Eric Church Releases Surprise Album, 'Mr. Misunderstood,' During the CMA Awards

— -- At the end of this year's MTV Video Music Awards, Miley Cyrus announced that she was releasing a surprise album that very minute.

At tonight's CMA Awards, Eric Church did something similar: He acknowledged the secret album, "Mr. Misunderstood," that he released to his fan club on Tuesday.

"It always takes me time to look for inspiration to make a new album but this time, inspiration came looking for me," he wrote in a note distributed to reporters at the awards show tonight. "Together, we found Mr. Misunderstood. Today, it's yours."

The album is also in stores and on iTunes now.

Church later took the stage at the CMAs to perform the album's title track.