For the first time Brantley Gilbert has opened up about his split with Jana Kramer. Those hoping for dirt however, and going to have to keep hoping.

The ‘Bottoms Up’ singer says the breakup hurt, and he still thinks the world of of Kramer. “That little girl’s wonderful,” he tells Fitz in the Morning on Seattle radio station 100.7 The Wolf. “I love her to death. I care about her. She’s going to make somebody a wonderful, wonderful wife, and a wonderful, wonderful mother.”

It’s tempting to read between the lines, especially near the end of the interview when Gilbert says he hopes Kramer still loves him too. Previously he told Taste of Country commitment was one of the four things he's afraid of.

“We went for broke, man. We went hard, we went fast,” he says without revealing exactly what brought the union to an end.

“The situation does exist where it just didn’t work. And that’s the case. Some things happened and it didn’t work out. But we still talk. I think the world of her. She’s one of the most genuine people I know. And that’s the honest to God truth. I think the world of that little girl.”

Fans will find the story on a song called ‘I’m Gone’ from Gilbert’s upcoming ‘That’s Who I Am’ album. Expect plenty of honest, often raw stories from his real life. “There’s several things on that record that hit me in the heart, a pretty solid punch,” Gilbert says.

The album — available May 20 — is Gilbert’s second on the Valory Music Co. He’s made plenty of personal changes since releasing his debut, including a sharper focus on his career after giving up alcohol. Look for him at the Taste of Country Music Festival this June.

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