Kane Brown Opens His Heart: The Emotional Story Behind “When You Forget” from The High Road
Kane Brown’s latest album, The High Road, is packed with 18 tracks that showcase his signature blend of heartfelt country and modern pop. But amidst the upbeat anthems and romantic duets, there’s one song that stands apart — a deeply personal ballad that left Brown in tears as he wrote it.
The song is called “When You Forget”, the final track on the album. It’s more than just music — it’s a raw, unfiltered reflection of a battle Kane and his family are facing right now. On Instagram, Brown shared a touching photo of his grandparents, revealing that his beloved grandfather’s fight with Alzheimer’s disease was the driving force behind the song’s creation.
“The hardest working man I know and will ever know,” Kane wrote, his words brimming with admiration and heartache. “I hope I can be half the man he is today.”
Brown didn’t hold back as he confessed, “This is the only song on the album that brought some tears while writing. He’s been forgetting some things lately… it’s a terrible disease, and I hope everyone going through the same thing my family and I are can find a connection to this song.”
The tribute didn’t end there. With a heartfelt sign-off, Kane added, “I love you, Pepaw.”
While Kane is no stranger to writing songs inspired by his family, “When You Forget” holds a unique emotional weight. The High Road also features two duets with his wife, Katelyn, but it’s this song that struck a particularly tender chord, especially with his grandmother — his Pepaw’s lifelong partner.
Recalling the moment he shared the song’s idea with her, Kane told Holler, “Getting to call my Nana and tell her that we were going to write a song about him, you could hear her tearing up over the phone.”
Released just last week, The High Road is already resonating with fans, but it’s songs like “When You Forget” that remind listeners of the personal stories behind the music — stories of love, family, and the bittersweet memories that linger even when time begins to fade them away.