'How to Talk to Girls' Is Brantley Gilbert's Love Letter to His Wife and Daughter: 'One of My Favorites'

Jeff Nelson Brantley Gilbert

Back in 2016, Brantley Gilbert wed his wife Amber and made the decision to purchase an expansive piece of land in Alabama. He hoped people such as disabled children and military vets could come and hunt to their heart's content — but then, life got a tad crazy.

"You know, you get married and you have kids, and you have all these plans," Gilbert, 37, tells PEOPLE in a recent interview. "But suddenly, all that time that you really didn't have in the first place gets cut in half, and then you have kids and it's like cutting those halves into quarters."

So, back in 2020, he and Amber decided to sell the farm.

"We weren't getting to spend a lot of time there and it was too pretty of a place to have, but then have nobody get to ever see it," admits Gilbert. "We're looking for another one closer to the house. Maybe in the next six years or so. I'd like to have something to hand down to the kids someday."

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But before Gilbert closed the doors on his and Amber's treasured farm, the country music hitmaker invited a slew of songwriters over for one last writer's retreat, and in doing so, his new song "How to Talk to Girls" came to be.

"Several of these guys have daughters too, or are married or have girlfriends and significant others," says Gilbert of the song that he co-wrote alongside Brock Berryhill, Brian Wayne Davis, Brandon Day, Chase McGill, Josh Phillips, Taylor Phillips, and Michael Ray. "Some of the best songs I've ever written have just come out of a conversation. And that's exactly what happened. I was just talking about how I have trouble telling my little girl, 'No.' I let her get away with murder!"

Gilbert speaks of his 2-year-old daughter Braylen, whom he lovingly refers to as "a handful."

"She's something else," laughs Gilbert, who has racked up seven No. 1 hits in his career, including songs such as "You Don't Know Her Like I Do" and "One Hell of an Amen." "She's got me wrapped around whatever finger she feels like putting me on. She can get away with anything! It's really bad."

But writing a song about her, or his wife, or even his 4-year-old son Barrett is easier said than done.

"As a songwriter, it's hard to write a song about your kids, because none of the words are good enough," Gilbert explains. "You could always find a way to say it better."

Yet, with "How to Talk to Girls," Gilbert found the courage to let his true feelings to come out in a song.

"Anytime you get to release a song like this, it's going to be close to your heart," says Gilbert, who recently released the official music video for "How to Talk to Girls," featuring footage of himself spending time with his wife and daughter. "It's something special. It's not a song I'll ever forget. And it'll always be one of my favorites because it's about my wife and my daughter."

Courtesy of The Valory Music Co / Photo Credit: Brantley Gilbert "How to Talk to Girls" Cover Art

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And Gilbert is the first to admit that he's still learning.

"I have a bad habit of thinking that I know everything, but being married and having kids showed me that I didn't have as much figured out as I thought," he admits with a laugh. "Especially when it comes to girls like my wife and daughter, I feel like those relationships are always evolving and changing. It's pretty tough for a dad sometimes."

He takes a deep breath.

"Parenting is one of the scariest things on the planet to me," he says. "You only get one chance to do it, right? You have to do it correctly. And I worry about it. My daughter is going to look to me for some big stuff and I'm going to want to help her, but I've figured out in life that sometimes, there is such a thing as getting in God's way and doing too much. And it's going to be a hell of a balance for us. And you know, the boy thing goes without saying. That's terrifying."

So what if Braylen comes home one day with a good guy that looks tough … someone a lot like Gilbert himself?

"If he shows up to the house and acts, looks, talks anything like me, I'm gonna…" Gilbert says, his voice trailing off into a laugh.