Phillip Phillips Readies First Album in 5 Years: 'These Songs Represent Everything I've Been Through' (Exclusive)
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The American Idol winner premieres a song from the release, "Before I Loved You," exclusive on PEOPLE
The world may never entirely know about all the pain Phillip Phillips has been through over the past few years. But what they will know is the beauty of the music that came from it.
"It's been a lot," Phillips, 32, tells PEOPLE quietly. "Relationships have changed, and priorities have changed, and responsibilities have changed."
From label shakeups to lawsuits, and from management changes to his wife Hannah's undisclosed health issues, the American Idol Season 11 winner has been on quite a personal and professional rollercoaster as of late.
"I'm the kind of person that when I get upset or angry, I really shut down," says the Georgia native. "I think these past few years have had me dealing with a lot of things that I had once pushed off." He pauses. "You learn some people aren't superheroes, you know?"
But when he loves someone, Phillips loves deep. And it's this endearing trait that can be heard deep within the lyrics of his new album Drift Back, which is set for release June 9 and serves as his first in five years.
"These songs really represent everything I've been through," says Phillips, who collaborates with songstress Caitlyn Smith on "Strangers" off the new album. "Some of these songs are about my relationship with my wife, while others are about my relationship with other very close people in my life. They are not all happy songs, but not all sad songs either. They are just real life."
Finding a way to come to terms with that 'real life' is something Phillips brings to the forefront on his current single "Dancing with Your Shadows," which he wrote with Quinn Lewis and Todd Clark.
"My wife is going through something really difficult with her health," Phillips explains without getting into specifics. "I'm trying to fix it, and I can't fix it, and that's difficult for me because she's my best friend. I basically had to learn that just being there was OK. I don't have to try and fix everything all the time."
He draws in a deep breath.
"Everyone goes through a time that's sad," continues Phillips. "You feel like you just keep getting beat down by one thing after the other. The darkness just hangs around you. And that's really what this song represents. Don't give into it yet. Just fight one more day."
Certainly, Phillips says that internal fight is made worth it every time he looks into the eyes of his son Patch Shepherd.
"He is 3½ years old and he's a wild little nut case," Phillips says with a laugh. "He grew up with the songs on this new album. He knows every word to each one of these songs."
Certainly, the love Phillips continues to grasp onto can be felt across the entirety of the 10-track album, but especially in the gorgeous story told in the song "Before I Loved You."
"Before I met my wife, I was just a guy that played guitar by himself," Phillips says with a laugh of the song whose music video is premiering exclusively on PEOPLE. "And then, we met each other. She's been with me through everything, even on American Idol when I was really sick. Basically, the song is about thinking you're really someone — until you meet that someone that makes you a better person. And you hope that you can do the same for each other."
Despite it all, Phillips says he counts his blessings every day.
"I returned to American Idol recently to serve as a mentor, and basically I told them that to be successful, you have to stay focused," concludes Phillips. "That's what I did. I didn't get caught up in trying to be famous or anything like that. I just want to try to make good music and timeless music that also helps me with my sanity whenever I start getting in my head too much."
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