first country
In this week’s stack of new country releases, Carly Pearce welcomes Chris Stapleton on a scorching breakup ballad, Tim McGraw and Brad Paisley further tease upcoming albums with new tracks, while Dan Tyminski offers his first full-fledged bluegrass album in over a decade.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Carly Pearce feat. Chris Stapleton, “We Don’t Fight Anymore”
The devastatingly deep, bone-cutting honesty in Pearce’s album 29: Written in Stone, which centered on the dissolution of her marriage and a painful divorce, elevated Pearce’s career and acclaim as an artist and writer — catapulting her into the realm of multi-award winner, earning accolades from the Grammys, CMAs and ACMs. On her latest, written with Shane McAnally and Pete Good, Pearce returns to the realm of heartache, though this time, focusing on the slow dulling of love rather than a sharp slice of any betrayal.
“We don’t cuss and we don’t care enough to even hate,” she sings, her lead vocals accented by in-demand collaborator Chris Stapleton’s harmonies, followed by stirring vocal give-and-take. Though fans undoubtedly hoped for more of a true duet between these two superb vocalists, their harmonies wring out every bit of desperation and regret etched in the lyrics.
Brad Paisley, “So Many Summers”
On his latest release, and in anticipation of his upcoming album Son of the Mountains, Paisley returns to classic form on “So Many Summers,” which he wrote with Ross Copperman and Lee Thomas Miller. This song turns the party vibes and good times up to 10, while offering a steady reminder to wring joy out of every moment while you can — “You only get so many summers.” Paisley is no stranger to blending up-tempo fare with keen lyrics, whether assessing the evolution of global culture on “American Saturday Night” or technological advances on “Welcome to the Future.” But here, he offers the kind of enduring country music fare that steadfastly touches a vein with listeners—most recently with songs such as Texan Cody Johnson’s smash 2022 hit, the CMA Award-winning “’Til You Can’t,” and Tim McGraw’s “Standing Room Only” (not to mention’s McGraw’s 2004 signature “Live Like You Were Dying”).
Tim McGraw, “Hey Whiskey”
Speaking of McGraw, his latest release from his upcoming 17th studio album Standing Room Only, this surefire future Country Music Hall of Famer again asserts his penchant for top-shelf songwriting — this time courtesy of Brad Hutsell, Joel Hutsell and The Warren Brothers (Brad and Brett Warren).
McGraw’s voice is at once mellow and filled with dignified regret, as he chronicles the downward spiral of a young man who increasingly devotes his weekends to liquor to the point of dependency, until reaching an unmistakable realization that he relinquished a storied romance in the process.
Naomi Cooke Johnson, “Girls of Summer”
In 2011, George Strait earned a hit with a track that espoused, “I ain’t here for a long time/ I’m here for a good time.” Former Runaway June lead singer Naomi Cooke Johnson offers her own take on this notion, as she officially makes her solo bow on BBR Music Group/Stoney Creek Records. In “Girls of Summer,” she smartly retains the carefree, female empowerment sentiments that were so prominent in the Runaway June hit “Buy My Own Drinks,” while elevating it extra confidence, her purring voice painting vignettes of girls who “show off tanlines just to tease,” girls whose photos are still hidden in the cowboy hats of the guys they left long before the summer days were over.
Cooke Johnson co-wrote the song with Jason Duke and Jacob Durrett, with Durrett also producing the track.
Dan Tyminski, God Fearing Heathen
Tyminski issues his first bluegrass album in 15 years, following detours into more roots-oriented lanes with 2017’s Southern Gothic, and last year’s Tony Rice tribute project One More Time Before You Go. He offers a stellar bluegrass revision of “Hey Brother,” his 2013 collaboration with the Swedish DJ Avicii. Meanwhile, he teams with Luke Dick (Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves) and Jaida Dreyer to pen “Never Met a Stranger,” a delightful tribute to the freewheeling life of a musician.
But not all of these top-shelf tracks are so light-hearted; he delves into the story of a PTSD-suffering military veteran on “Silence in the Brandy,” and on the title track, muses that heaven is “for the losers and winners/ the hard-livin’, God-fearin’ heathens like me.” The album closes with “Ode to Jimmy,” a rollicking bluegrass scorcher feting Bluegrass Music Hall of Famer Jimmy Martin. Throughout the collection, Tyminski and his band offer expert instrumentation to further elevate this well-crafted set to tracks, spearheaded by Tyminski’s raw, yet smoothly superb, lead vocals.
Pecos and the Rooftops (feat. Kolby Cooper), “Memories”
Texas band Pecos & the Rooftops — which includes vocalist/guitarist Pecos Hurley, guitarists Brandon Jones and Zack Foster, bassist Kalen Davis and drummer Garrett Peltier—previously released their EP Red Eye in 2020 and earned a platinum-certified hit with “This Damn Song.” They return with their debut major label Warner project, The Album, which includes this collaboration with Kolby Cooper.
“Memories” finds Hurley and Cooper trading defiant, growling vocals over thrashing, furious guitar work, as the song muses over being on the better side of an imminent breakup, guaranteeing an ex-lover will remember them at every vulnerable moment.
Taylor Austin Dye, “Bible Belt”
Of late, a few artists including Jelly Roll and Pillbox Patti have become known for crafting country songs that shed light on the struggles, hopes and dreams of an often-overlooked segment of America — those who live in some of the most poverty-stricken places, where addictions and overdoses are a part of life. Kentucky native Taylor Austin Dye offers her own keen-eye perspective with “Bible Belt,” which, on its full-throttle, rock-soaked surface would seem another run-of-the-mill, radio-aimed track.
But lyrically embedded is a tale of poverty and the hard choices made to ensure a woman’s survival, as chronicled through the eyes of her daughter, who watches as her mother navigates cycles of drugs and sex work to cope and live among the slim economic prospects and abundant despair in rural Appalachia. “Born into this fire/ Don’t wanna die here,” she sings, embodying both the unflinching perspective born of a lifetime of poverty but also a merciless determination to rise above and chase a dream of a more stable life. Dye wrote the song with Nicole Croteau and Chris Utley, with Rob Pennington.
The Watson Twins, Holler
Identical twins Chandra and Leigh Watson hail from Kentucky, and issued their largely pop-positioned first project Southern Manners in 2006. While their previous albums have housed country-leaning moments, the duo’s latest album, Holler, delves deeper into their Kentucky roots, most notably on the saloon sizzling shuffle of “Two Timin’,” while on the barroom-ready “Honky Tonk Heart,” the twins lend their electrifying harmonies are embedded with grunge-edged guitars, spritely piano. Throughout the project, they deliver each track with a steely confidence, an abundance of handclaps and folk-pop sensibility.
Women lead the way on Billboard‘s roundup of the best new country music this week, including tracks from Carrie Underwood, Gabby Barrett, and a collab between Lainey Wilson and Lauren Alaina.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Carrie Underwood, “Take Me Out”
“Sometimes love gets covered up in life,” Underwood sings on her latest track, carrying on with the ’80s-infused synth-pop jams that filled her 2022 album Denim & Rhinestones. On this swirling, atmospheric track, she yearns for a night focused on heart connections rather than daily routines. Underwood is known for her ceiling-scraping, dynamic vocals, but here, she again demonstrates her superb vocal dexterity, lending her voice more to sultry purrs than rafter-rocking belts.
“Take Me Out” is included on the upcoming deluxe version of Denim & Rhinestones, out Sept. 22.
Lainey Wilson with Lauren Alaina, “Thicc as Thieves”
Lauren Alaina welcomes recent ACM Awards victor Lainey Wilson to join her on this body-affirming, friendship-cementing track.
“We’re thicker than our accents, thicker than our hair/ Thicker than the Georgia and Louisiana air,” they sing on this certified banger of a track, while nodding to recent deluge of attention they have each received online recently for their backsides. Alaina and Wilson have fun with the whole situation, even throwing in a line from Luke Bryan’s 2011 hit “Country Girl (Shake It For Me),” but the ferocity in their intertwined voices reclaim the booty-shaking command as their own. Full-throttle, empowering and hilarious, this track feels like a summer smash.
Gabby Barrett, “Glory Days”
Dreamy, sleek and groove-soaked, Gabby Barrett’s new release looks to extend the country radio chart-topping success of her previous work, including “The Good Ones” and “I Hope.” Barrett wrote the track with Emily Weisband, Seth Mosley and James McNair. Here, she finds the sacred in the mundane, spilling with gratitude for simple, family-focused moments — watching children playing in the backyard and catching fireflies, or enjoying a quiet morning moment with a good cup of coffee. As usual, her supple voice sings the fire out of this.
Kaylin Roberson, “Fish to Fry”
“The only thing blue is the water,” Roberson sings on this breezy track, making it clear that a fizzled relationship equals more time to spend at the lake — rather than wallowing in heartbreak. Roberson wrote this laid-back, summer-ready gem with Clara Park and Chase McDaniel.
Lewis Brice feat. Lee Brice, “Product Of”
Lewis Brice teams with his brother and fellow singer-songwriter for this Father’s Day-appropriate track, paying homage to their parents’ tender love story. This marks the first collaboration between the musically talented siblings, and their trenchant harmonies elevate the detailed story song. “Product Of” is the title track to Lewis Brice’s upcoming full-length project, out July 28.
Tommy Prine continues etching his own legacy as a singer-songwriter in his latest outing, while Melonie Cannon and Cody Jinks pay tribute to the late Vern Gosdin, and Hannah Dasher offers a gospel-flavored song of grace. Meanwhile, ERNEST and 49 Winchester team for a deliciously bluesy cover of a Willie Nelson classic.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Tommy Prine, “Cash Carter Hill”
A few nights spent at the Carter Family home offered creative rebirth for Prine; this song originated as a poem he wrote after hiking up a hill behind the home — a poem he later turned into song. “Paint not the picture of another man’s steps,” he sings, as Prine’s new song encapsulates his journey in crafting his own artistic perspective and sound apart from his own famous father’s — the late singer-songwriter John Prine. The track steadily builds from stark acoustics to a full-bodied, gleeful blend of rhythms and electric guitar, led by elegant lyricism. “Cash Carter Hill” will appear on Prine’s debut album, This Far South, out June 23 via Thirty Tigers.
Melonie Cannon and Cody Jinks, “Set ‘Em Up Joe”
On her new album, Cannon pays homage to one of her mentors, the late Vern Gosdin–and she welcomes a slew of collaborators to join in, including Willie Nelson, Vince Gill and Alison Krauss.
Cody Jinks joins on a version of Gosdin’s “Set ‘Em Up Joe,” which served as the second single from Gosdin’s 1988 classic project Chiseled in Stone (and became a No. 1 hit on Billboard‘s Country Songs chart). Cannon’s voice is warm, endearing and nuanced, and pairs nicely with Jinks’s grizzled vocal rendering on this enduring hit that itself pays tribute to another country music luminary, the late Ernest Tubb.
Over the course of her career, Cannon has provided harmonies on recordings by George Jones, Reba McEntire and others, and has vocalized on demo sessions for writers including Dean Dillon and Hank Cochran; this album follows her previous solo outings, a self-titled 2004 project and 2008’s And The Wheels Turn.
Hot Country Knights With Darla McFarland (a.k.a. Dierks Bentley and Lainey Wilson), “Herassmeant”
Mullets, flannel, and aviator glasses are back as Dierks Bentley’s wise-tracking “’90s country group” side project Hot Country Knights returns, fronted by “Doug Douglason” (a.k.a. Bentley). They team up with “’90s country star,” Darla McFarland (a.k.a. recent ACM Awards victor Lainey Wilson) for a hilarious track that simultaneously nods to the current social climate, with lyrics including “I backed up my dump truck, packed all my junk up,” that signal to Wilson’s recent social media viral moments that have focused on Wilson’s physical assets in recent months. The track is one of a pair of new songs from Hot Country Knights, alongside the intentionally Garth Brooks-esque “Midknight Rodeo.”
Hannah Dasher, “Ugly Houses”
As an artist, Dasher is known for her megawatt personality and for crafting zesty tracks. But here, Dasher teams with Robert Arthur to craft this ballad filled with gospel underpinnings, as she sings about finding a faith that involves embracing imperfection and eccentricities. “Well I ain’t no fancy castle/ Got too much junk inside,” she sings, pledging that if a higher power will take a chance on a fixer-upper, she’ll take down the for sale sign. “Ugly Houses” is part of Dasher’s upcoming album The Other D**n Half, out Aug. 4.
Grace Tyler, “Sound of You Gone”
This pensive piano ballad finds Tyler in the depths of grief, desperately seeking ways to bring back a loved one as she catalogs the myriad of little ways that absence is acutely felt — from a leaky faucet that’s not yet fixed to a phone that now is silent. By the song’s bridge, she’s conjuring up any bargain to bring her loved one home. Tyler wrote this stately, atmospheric track with Emily Kroll, Jesse Labelle and Liz Hengber and it intently captures the emotional hallmarks of loss — a timely message for this recent Memorial Day weekend. A superbly resonant outing.
ERNEST and 49 Winchester, “Night Life”
“Flower Shops” hitmaker ERNEST teams with soaring group 49 Winchester for this Spotify Singles release, a cover of the 1960 Willie Nelson hit “Night Life,” which has been covered by everyone from Ray Price and George Jones to Aretha Franklin and B.B. King. This iteration is soaked in tinkling, jazzy piano and tumbling with bluesy guitar melodies and swaggering vocals, as they ponder the road they chose on the key line, “The night life ain’t no good life/ But it’s my life.” The song wraps as they swap ad libs about drinking and doobies on this sterling showcase of freewheeling, homage-paying musicality.
Matt Castillo, “Corazon” (Video)
Castillo’s song “Corazon” is at No. 2 on this week’s Texas Regional Radio Report, and the south Texas native just released an accompanying video clip for the track. Housed on his 2022 project The River Continues, “Corazon” is a dancefloor-ready track, bolstered by surging guitars and flashes of accordion. The lighthearted music belies lyrics that depicting a guy who knows his relationship is ending, but his heart refuses to accept the relationship has fizzled. The music video highlights not only Castillo’s energetic live show, but the growth of his audience as he continues carrying a torch for more traditional-minded country music.
Brian Kelley, “See You Next Summer”
Kelley continues the beach vibes on his latest release. This time around, he offers an extra shot of twang, rippling over lyrics about a summer romance as hot as the beach sand under a blazing sun — and the inevitable moment as two lovers wrestle with clinging to the last few moments of their summer love. Written by David Garcia, Michael Hardy (HARDY) and Hillary Lindsey, this track seems ready-made for both country radio and the coming hazy, laid-back weeks.
Women offer a slew of top-shelf new music this week, from new EPs from Ella Langley, Jordyn Shellhart and Caroline Jones, to freshly-released new tracks from Morgan Wade and Wendy Moten. Also in the mix are Kyle Nix and the 38’s, Texas troubadour William Beckmann and newcomer Josh Kiser.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Morgan Wade, “Psychopath”
The “Wilder Days” singer-songwriter follows her breakthrough album with this tale of infatuation between two kindred spirits who find comfort in each other’s eccentricities. “Your dreams are your parents’ fears/ But can I steal you away from here?” she sings, on a succinct, heart-reeling line. She also blurs the swaggering spirit of pop-punk, acoustic country sensibilities and top 40 verve. Though Wade possesses enviable vocal power, here she relies on her gritty lower range to intimate effect. A solo write from Wade, “Psychopath” is the title track to Wade’s upcoming album, out Aug. 25.
Ella Langley, Excuse the Mess EP
Langley brings a heavy dose of hard-driving rock, alongside tender balladry and intimate songwriting, to this project’s compact eight tracks. “You make me wanna drink ’til I’m sick of it,” she sings, depicting a relentless emotional war on the searing “Make Me Wanna Smoke.” She offers slowed-down, moody modern country on the title track, warning a potential suitor that if he gets too close, her heart’s as messy as her home; she later circles back to the premise of being content with imperfection on the softly acoustic album closer “Don’t We All.” Meanwhile, “Could’ve Been Her” finds Langley musing about her ex-lover’s new flame, and contemplating all the ways she would have to compromise herself in order to stay in the relationship (“If I’d just hung around, didn’t know my worth/ I could’ve been her”). Overall, this album offers an all-around solid look into the specificity of Langley’s artistry.
Jordyn Shellhart, Primrose EP
A former Billboard Country Rookie of the Month, Shellhart releases her Warner Music Nashville EP Primrose this week as a testament to her sterling talents as both vocalist and songwriter. Over the course of a dozen songs, she sings of the struggle to live up to the influence of her musical idol on “Joni,” excavates the emotional origins of an argument with a lover on “Who Are You Mad At,” predicts the tide-turning future of a reckless lover on “Maybe Someday You’ll Have a Daughter,” and concludes with the intensely personal and unique perspective of “Near-Death Experience,” a solo write from Shellhart. This project is chock-full of top-shelf songwriting, with Shellhart paired with co-writers including Allen Shamblin, Cameron Jaymes and Barry Dean. A collection that offers immense career promise.
Caroline Jones feat. Vince Gill, “By Way of Sorrow”
Jones’ airy, choral vocal lends a shimmering acoustic take on this song from bluegrass group Cry, Cry, Cry’s self-titled 1998 album. Jones’ rendering veers less bright and joyous than the original, instead capturing a calm prescient mood, the cusp of sorrow shifting to joy. Meanwhile, Country Music Hall of Fame member Gill’s aching harmonies further uplift the track, as do sweetly delivered fiddle and mandolin. Jones, who serves as the first and only female member of Zac Brown Band, includes this track on her newly-released EP, Superpower.
Wendy Moten, “Don’t Give Up”
Moten has been a formidable vocal thread in country music’s live music scene for years, having performed with Faith Hill, Tim McGraw and Vince Gill; her genre-fluid talents have also added depth and nuance to a cross-section of collaborations and continents, as she’s performed with Julio Iglesias and John Oates, but also earned a top 10 hit in the U.K. with “Come in Out of the Rain.” She brought her singular vocal talents to runner-up status on The Voice. But here, she offers a more intimate collaboration, on a song Moten wrote with David Santos more than a decade ago. Moten throws a soul celebration and spills with joy and grit on a song crafted as a purveyor of determination and solidarity.
Kyle Nix and the 38’s, “Play Nice”
Turnpike Troubadours fiddle player Kyle Nix previously branched out with his own solo album in 2020, and continues his varied artistic expression with another supergroup of sorts, Kyle Nix and the 38’s. The group is made of Nix’s Troubadours bandmate, drummer Gabe Pearson, along with guitarist Adam Duran, guitarist-singer Ken Pomeroy, multi-instrumentalist Kevin Foster, and former American Aquarium bassist Bill Corbin. Nix and company recently released “Play Nice” and “Another Bad Dream,” both flashes of their upcoming album, After the Flood, Vol. 1, out July 28. The former track is a scorching, bluesy enticement, with a heavy bassline, distorted guitar, and coolly gritty vocals, that dissects a strained relationship.
William Beckmann, “Tennessee Drinkin’”
This Del Rio, Texas, native recently scored a local hit with “Damn This Heart of Mine,” and follows with this song of memories and longing undimmed by distance. Written by Beckmann with Jeremy Spillman and Randy Montana, this song is compelled by basslines and fiddle as smooth as Beckmann’s Texas-polished voice.
Josh Kiser, “How I Get High”
This Tennessee native conjures a seductive country-soul track that adds to music’s romance-as-dependency canon. Here, a soaring melody adeptly plays to Kiser’s vocal strengths as a fervent vocalist, his grainy instrument breaking in all the right places. This track, which Kiser wrote with Kat Higgins and Phil Barton, melds his soulful swagger with a bed of polished rhythms and bluesy guitar.
This week’s column features a plethora of collaborations. Superb songwriters Lori McKenna and Hillary Lindsey team up to plumb the emotional depths of a relationship, while Jelly Roll and Lainey Wilson’s power ballad details a relationship on its ragged edge. Top-shelf singer-songwriter Rebecca Lynn Howard, newcomer Zach Top and Texas artist Jason Eady also offer new music.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Jelly Roll and Lainey Wilson, “Save Me”
Labelmates Wilson and Jelly Roll (born Jason DeFord) debuted their collaboration on last week’s Academy of Country Music Awards. This smoldering power ballad (written by DeFord and David Ray Stevens) melds and highlights country music’s breadth of current-day influences, from Jelly Roll’s gritty, rock-infused style, to Wilson’s twangy, R&B-flavored country. Lyrically, the song’s subject is mired in self-recrimination and despair, pleading with a lover to leave in order to find their own freedom, engendering a sense of angst and selflessness.
Lori McKenna and Hillary Lindsey, “Killing Me”
McKenna and Lindsey have long penned sterling hits with layered nuances, including Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush.” Their latest previews McKenna’s upcoming Dave Cobb-produced album 1988, out July 21 via CN Records/Thirty Tigers. “Would it kill you to be happy?” they ask, paring for this jangly, folk-rock track, excavating the emotional weariness wrought by carrying the weight of constant attempts to ensure a lover’s emotional equilibrium.
Rebecca Lynn Howard, “I Am My Mother”
Known for her 2002 top 20 Billboard Country Airplay hit “Forgive,” Howard possesses one of country music’s most powerful voices. Here, she pays tribute to the integral, enduring influence of the mother-daughter relationship on this sweet piano and strings-inflected ballad. Howard wrote this tender ballad with Jamie Floyd, Rachel Thibodeau and Carolyn Dawn Johnson. The song’s ability to convey teenage rebellion and a sense of empathy and understanding that comes with time and experience makes this Mother’s Day release a song that will touch hearts long after the holiday.
Zach Top, “The Kinda Woman I Like”
Top recently made his Grand Ole Opry debut and has been on tour with Dwight Yoakam. Both milestones are signifiers of the newcomer’s musical ambitions to carry the torch of beloved ’90s country music legends. His latest, the flirtatious barn-burner “The Kinda Woman I Like,” features Top’s twangy vocals, conveying the influence of artists such as Tracy Lawrence and the fiddle-soaked melodies and rhythms of Alan Jackson. Top joins a growing movement of artists inspired more by throwback country sounds than rock and pop ambitions.
Jason Eady, “Way Down in Mississippi”
Texas-by-way-of-Mississippi artist Eady retraces his musical journey and his deep Southern roots on this bluesy, gospel-infused track. Sparse rhythms, tinkling piano, energetic handclaps and soulful backing vocals that would feel right at home in a fervent church service bolster lyrics that namecheck bluegrassers Bill Monroe and Ralph Stanley. This singular melding of musical synergies, layered with Eady’s husky voice, makes his latest musical iteration feel timeless. “Way Down in Mississippi” is from his upcoming Aug. 11 release, Mississippi, produced by Band of Heathens’ Gordy Quist.
This week’s roundup of new country/Americana releases includes sterling new albums from Joy Oladokun and Kip Moore, a sizzling collab from Billy Strings and Willie Nelson, a tale of old-school love from Colter Wall and a dance-worthy track from Jamie Floyd.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Joy Oladokun, Proof of Life
On Oladokun’s latest album, the singer-songwriter-musician excavates a range of deep-seated emotions and scenarios, from unmet ambitions and wrestling persistent feelings of not measuring up (“Trying”), finding peace in a constantly shifting world (“Changes”), struggling to maintain a relationship while battling addiction (“You at the Table”) and accepting and loving yourself (“Pride”). But tying the roller coaster of emotions together are overarching themes of self-growth, self-love and positivity. This album also features a range of collaborators — including Mt. Joy, Chris Stapleton, Noah Kahan, Maxo Kream and Manchester Orchestra — but the star is Oladokun, whose coolly understated voice and vulnerable-yet-hopeful perspective is the common thread in the range of styles on the project.
Billy Strings with Willie Nelson, “California Sober”
“I’ve had years I don’t recall, but I’m told I had a ball,” bluegrass wunderkind Strings sings on this collab with music icon Nelson. Fleet-fingered guitar work from Strings, and a crash of harmonies, fiddle and mandolin lead this light-hearted nod to someone who can’t quite party as hard as they used to, so they opt for being “California Sober” — halting hard drugs and drinking, but continuing smoking weed. Nelson, who is perhaps as well-known for his longtime affiliation with weed as he is for his more than six decades of music, is a natural ally on this track. Nelson just celebrated his 90th birthday this weekend, with a two-day concert extravaganza at the Hollywood Bowl, featuring Strings and a lengthy list of Nelson’s musical companions.
Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway, “El Dorado”
On this foot-stomper of a tune, Tuttle and Golden Highway capture the high-flying dreams and wanderlust that lured many to California in search of riches during the gold rush. Written by Tuttle with Old Crow Medicine Show’s Ketch Secor, this song offers a vibrant blend of bluegrass with flashes of Old West, anchored by Tuttle’s earthy-yet-angelic vocal and the entire group’s ace musicianship. “El Dorado” marks the first release from recent Grammy winner Tuttle’s upcoming album City of Gold, out July 21.
Kip Moore, Damn Love
On his fifth studio album, a baker’s dozen of songs co-produced by Moore and Jaren Johnston, Moore delves ever more thoroughly into his deep 1980s rock influences, with that electric sheen most notable on tracks including “Heart on Fire,” and “Peace and Love.” “Another Night in Knoxville” pours out a tale of a road-weary entertainer looking for love where he can find it. Meanwhile, the twists and turns that come fro his search for a place his heart can land are constant theme throughout the project on songs like “Sometimes She Stays” and the title track. Elsewhere, he turns to nostalgic portraits of childhood fishing trips and hanging with longtime friends on “Some Things.” A standout is the Ashley McBryde collaboration, the cooly romantic “One Heartbeat,” a glorious combo of two passionate vocalists. Each of these songs seems tailor-made for his much-acclaimed live shows. This album is classic Kip, kicked up a notch.
Jamie Floyd, “I Never Want to See You Again”
Floyd is known for writing songs including the clear-eyed ballad “The Blade,” recorded by Ashley Monroe and later Ronnie Dunn, as well as the Kelly Clarkson/Jake Hoot duet “I Would’ve Loved You.” Here, Floyd takes heartbreak and weaves it with bubbly exuberance. “All you ever do is mess with my head/ Always make your way back in my bed,” Floyd deadpans on this track she wrote with Jimmy Thow and Madi Diaz, capturing the continuous loop of dizzying highs and crashing lows in a “good-until-it-isn’t” kind of relationship.
Colter Wall, “Evangelina”
Wall’s applies his gravelly, haunting vocal to this cover of the 1976 Hoyt Axton song, offering a harmonica-inflected tale of a man who returns to “old Mexico” to reunite with his lover. Wall has previously performed the song during his live shows. While the Axton original plays more light-hearted with airy background vocals, Wall’s burly voice and the straightforward instrumentation take center stage, adding more drama to the tale. “Evangelina” is the first single from Wall’s upcoming album Little Songs, which will be released July 14 via La Honda Records/RCA Records.
David Nail, “Best of Me”
Nail’s superb vocal talents are country canon, thanks to songs like “Red Light” and “The Sound of a Million Dreams.” The singer-songwriter shows off his sentimental side on this solo write, about his wife Catherine, as he recalls the man-to-man conversation he shared with her father as Nail asked for her hand in marriage. Though he doesn’t have money or the finer things in life to offer, he does have one thing of even more value — a steadfast love and commitment. ‘I’ll give her the best of me/ If you’ll give her away,” he sings, as his nuanced vocal, layered over sweet guitar work, embodies the passion, vulnerability and hope embedded in the song’s sentiments. This is sure to be a wedding season favorite.
Mya Byrne, “I’m Gonna Stop”
This country-rock gem finds Byrne in a contemplative mode, halting the search for a lover, on lines such as “I’m gonna stop smilin’ back at every smile/ I’m going deeper, I know it’s time.” Byrne’s sinewy, smooth and confident voice hovers above jangly guitars and hazy production. “I’m Gonna Stop” is one of a dozen tracks on Byrne’s new album, the Aaron Lee Tasjan-produced Rhinestone Tomboy, which was released Friday (April 28) via the label Kill Rock Stars. The album also includes standouts “Come On” and “Don’t Hold Your Fire.”
Brett Kissel, “When I Get on a Memory”
Having previously notched hits including “Make a Life, Not a Living” and “A Few Good Stories” on Canadian country radio, as well as his first American country radio single, “Drink About Me” in 2019, Kissel returns with this slice of sweet nostalgia. Here, anything from a rainy day to a the right song at the right moment conjures up hometown memories of grandpas, tackle boxes and heartfelt conversations. Shuffling acoustic guitar and shining fiddle elevate this easygoing tune, which makes the best of Kissel’s warm, amiable vocal. One of Kissel’s best releases to date.
Sophia Scott, “In Her Shoes”
Scott, who is signed to Warner Chappell Music and Ross Golan’s Unknown Music Publishing, lifts up a musical tribute to the indelible influences of her mother in this sweet-yet-sassy tune. Here, Scott details the bold personality and unflagging work ethic, as well as the penchant for good wine and good friends and an innate confidence she learned from her mom. But the song isn’t all sugary; Scott’s also clear-eyed about a role model who has “a long list of bad men/ Holds her liquor better than a bottle can/ Ain’t afraid to let’cha know where she stands.” This is an ace outing from the newcomer.
This week brings more collaborations to the country world, as Tyler Hubbard reveals a demo collab with Keith Urban. Meanwhile, Ella Langley teams with Koe Wetzel. Also, talented newcomers showcase new music, including Aaron Vance, Catie Offerman and Meg McRee.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Tyler Hubbard feat. Keith Urban, “Dancin’ in the Country” (Demo)
Hubbard has earned a top 15 Hot Country Songs hit with “Dancing in the Country,” and now he’s offering fans an inside look at how the song was made, via the song’s demo recording, featuring Hubbard and co-writers Keith Urban, Ross Copperman and Jon Nite. Recorded in October 2021, the demo features Urban on guitar, bass, ganjo and harmony vocals, while also taking the lead on the bridge, with Copperman on keyboards and programming. The collaboration between Urban and Hubbard highlights the song’s raw verve and intensity, even sans the added layers of production.
Megan Moroney, “Girl in the Mirror”
As Moroney gears up for her May 5 album Lucky, Moroney examines love in light of low self-esteem in this track about a toxic relationship. “He puts her down/ She put him pedestal high,” she sings, ultimately counseling listeners that “you can’t love the boy more than you love the girl in the mirror.” Moroney wrote the track with Jessie Jo Dillon and Matt Jenkins, reprising the kind of lilting melody and straight-shooting, confessional lyrics that made a hit of “Tennessee Orange.” Combined with Moroney’s desolate, gritty vocal delivery, it makes for a winning shot.
William Beckmann, “It’s Still January”
His ex-lover has been out of his life for about six months, but for him, time’s pace is glacial and he’s still centered in the hurt and pain of her leaving. A waft of her scent on an old still leads to a breakdown. Lyrically, “It’s Still January” feels akin to the next chapter in Beckmann’s 2021 breakthrough “Bourbon Whiskey,” as the protagonist’s arrogance of preferring whiskey over his lover gives way to a stark realization and haunting loss. This tale of heartbreak is framed in traditional country-leaning song structures from writer Keith Gattis and producer Oran Thornton. “It’s Still January” follows Beckmann’s 2022 album Faded Memories.
Ella Langley with Koe Wetzel, “That’s Why We Fight”
Langley and Wetzel make for an angst-fueled, sultry combo in this track, which depicts a couple that seems woefully mismatched in every way — but as they put it, “Baby, we do one thing right/ That’s why we fight.” Together, they pulverize their way through each biting lyric, mirroring the couple’s turbulent method of “smashing every bottle we keep bottled up inside.” This acerbic tale marks a sweet victory and is included on Langley’s upcoming EP Excuse the Mess.
Catie Offerman, “I Just Killed a Man”
Texas native Offerman makes it clear her ex-lover isn’t the only one doing emotional penance, with these deftly-penned lyrics that liken breaking a lover’s heart to snuffing out their essence. She also knows word will get around in the small town, regardless of whether the relationship was flawed to begin with. The understated production highlights the undercurrent of resignation and loneliness in Offerman’s bruised vocals. Offerman wrote the song with Ryan Beaver, Joe Clemmons, Jessie Jo Dillon and Benjy Davis. The single will be included on Offerman’s debut album.
Aaron Vance, “Just to Get By”
Mississippi native Vance’s previous release “Cabin Fever” (the title track to his solid 2021 album) began with the lyric “Sittin’ at home/ Tryin’ not to stay stoned.” On “Just to Get By,” appropriately released on 4/20, Vance surveys an array of society’s coping mechanisms — some resort to violence, others opt for golf. Vance sings of leaning toward something more low-key: drinks, smokes or “one of those funny little green gummies,” when he needs to shake off the struggles of the world. Written by Vance with Rich Karg, “Just to Get By” encompasses a laid-back melody and sparse accompaniment that highlight his at-times gritty vocal and his smooth falsetto moments.
Meg McRee, “Mary Jane and Chardonnay”
Singer-songwriter McRee offered up another 4/20-appropriate ode with this track from her recent album, Is It Just Me?. As she’s running down her dreams, she finds a way to unwind with “paper and leaves” and “a bottle of grapes from overseas.” This dreamy, hazy track encompasses shades of Sheryl Crow alongside a Southern-rock flavored rhythm, anchored by insightful lyricism from McRee, Andrew Petroff, and Aaron Ratiere. McRee signed with Hillary Lindsey’s Hang Your Hat venture with Concord Music Publishing, and has recently opened shows for Lainey Wilson and Morgan Wade.
Billboard’s weekly must-hear country songs list offers a guide to some essential, recently released country tracks from both signed and independent country and country-adjacent artists.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
This week, Brett Young offers a romantic new tune, newcomer Lauren Watkins delves into jealousy, Kylie Frey returns with her first new music in a few years, and Austin Burke gets a co-sign from music legend Willie Nelson on a new track. Take a listen to this week’s picks below:
Brett Young, “Dance With You”
Young has made a name for himself with his soulful songs such as “In Case You Didn’t Know” and “Catch.” As his current country radio single, the heartbreak anthem “You Didn’t,” rises up Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, Young returns with a slow jam that’s a surefire wedding-season favorite. On this track he wrote with Jimmy Robbins and Jordan Minton, Young reassures his lover of his steadfastness and support, regardless of where life takes them. Perhaps offering a nod to the 1992 John Michael Montgomery hit “Life’s a Dance,” he maintains that his lover will always be the only one on his dance card.
Kylie Frey, “Red Dirt Cinderella”
Louisiana native and third-generation rodeo-er Frey has notched over half a dozen chart-toppers on the Texas regional charts to date, and she returns with “Red Dirt Cinderella,” her first new music in nearly three years. The song depicts someone who refuses to trade her Luccheses for a life of ballgowns and glass slippers. Instead, in her own nonchalant way, she saddles up and heads out, content to take on life on her own terms. This track’s relaxed vibe finds Frey’s earthy voice rippling over accordion, fiddle and guitar.
Lauren Watkins, “Shirley Temple”
Newcomer Watkins recently inked a deal with Nicolle Galyon’s publishing company Songs & Daughters, followed by signing with Big Loud Records. She recently released two new tracks, “Camel Blues” and “Shirley Temple,” the latter of which is a study in contrasts and jealousy. “Shirley Temple” finds Watkins driven by a man who has fallen for an angelic, straight-laced girl, in contrast to her own straight-shooting, challenging ways. There’s an effortlessly smoky quality to Watkins’ voice, with a style of direct-yet-poetic songwriting reminiscent of Kacey Musgraves or Miranda Lambert. Watkins wrote the track with Galyon and Meg McRee.
Austin Burke, “Crazy, Crazy”
Burke’s latest offering incorporates a 62-year-old country music classic, with revamped snippets of the Willie Nelson-penned 1961 hit “Crazy,” made famous by Patsy Cline. Burke’s song begins with a processed version of two verses from Cline’s chorus (laced in reverb and pitched higher than the original), which gives way to Burke’s crafted verses, both brisk and brokenhearted, about a guy who spends his time day-drinking and overthinking. “To tell you the truth/I’m going crazy, crazy over you,” Burke sings, showcasing the enduring relevance of the decades-old song, but fusing it with a hooky, singalong chorus and revisits the Cline vocal throughout the song. Burke wrote “Crazy, Crazy” with Brandon Day, and earned music legend Nelson’s stamp of approval on the track.
RaeLynn with JUDAH, “Somebody Else”
RaeLynn teams with Judah Akers, frontman for the band Judah & The Lion, on this new track, which features a hooky electro-acoustic melody, a singalong-worthy chorus, and a message of empathy. “We’re all talking, but nobody’s listening,” they sing over a pulsating backbeat, as they plead for less self-centered action and more looking out for those around them. Together, there is a surprisingly natural textural blend to their voices, with RaeLynn’s slightly gritty Texas twang layered over JUDAH’s warm, rough-hewn voice. RaeLynn is set to independently release an upcoming album, Funny Girl, via her own Daisy Rae Productions, on Aug. 21.
Brothers Osborne unleash a trio of new tracks this week, while Tanya Tucker celebrates her upcoming Country Music Hall of Fame induction with a first glimpse into her upcoming album. Meanwhile, Aaron Crawford nods to his trusty six-string companion, and Ray Fulcher and Tenille Arts team for an ode of gratitude.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Brothers Osborne, “Nobody’s Nobody,” “Might as Well Be Me” and “Rollercoaster (Forever and a Day)”
Hitmakers and critical darlings Brothers Osborne team with a new producer, Mike Elizondo, as they return with a trio of gut-punching tracks, marking their first music since the deluxe version of their Skeletons album. “Nobody’s Nobody” is a heartening track that nods to the fact that everyone makes an impact on somebody. “Some people never ever make a name/ But change the game in someone’s story,” TJ sings, backed by John’s bluesy guitar work.
“Might as Well Be Me” is a careening barn burner, with a rollicking groove every bit as impressive as the duo’s previous hit “It Ain’t My Fault,” while maintaining that “Somebody’s gotta shake things up… might as well be me.” Notably, they change gears on the piano and string-led ballad “Rollercoaster,” delving into a romance between two emotional polar opposites and the balance they each bring to the relationship. These well-grounded tracks are a promising glimpse into their upcoming album.
John King, “Make More Time”
King has already proven his sturdiness as a songwriter (through penning songs including Randy Houser’s “We Went”) and an artist (via his 2021 album Always Gonna Be You). But in his latest, he ponders the gravitas of everyday moments — a childhood birthday, or a phone call with an octogenarian loved one — in light of mortality. King’s supple vocal can ride the smooth tenor notes before breaking into a baritone just raspy enough to capture the longing and resignation in the line, “I can make a little money on the side/ But damn, I can’t make more time.”
Tanya Tucker, “Kindness”
Newly minted Country Music Hall of Fame inductee-elect Tucker wasted no time capitalizing on the announcement of her upcoming inclusion into country music’s most coveted membership, announcing her new album, Sweet Western Sound, to arrive June 2. As with many tracks on her previous effort, the Grammy-winning While I’m Livin’, the first taste of her upcoming project, “Kindness,” finds Tucker reflecting on her sinuous life journey, along with the lessons learned through the zeniths and hollows.
“I found glory in the ruins of the best-laid plans,” she ruminates triumphantly on this track, written by twin musician-writers Tim and Phil Hanseroth (known for their work with Brandi Carlile, who co-produced Sweet Western Sound with Shooter Jennings). Beyond the reflection, she pleads for kindness and understanding, and with her signature vocal, Tucker delivers.
Aaron Crawford, “Strings of This Guitar”
Northwest native Crawford telegraphs a nod to his constant companion of “wood and wire,” a well-worn six-string guitar that “took me on a winding road that dreamers understand,” on this tale of ambition-fueled perseverance. Along the way, his notes his trusty guitar has not only served as a bolster for his voice, but a salve for onstage loneliness and anxiety. The woozy, emotional ties depicted within should resonate with any number of musicians and artist-writers.
Chase Matthew, “Come Get Your Memory”
With his latest, Matthew aims squarely for the country/rock and bro-country-tinted amalgam dominating country streaming charts at the moment. In this track Matthew wrote with Casey Brown and Jordan Minton, he faces a home filled with his ex’s memories and begs to her to take them, along with everything else she took when the relationship fizzled. The radio-ready “Come Get Your Memory” is the title track to Matthew’s upcoming debut album for Warner Music Nashville, a 25-song sprawl out June 9.
Nicholas Jamerson, “Billy Graham Parkway”
Sinewy guitar fills this stately-sounding track, which ponders the greed and emptiness in the years and months leading up to a three-car pileup on Billy Graham Parkway. “Was the money you made worth the price that you paid/ Selling Jesus on cable TV?” Jamerson sings pointedly on this track, which was written by Jamerson’s late friend, Allun Cormier. The song takes its name from a stretch of road in Charlotte, North Carolina named for the evangelist Billy Graham. Jamerson’s upcoming album, Peace Mountain, releases May 19.
Ray Fulcher with Tenille Arts, “After the Rain”
The multi-talented Fulcher is known in songwriting circles for contributing to a range of hit songs for artists including Luke Combs (“When It Rains It Pours,” “Does to Me”) and as an artist on his own project Spray-Painted Line. Here, he teams with “Somebody Like That” hitmaker Tenille Arts for this earnest ode of love and gratitude for someone who “picked up the pieces when my heart was breaking/ since you showed up nothin’s been the same.” Their vocal interplay is terrific, with Arts’ penetrating soprano balancing Fulcher’s warm baritone. Fulcher wrote the song with AJ Pruis and Matt Jenkins, together crafting a song that serves as a balm of gratitude in a divisive age.
Remy Garrison, “As I Go”
While numerous country songs amount to little more than a list of nostalgic country “bona fides,” Alabama native and Nashville resident Garrison distills a list of her own — namely, a rundown of lessons she’s learned about love. “Don’t let a fool kiss ya/ Don’t let a kiss fool ya,” and “Don’t shop for white on an empty heart,” are a few of of the hard-fought gems Garrison advises, on this track written by Adam Wood, Lena Stone and Taylor Watson. Garrison is known for her previous single releases such as “Anymore” and “Young and Restless,” but this release further showcases her ear for sturdy songcraft and interpretive talents.
Darius Rucker releases a romantic new offering, Elvie Shane sticks up for the working class heroes, and newcomer Brittany Moore offers a stirring song about motherhood and the right to choose.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Darius Rucker, “Fires Don’t Start Themselves”
The affable Rucker dips into sultry territory on this track, setting the scene with wine, some Conway Twitty records and effective use of the impressive vocal control and power in his lower register. This seductive toe-tapper of a track is rooted in crunchy, ’90s country-style guitar and is an early offering from Rucker’s upcoming album Carolyn’s Boy, out later this year.
Jenna Paulette, The Girl I Was
From the opening (and later, closing) notes of the classic “Home on the Range,” Paulette makes it clear on her debut album that much of her heart (and journey) resides under open skies and in spacious landscapes. A member of CMT’s Next Women of Country Class of 2022, Paulette fills this dozen-plus-song project with a step-by-step process of a woman unfurling the insecurities, hurt and pain of a past relationship and finding the freedom to fully express her own desires and perspective with engrossing candor (“I can’t believe I ever thought she wasn’t good enough/ I’m getting back to the girl I was,” she deadpans on the title track).
“You Ain’t No Cowboy” is a sure-footed kiss-off, while tracks like “Stop and Smell the Horses” and “Make the World a Small Town” brim with soft-hearted wistfulness, and “Fiddle and a Violin” cheers the common ground people of all kinds find in country music and a good libation. Paulette is a worthy contender in a new crop of artists weaving their unique perspectives and backgrounds into their music, reaching beyond country music’s well-worn path of ballcaps and pickup trucks.
Jesse Daniel, My Kind of Country Live at the Catalyst
Daniel gives fans a glimpse of his rowdy live show, with his first live project, recorded at the Catalyst Club in his hometown of Santa Cruz, California. For Daniel, performing on the club’s mainstage is the fruition of a long-held dream, as he cut his musical chops performing at the club’s upstairs bar and at one point worked as a stagehand and in security for the club. But on this album, he brings center stage his freewheeling brand of honky tonk country — soaked in steel guitar, sparse drums and fueled by Daniels’ more-grit-than-silk voice.
The project picks up fan favorites from Daniels’ three studio albums, with songs including “Lookin’ Back” (2021’s Beyond These Walls), “Tar Snakes” (2020’s Rollin’ On) and “Soft Spot” (his 2018 self-titled debut project), But it infuses each with the high-velocity craftsmanship of Daniel and his band, and the easygoing improvisation that comes from an artist who has truly learned to listen to his audience each night and give each something special.
Brittany Moore, “Some Mamas”
Indie artist Moore traverses the spectrum of emotions felt by expecting mothers, from joy and surprise to fear. In this song written by Moore with SaraJane McDonald and Stefanie Joyce, Moore pointedly maintains that regardless of circumstances, women “oughta have a say so, because some mamas want to be mamas and some mamas don’t.” The understated acoustics lend heft to Moore’s steely-yet-velvety vocal.
Elvie Shane, “Forgotten Man”
In 2021, Shane’s debut single — the sentimental viral hit “My Boy” — became his first Billboard Country Airplay chart-topper, leading to the release of his debut album, Backslider. Now, he returns with “Forgotten Man,” an ode to blue-collar workers that exposes the heart-aching realities of the working class (calloused hands, failed retirement plans, and the struggle to afford a home as developers race to build condos and apartments). Materially, “Forgotten Man” has more in common with songs such as Hank Williams Jr.’s “A Country Boy Can Survive” than the plethora of poppy, nostalgic anthems out right now, while Shane’s backwoods growl and heartland rock sound sells it hard.
Casi Joy, “Partners in Time”
This hooky love song plays with classic pairings like Bonnie and Clyde (though Joy sings pointedly, “Let’s lock this down without the crime”), as well as country music power couples past and present, like Johnny Cash and June Carter, and Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. This shimmering pop-country confection plays up the subtle shades of blues in Joy’s voice, as well as her flutter-soft falsetto, as she chronicles a couple’s lives — from a nervous first kiss to a love still going strong after a decade. This former Voice contestant just offered up her debut album, Miles and Maybes, which was released March 31 in partnership with ONErpm.
Taylor Edwards, “Don’t”
This Arkansas native first caught the attention of music companies including EMPIRE and Dreamcatcher Management with her viral hit “Call Your Sister.” This time around, she pairs a slickly packaged track with sharply detailed lyrics that call out a spineless sometimes-lover.
“If you don’t wanna stay, just go,” she deadpans, but spells out the consequences: “You don’t get the right to know if I made it home, if I’m there alone.” Edwards manages to sound both buoyant and defiant, while the song itself is rooted in pop sensibility.