With 22 #1 singles, Dierks Bentley is no stranger to finding success with his music and now, he’s sharing one of his secret weapons.

During his recent appearance on the Superstar Power Hour with Katie Neal, Bentley said he plays his music for his kids before releasing it to see what they think. It’s a tried and true method for the 49-year-old, which he put to the test most-recently with his fresh single, “She Hates Me.”

“I played it for my kids, they’re always a good barometer. They know music really well,” he told Neal. “They have the shortest attention spans, right? They’re used to like, seven seconds of YouTube shorts and stuff,” he laughed.

After approval from daughters Evalyn and Jordan plus son, Knox, Dierks is feeling good about the tongue-and-cheek anti-love anthem that released on Valentine’s Day. “I’ve never liked Valentine’s Day,” he said of the Hallmark holiday that causes him to overthink. Bentley reminisced on the “anti-Valentine's Day" gigs he used to play as an up-and-comer and says releasing this single on the 14th was a “full circle moment” for him.

“I used to play a gig at the Station Inn just up the street [Nashville] on Valentine’s Day — I did it like three Valentine’s Days in a row, before I had a record deal,” he explained. “It was literally the Anti-Valentine’s Day Show. You had to wear all black to get in and it was all these people who didn’t like Valentine’s Day.”

While the song clearly stays true to Dierks’ dislike towards everything pink, red and heart-shaped, it’s also a song that will help him keep his high-energy engagement on stage with fans on tour.

“I’m always thinking about the live show and the tour,” he said. “Everyone has their own reasons for doing this [music] and for me… my whole dream was just to be on a tour bus, with a band. It was never about the GRAMMYs or any of the award shows or any of that. I just wanted to be the guy on the bus with a band… I’m still getting to do that.”

Dierks will embark on tour this year with his recently-revealed Broken Branches Tour. Kicking off May 29 at the Moody Center in Austin, the trek will travel through more than 30 U.S. cities nationwide. Joining him as support are Zach Top and duo The Band Loula.

Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Katie Neal