On the morning that the fifth season of the CMT drama Nashville was premiering (Jan. 5), Charles “Chip” Esten—who plays Deacon Claybourne from the hit TV series—headed to New York for an appearance on NBC’s Today Show.

Prior to his performance, the handsome singer/actor chatted with hosts Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager about the new season and his latest release, “Buckle Up.”

“I’ve been putting out singles every single week for the last 26 weeks, that’s almost half a hear. Mostly because this guy right behind you—Steve Mandile produces and my band, Sixwire, plays with me. I’m real fortunate this is the latest.”

Chip made the promise to drop a new song every Friday for a year, with the exception of “Buckle Up,” which he dropped on Thursday (Jan.5) for his Today Show appearance.

“We made it drop today. It’s usually every singe Friday but because it’s on the Today Show, let’s drop it today,” added Chip. “I’ve got 26 to go and I’ll have a whole year under my belt which is a little crazy.”

Check out Chip’s performance of “Buckle Up.”