Yallwire News

The number twenty-one signifies a rite of passage for many, but to Average Joe's Entertainment recording artist Corey Smith, twenty-one has taken on an entirely different meaning.

A song originally penned over seven years ago, "Twenty-One" has gone to be a top-seller for the country music artist. The single, now available on iTunes, has since been revamped from its original form and found a new home on his upcoming album, The Broken Record, which will hit shelves on June 21, 2011. The music video for the single will debut exclusively today on Corey's official website.

"I'll never forget the first time I played 'Twenty-One' in front of an audience," says Smith. "It was in a small bar in my hometown of Jefferson, Georgia and the crowd was hootin' and hollerin' and carrying on as usual until I introduced this new song. By the time I got to the second verse, I could feel everyone hanging onto the words. I could hear them reacting to the lines as they were being sung - some met with nostalgic sighs, others with laughter, and others with cheers. When it was over, my friends roard with approval and I looked around the room at their expressions. Some were grinning from ear to ear, others were fighting back tears, and a few were already saying, 'Hey C-dawg! Play it again.' I knew I had done something right."

Corey started playing smaller gigs after writing "Twenty-One" in 2003, and since then he has rocked 750 performances,  sold 850,000 digital tracks and 150,000 albums.

When recalling his road to The Broken Record, Smith shares, "This record epitomizes where I am, both personally and professionally. For new fans, it will be a comprehensive introduction while long time fans will discover it is my most revealing self-portrait, underscoring the familiar alongside the unexpected."

To hear more about "Twenty-One" and his upcoming album, check out this interview with Corey Smith from CRS 2011.