album title suggests, Janson surrounded himself with "real friends" in all aspects of the creative process, from the writing room to the producer's chair.

For the project's title track, Janson brought in a "real friend" who may already be very familiar to his fans. Blake Shelton teams up with the singer for the duet, a swagger-heavy tune that celebrates the beauty of friendship.

"Real friends, y'all, that you're all in / Ones who haul you home when you've been drinkin' /  Too much, too long / When the right goes wrong / Who you gonna count on? / Talkin' 'bout your real, real, real friends," Janson sings in the song's chorus.

Over the course of the track, Shelton and Janson trade off lyrics, name-checking all the things that "real friends" do for each other: Whether it's getting a truck unstuck, watching out for a buddy who's had too much to drink or picking up the phone on the first ring, it's clear that everybody needs a few real friends in their lives.

In September 2019, when Janson first announced that Shelton would be singing on his new album, he explained why it was so significant for him to duet with a close pal on the track. "I made Real Friends with actual real friends. I produced the album with real friends, wrote all the songs with real friends, took all the photos for the project with my best friend and wife, Kelly," the singer shared in a press release.

Before dropping the album, Janson also shared tracks such as "Say About Me" and the project's first single, "Good Vibes."

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