Songfacts®:

• "21 Forever" features guest performances from Dolly Parton and Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash. While Janson and Parton grapple with that time when carefree youth meets the weight of adult responsibilities, Slash injects a fiery energy into the mix, taking us back to the days of rock 'n' roll rebellion.
• Janson kicks off the song with an honest verse, his voice carrying the weight of experience. He sings about changing his phone number, finding love, and realizing that youth can't go on and on. "You can't be 21 forever," he declares, putting the bottle aside and learning to think about more than just himself.
  
  Like a beacon of truth, Parton steps in, her voice shimmering with wisdom. In her verse, she doesn't hold back, sharing the hard-hitting perspective she's gleaned from her own journey. The cards ain't always in your favor, she reminds us, and sooner or later, we gotta face that fact. "You can't be 21 forever," she sings, encouraging us to write our stories and embrace growing older, as age brings its own beauty.
  
  During the bridge and final chorus, both singers come together, their voices rising like a harmonious storm. They deliver a home-run piece of advice, urging us to savor the present moment, because age is just a number, like fine wine that gets better with time.
• Janson co-wrote "21 Forever" with frequent collaborators Tommy Cecil ("Say About Me," "Waitin' On 5") and Tom Douglas ("Drunk Girl," "Everybody's Going Through Something").
• "21 Forever" is included on The Outlaw Side of Me, Janson's first album since signing to Big Machine Label Group after parting ways with Warner Music Nashville in September 2022.
• Janson co-produced the track with Julian Raymond and Scott Borchetta. Raymond co-wrote and produced the last song Glen Campbell ever recorded, "I'm Not Gonna Miss You," which won Best Country Song at the Grammy Awards in 2015. Scott Borchetta is the founder, president, and CEO of Big Machine Label Group.
• Janson's no stranger to collaborations, and his track record speaks for itself. He's lent his talents to albums by the likes of Holly Williams and Lee Brice, duetted with Blake Shelton, and co-written singles for the likes of Tim McGraw, LoCash, and Randy Houser. But on "21 Forever" he raised the stakes by bringing on board none other than the Queen of Country Music herself, Dolly Parton, and the iconic rock guitarist, Slash.