Kip Moore debuts single

The song, released to radio on Monday, ranked behind Taylor Swift, Brad Paisley and Toby Keith in most adds at country radio with 22 stations, according to Country Aircheck. Stations in cities including Baltimore, Denver, Philadelphia, San Antonio, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, San Antonio, Tampa and Washington D.C, are now playing the song.

"This early reception is a complete shock, to be honest," Moore said. "There is nothing more flattering than when someone appreciates something you wrote and put your heart and soul into. There's not a greater compliment in the world than having people at radio who listen to music every day pay attention to your lyrics and enjoy what you do."

The song, written by Moore, Dan Couch and Scott Stepakoff, is the true story of one of Moore's friends, who returned to his hometown after about six years and saw the once tall, lanky girl who had since come into her own and become a model.

"She was a girl that nobody paid any attention to, including me," he said. "I remember her always being nice and sweet. I ran into her years later, and she was absolutely amazing. She was beautiful, sweet, funny and charming. I want to kick myself sometimes, but I don't have any regrets. I think it's all part of growing up. It's all a part of opening your eyes, and once you miss out on something special, you'll know to be looking the next time."

"It's the story of what every man in this world goes through at some point," he said. "It's the story of the one that got away that you should have paid attention to. Every town, every city, everybody knows one. Every girl believes they are Mary."

Moore hasn't discussed the song with the woman who inspired the song. "I want to keep that a private thing," he says. "Nobody will ever know."

On March 2, he performed the single on the stage of the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville during Universal Music Group Nashville's Country Radio Seminar show. "That was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing," he said. "Me and the guys looked down at the wood and saw how old it was.

"It's intimidating by the fact that I've been here for eight years and I'm playing this one song in front of radio people who can change your career," he said. "At the same time, we were overwhelmed with excitement. We were itching to play, and it was exciting, but I was also aware that this is what we've worked so hard for and so long."

Moore recently finished recording his debut album for MCA Nashville. He wrote or co-wrote every song on the album. "My music is an honest, raw grit emotion," said the Tifton, Ga. native. "When you listen to the record, I hope you feel something in the music. It's not just music and lyric, it's an emotion. The whole entire album is one emotion."