Blake Shelton’s “Let Him In” (BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville)

Blake Shelton’s latest album may be called For Recreational Use Only, but his latest hit is one he doesn’t take lightly.

Co-written by HARDY, “Let Him in Anyway” comes from the viewpoint of someone worried his best friend may not make it into heaven.

“If you can hear this song and it doesn’t punch you in the gut and break your heart, you probably need to be examined in other ways,” Blake says of the song, which he’ll perform on Thursday’s primetime CMA Fest special on ABC.

“I just wanted this song to have a platform and a way to be heard,” he adds. “That’s what I love about our writers in Nashville and what I love about country music in general. Great songs come out of this town every day, and every now and then you’re lucky enough to get your hands on one. I think this is one of those songs.”

You can check out a new live video of “Let Him in Anyway,” recorded during Blake’s recent Vegas residency ahead of his CMA Fest performance on Thursday. You can watch for it starting at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.