Brad Paisley on race in America: "This is just about the touchiest subject there is"

On Tuesday evening "Piers Morgan Live" welcomed country music star Brad Paisley for a live, face to face, primetime interview.

Currently on tour with his new album “Wheelhouse,” the 14-time CMA award winner has received significant criticism for his controversial duet with LL Cool J, a track entitled “Accidental Racist."

However, as current events ran their course this past Spring, Paisley's critics soon had company from supporters who admired the singers stance:

"After April came, then came the bombings, then the trial and all these things, it seems like weekly we have something that's happening," Paisley noted. "I remember as we did that, as the week went on, and I heard all of these different points of view, everybody saying great job to, you know, basically go to hell or whatever."

The release of "Accidential Racist" was soon followed by news of Paula Deen's use of racial slurs, including the "N" word. Though Paisley can't speak to the matter himself, he recognizes that the topic of race can quickly ignite a firestorm:

"What's obvious to me is this is just about the touchiest subject there is," he told Piers Morgan. "What I was saying about LL [Cool J] was, this is a personal conversation about two people in a song, me saying as a southerner, how does this make you feel, what I'm wearing? And him having his point of view."

"Wheelhouse" represents the ninth studio album by Paisley, and easily his most-provocative and soul-searching effort:

"This was an attempt to break out of that and ask really hard questions, even from opposing points of view for myself," the native West Virginian explained. "And see what discussions transpired and it was a blast for me to incorporate other types of music into what I do and guests that you don't expect, everything from Eric Idle and LL, people like that."

Watch the clip for more of Piers Morgan's race discussion with Brad Paisley, and for the next edition of "Piers Morgan Live," watch CNN every night at 9.
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