'American Idol' Alum Danny Gokey Debuts Country Single 'It's Only'

'The song went past the mental element and came directly into my heart,' he tells hometown radio station.

Earlier this year, "American Idol" third-place finisher Danny Gokey made waves when he said he was thinking of releasing a country album. Turns out, he wasn't joking, eventually signing a deal with RCA's Nashville label.

And on Friday (November 6), fans finally got to hear his first foray into the genre, when he debuted "It's Only," a swooning, countrified ballad on Milwaukee radio station FM 106.1.

Written by Lady Antebellum's Dave Haywood and Charles Kelley and produced by Mark Bright (who's worked with Carrie Underwood), "It's Only" is the first single from Gokey's RCA debut, which will reportedly hit stores in March of next year. The song details the trials of the jobless and the homeless and doesn't shy away from the topic of faith, either (sample line: "Repo man's gonna take his van/ Bobby's givin' up on God").

Minutes before the premiere, Gokey himself called into 106.1 (it's his hometown country station), to talk about the message of the song, which he described as his favorite off his upcoming album.

"It has such a touching lyric. It's so beautiful. I love all the songs that appear on my CD, but this one ... when I sing this song, a passion comes out of me," Gokey said. "The song went past the mental element and came directly into my heart. I don't know how to explain it. I feel it when I sing it."

Gokey went on to say that he recorded "It's Only" in Nashville — where he's living while he puts the finishing touches on his album — and that the song will be available for digital download December 14.

Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.