The Academy of Country Music’s top new male vocalist takes the Bud Light Stage tonight at 7:45. Jake Owen’s fans know his hits: “Yee Haw,” “Startin’ With Me,” and “Don’t Think I Can’t Love You.” But do they know these facts the singer shared in a phone interview this week?

1. People magazine named him one of 12 on its Country’s Hottest Guys list.

“I got a lot of flak from the guys in the band and my (twin) brother about that. It’s flattering, I guess, but I’ve got to tell everybody that when I dropped out of college and moved to Nashville it wasn’t because I was trying to make it as a pretty face. I was just doing it for my music, and it’s funny how all that goes along with it.”

2. Vern is the new top dog on the tour bus.

“Vern is my English bulldog. For a while it was like I had a little baby; I was up every night, with him whining and crying wanting to go out. Now he’s about 7 months old, he’s neutered and he’s chilling out. He’s like the cool, hanging dog.

3. “Don’t Think I Can’t Love You” is a tribute to his parents.

“My mom and dad have been married almost 30 years. Growing up, my dad always instilled in us that money isn’t what made our family what it was. There were plenty of hard times growing up. My dad always said whether you’ve got everything in the world or you don’t, what matters is how much love you have for your wife and children. So when I wrote that song, I took all that and wrapped it into one song.

“My parents know I wrote it about them, and it’s special to know that’s what I had in mind. I always have to give my respect to them.”

4. He networks with fans on Twitter.

The singer recently sent Tweets to his fans letting them know about an impromptu concert he was going to play on a video chat room at ustream.tv.

“I love the fact that Twitter is such instant gratification for fans or anyone who wants to follow someone. Four hundred people showed up that night. How cool that was that we could do something like that spur of the moment.”

5. His next single will be “Eight Second Ride.”

“It was on my first record. It’s a song I wrote in college. All my buddies in college rode around in big trucks, and they wanted a fun, rockin’ song to ride around on. I never thought about it being played on the radio. But the song has gotten an overwhelming response; people are always screaming for that song in my shows. The fans have given me so much, I felt like we have to give them what they’re asking for.”