Mitchell Tenpenny brings the drama, complete with a pulsing beat and echoing church bells, in his new song, "Can't Go to Church." Press play above to listen to the track, which tells the real-life story of a tumultuous time when Tenpenny was on the outs with his church community.

Lots of people abandon the church after losing their faith, but that's not the reason why Tenpenny says away from Sunday service in this song. In a press release, the singer says that the lyrics are actually about avoiding one particular familiar face.

"I grew up in Nashville and went to a Christian school, David Lipscomb High School," he explains. "All my friends and I attended both school and church together."

While it's typically fun to share community activities with all your friends, that close-knit group has a few disadvantages, especially in the wake of a lost relationship. "The girlfriend I had at the time broke up with me, and the first thing you do at that age is try to avoid them," Tenpenny goes on to say. "And I knew if I went to church, I would see her. So, I wrote this song not because I didn't believe in God and didn't want to fellowship, I just didn't want to see her."

In fact, he had a private conversation with the man upstairs to explain the situation. "I said a prayer to God that, 'I will praise you, I just can't walk in there anymore,'" he adds.

"Can't Go to Church" follows Tenpenny's single "Anything She Says," which is a duet with Seaforth. The Australian duo are also currently serving as openers on Tenpenny's 2020 Anything She Says Tour, along with Adam Doleac.

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