Trace Adkins is feeling very good about his life these days, but in a new interview, he says he also feels a little bit of guilt because things are going so well for him during a time that's been so difficult for everyone else.

Speaking to Taste of Country, Adkins — who married actress Victoria Pratt in 2019 — says that far from being held back by the downtime imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, he actually thrived in 2020, putting his time to use in recording the bulk of the 25 new songs on his upcoming new album, The Way I Wanna Go.

Not only that, but the country star also filmed three movies.

"We were able to do movies ... you know, you just show up on the set that morning, they give you a COVID test, one of those rapid response tests, and 15 minutes later, everybody went to work," he relates.

Adkins spent his downtime recording, filming and working on long-delayed projects on his farm in Tennessee. He says the forced break from the road provided an unexpected perspective on his work-life balance.

"Man, I told somebody the other day, it was like being retired while I'm still healthy enough to enjoy it," he shares. "It was the best year of my life. Blake [Shelton] and I were talking about that the other day, and how we felt guilty about saying that, because we both feel that way. I'm like, 'Yeah, I do kinda feel a little guilty about it.' But I'm not gonna lie about it, either. It was the best year of my life, and creatively, it was the most productive year of my life. And I'm not gonna apologize for that."

"I feel for everybody else," Adkins continues. "Especially people who lost loved ones. But it was a great year for me ... it did force us all to take stock and look at what's really important I think. It served me well."

Adkins is set to release The Way I Wanna Go on Aug. 27. He will join Shelton on his 2021 Friends and Heroes Tour alongside Martina McBrideTracy Byrd and Lindsay Ell. The tour will begin in Omaha, Neb., on Aug. 18, and run through Oct. 2.

Adkins also launched his solo The Way I Wanna Go Tour in April, with dates running through November.

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