Recent "American Idol" finalist Danny Gokey is now a recording artist of 19 Recordings and RCA Nashville, a country music label.

The deal signals a big departure from the R&B ballads and adult contemporary music he usually churned out in “Idol.” The only country songs he performed in the show were Carrie Underwood's "Jesus Takes the Wheel" and Rascal Flatts' "What Hurts the Most."

"I grew up in a family where I was exposed to music from artists like Alan Jackson and Wynonna and Brooks & Dunn, and when Randy Travis was on the show and asked me if I'd ever considered country music, it was one more sign of where I knew I needed to be," said Gokey in an interview with Billboard magazine.

The 29-year-old singer’s debut album is slated for release next year, but a single is due to premiere later this year.

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