"Five years ago I figured we were at the top of our game and that was the best it was going to get, but with every album it seems to keep on building on itself"
About this Quote
The intent is twofold. First, it reassures fans that the machine hasn't gone cold. Country audiences prize continuity; nobody wants their favorite act to become a nostalgia tour with better lighting. By saying each album "keeps on building", McGraw signals momentum, not reinvention for its own sake. Second, it flatters the collaborative ecosystem behind him - band, writers, producers, radio - without naming any of it. The "we" does a lot of work, presenting stardom as a shared project rather than a lone hero narrative.
The subtext is anxiety managed in public. Most artists privately worry about the downturn: the record that underperforms, the single that doesn't stick, the moment the culture moves on. McGraw names that fear ("best it was going to get") and then converts it into a story of earned growth. It's aspirational without being corny: discipline beats destiny.
Context matters, too: McGraw's career spans the era when albums mattered, then singles and streaming reshuffled the scoreboard. By anchoring his claim to "every album", he's defending the long-form arc - not just a hit here and there - as proof he still belongs at the center of the conversation.
Quote Details
| Topic | Music |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
McGraw, Tim. (2026, January 15). Five years ago I figured we were at the top of our game and that was the best it was going to get, but with every album it seems to keep on building on itself. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/five-years-ago-i-figured-we-were-at-the-top-of-156102/
Chicago Style
McGraw, Tim. "Five years ago I figured we were at the top of our game and that was the best it was going to get, but with every album it seems to keep on building on itself." FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/five-years-ago-i-figured-we-were-at-the-top-of-156102/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Five years ago I figured we were at the top of our game and that was the best it was going to get, but with every album it seems to keep on building on itself." FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/five-years-ago-i-figured-we-were-at-the-top-of-156102/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
