Riley Green is joined by one of his musical heroes on his new song, out now. Green just released “Think As You Drunk,” a track from his next album, That’s Just Me. At the end of the song, Toby Keith can be heard singing part of his hit single, “As Good As I Once Was.” Although Green tells Billboard he never met the country music icon, the song became a fitting way to pay honor to the Country Music Hall of Fame member.

Written by Green, along with Erik Dylan, Wyatt McCubbin, and Jessi Alexander, Green thought of Keith as soon as they finished writing “Think As You Drunk.

The best compliment I can give a song is ‘Man, this feels like a Toby Keith song,’” Green tells the outlet. “Especially as a songwriter, I don’t know if there was a bigger influence on me.”

How Riley Green Got Toby Keith’s Voice on “Think As You Drunk”

Sadly, Green never got to meet Keith before he passed away in 2024, from stomach cancer. Green reached out to Keith’s family, especially since “Think As You Drunk” is very similar to Keith’s 2005 anthem.

“They completely thought it was a tip of the cap to Toby, so they wanted to have his vocal on it,” Green says. In a strange twist of irony, Green’s father used to joke that “As Good As I Once Was” was about his own life.

“So it’s really a full-circle moment for me to have Toby’s vocal on that song,” Green adds.

Fortunately, Keith’s success as a country artist isn’t the only way Green wants to emulate the late singer. The Alabama native is also interested in performing for the troops, a cause Keith was passionate about.

“I remember how awesome a look that was to me, [for Keith] to perform for the brave men and women overseas that cannot be at home,” Green reflects. “Then I got on the road and away from home and realized how impressive it really was because I know how precious your time off is. For [Keith] to travel halfway around the world and go perform like that shows how important it was to him. So it’s definitely something that I wanted to make a priority.”

What Riley Green Says About His Next Album, ‘That’s Just Me’

Green hasn’t revealed many details about That’s Just Me, other than it does have a few collaborations. But for Green, whose career has never been hotter, he’s pouring all he can into his next project.

“The only thing I feel anxious about in my career is that I want to take every opportunity I’ve been given to get as much out of it as I can,” Green acknowledges. “There’s no sense of ‘I can relax now.’ I’ve never felt that. It always feels like, ‘OK, this next album has got to be bigger than the last one.’ ”

That’s Just Me will be out on September 18.