Hoge wrote "Middle of America" with Jessi Alexander (a cowriter on such hits as "I Drive Your Truck" and "Mine Would Be You") and Tommy Lee James. It's the first taste of a new album on which he's currently working.

"We were just trying to write a great song and as it went on I started getting more and more attached to it," Hoge told Rolling Stone about the writing session that produced the song. "There's always that moment of, 'Do I want to keep this song for myself because I think it's really great, or do I want to send it to Blake Shelton and make a whole bunch of money off of it? Maybe he'll want it.' It's a strange place to be, but I'm pragmatic enough to know that sometimes that's the right play."

After playing the song for his producer, though, he realized the song was worth keeping for himself. "The only other time that this has happened to me, when I played something for a producer and then everybody lined up behind it, was with 'Even If It Breaks Your Heart,'" Hoge said.