Backstage at the 2019 CMA Awards, it was easy to get caught up in all the glitz and glamor of a high-profile country awards show. Stars were milling around, dressed in glamorous getup, and some of the biggest awards in the genre were set to be handed out that night.

Still, Justin Moore didn't let all the excitement go to his head. "I don't know who's nominated, I don't know who's playing, I have no idea," he laughingly admitted to The Boot. "I'm just here for a good time....the CMA always does a great job. 

"A lot of people think this is awards season, but this is deer season to me!" he joked. "I know that as soon as this show is done with -- although it will be great -- I'm gonna get back in the woods."

In fact, that kind of attitude squares with Moore's personal definition of country music. The genre isn't about awards shows, flashy performances and gorgeous outfits: Although all of that stuff is exciting, the core of what country music means comes from real, honest storytelling. Read on as Moore reflects on what country music means to him.

Country music to me, one of the reasons that I love it and the fans love it, is because it's real. People can relate to it because it's real. Growing up, the reason I learned to love country music is because I thought the artists at the time were talking about me and how I was growing up, and that's something I've tried to do throughout my career, is speak to people so that they felt the same way.

So I think, apart from any other genre, the fact that it's real and people can honestly relate to it in a real, authentic way, is what makes it so special.

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