Parker McCollum’s fiancee inspired “To Be Loved by You,” but he admits “it’s not incredibly true about her”

Though Parker McCollum is a happily engaged man, he’s the first to admit that “To Be Loved by You” isn’t the most cheerful love song.

Parker popped the question to his fiancee, Hallie Ray Light, in July 2021, months after the release of his latest hit, “To Be Loved by You,” which is currently in the top 20 on country radio. The singer reveals that Hallie Ray inspired the idea for the song, although he notes that it’s not entirely autobiographical.

“She was the one that I was talking about when I said out loud, ‘What does a man have to do to be loved by that girl?'” he says in reference to the song’s hook. “All my songs are kind of heartbreak, love songs about everything going terribly wrong, so I try to always write in that vein. [M]y favorite kind of songs are those songs. So she inspired song, but it’s not incredibly true about her.”

The couple is currently preparing for their upcoming wedding ceremony in March, and Parker says he is slowly but surely getting ready for the big day.

“It is certainly coming up. It’s at the end of March,” he shares, adding that he has a few months to “really prepare for it and be ready.” “So I think I am,” he assures.

Another significant event on Parker’s calendar is a performance at the Houston Rodeo on March 12, a major milestone for the Texas native. The remaining lineup will be announced this Wednesday, January 5, with tickets going on sale January 13.