Brandon Stansell Says New Single 'Wild Ride' Is a 'Marker' and a 'Chance to Reflect'

Brandon Stansell is enjoying the ride.

The country star is back with his newest single "Wild Ride" off his forthcoming album This Must Be the Place on Thursday and PEOPLE is getting an exclusive first listen. To Stansell, the song is about enjoying the process before getting to your end destination.

"Like they say — it's not about where you end up, it's about the journey you took to get there. Well, I have had some pretty set dreams since I was 6 years old, so 'getting there' was all I ever wanted to do. But as I've gotten older I've realized the magic really is in the space between," Stansell, 31, tells PEOPLE. "

He continued, "And let me tell you, my path has been a pretty incredible one. This song is a marker for me — a chance to reflect on the past both the good and bad. And more importantly, a chance to look forward to what's ahead because I truly do believe all my best days as an artist and as a human being are still ahead of me."

The track has an inspirational feel as Stansell sings about the "wild, wild ride" filled with ups and downs he's on.

"Got my heart ripped out when I moved West Coast/Found five years later standing in the front row," he sings. "Got a second chance at love though I don't deserve it/It's been a wild, wild ride."

"Wild Ride" follows his September EP titled This Must Be the Place. Meanwhile, the full-length album will be available on June 24.

In 2020, Stansell opened up to PEOPLE about sharing his coming out story through his single "Hurt People," featuring country star Cam.

"I've always connected with country music for its storytelling, but for the LGBTQI+ community — we are often told not to tell our story," Stansell said of the single. "Though I don't believe a person has to be queer to find themselves in the lyrics of this song, 'Hurt People' is one of those untold stories."

"I hope this song provides listeners of the genre a sense of representation that they may not often experience," he added.

"Hurt People" is not the first time Stansell has been open about his sexuality in his music. In 2018, the music video for his single "Hometown" became the first LGBTQ video to ever air on the country music network CMT.

"I think that visibility is important, especially in country music. I think that everyone wants to hear their story told," the Nashville native told Billboard at the time. "I think that's a commonality we share. For the longest time, people who are LGBTQ and lovers of country music, we didn't really hear our stories on country radio or played on CMT. It was really important for me to share my story in the most authentic, real way I possibly could."