"I literally black out..." - Country star Jackson Dean talks about giving his all on stage

Country music star Jackson Dean has certainly been making waves. The 24-year-old Maryland native known for his truth-telling and infectious energy sat down with PEOPLE to discuss his steady rise to fame, the success of his current top 30 single, “Heavens To Betsy”, as well as his live performances. On the topic of his energy on stage, Dean shared:

“I’ll push so hard sometimes, that I literally black out — like when you stand up too quick.”

Incredibly, this doesn’t deter the eclectic musician from continuing with his sets:

“Last time I had it happen, I spent an entire verse in the dark. Your body’s still going, and you’re like … hell, yeah!”

---

Jackson Dean gets real in conversation with PEOPLE

Dean, the son of a masonry owner and former all-around athlete, describes his philosophy of bringing the same type of physicality to his performances.

“When you step on the stage, there’s the clash of all these sounds coming together, flying through the air, going into somebody else’s body. And you’re making that. You are that. You’re in the clash. It’s just a wild, wild feeling. It’s a thing to be engulfed by. You can literally feel the ground shake. It’s so fun. It’s so, so, so, so fun.”

Dean then elaborated on his desire to continue down this path, treating audiences and fans to his unique sound, as long as he’s around:

“I want to make music till I’m dead.”

It is well known by now that Jackson got his first taste of where his voice could take him while still in high school. Before his final high school football game, Dean, in full equipment, gave a rousing rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” which instantly went viral and led him to an appearance on comedian Steve Harvey’s talk show.

He was merely 22 when “Don’t Come Lookin’” reached number 1 on the charts, and he brazenly followed it up with “Fearless (The Echo),” another top 10 hit. His subsequent albums have continued to grow his fanbase and cement him as an up-and-coming star who’s merely scratching the surface of his potential.

In the PEOPLE interview, Dean also mentioned his contentment with how his career has been progressing as well as the unplanned charting success of his current top 30 single, “Heavens To Betsy,” a record that he’s proud to have created without even truly considering its full potential. The track is essentially “about a deceased man who sends a message of regret and hope to his still-living daughter.”

"I started playing that song to kill time on radio tour. I’d be like, here’s another one that I wrote, and you’re probably not going to like it, but I’m going to play it anyway because it’s good.”

Jackson states that the beauty of the hit single is that:

“People will put themselves in the shoes of the song. To see their own story in it — that’s the purpose of all this, you know. And that’s not my call to make. It’s their call.”

According to the PEOPLE interview, Dean is currently in Europe on a headlining tour before he’s set to return to the United States to hit the summer festival circuit. His upcoming single, “Be Your Man,” is scheduled to drop May 9, and he is hyper focused on continuing to build on his current momentum.