Smile – Morgan Wallen Written By Adam Delahoussaye
A late Christmas gift to fans or a sign of shedding burdens before the new year? Whatever the case may be for Morgan Wallen, “Smile” finally expands upon the snippet he’s been teasing since the dog days of summer. As is common with oversized marketing campaigns, the track has become so tantalizing in its six-second form that whatever fills the rest of those gaps would ultimately play second fiddle to the tune composed by the imagination. Regardless, plenty of Morgan-isms still seem to thrive better in the rain than they did in the sunlight on his previous effort. The crystal-clear production from Joey Moi and Charlie Handsome perfectly mimics that snapshot of the past he’s going for here. It’s free of blemishes and blurs, despite the singer’s tears dropping on the frame as his voice strains and chokes for that heart-wrenching chorus. If Wallen is teetering into that more pop-infused sound, then “Smile” embraces that narrative and may even be a positive spin to the story. As he continues to hog headlines, the music ironically becomes the most inoffensive aspect of the character. While normally, this might be cause for concern, Wallen’s stubborn nature has kept his personage prominent and free from those who’d like to form it into something entirely designed for smiling and waving when the camera comes his way. However sanitized the sound becomes, there are sonic elements of Wallen that, thankfully, can’t come out in the wash.
8.0
Privilege of a Man – Benjamin Tod Written By Adam Delahoussaye
Benjamin Tod has spent plenty of years carving his own path. The Kentucky native and frontman for The Lost Dog Street Band comes across as brash and rough around the edges, poised for a life in the live circuit more akin to his predecessors rather than his peers. From his years of busking on the streets and dollars dropping in hats, he’s recently added Opry visits and heads turned by some of Nashville’s biggest names to his growing list of achievements. His newest single, “Privilege of a Man,” flips the script on Tod as life takes the wheel and he gets a breather in its passenger seat. Again, he’s peppered this release with hints of that outlaw origin he takes pride in, but it’s never oversaturated to bog down the sound with woes of days gone by. While Tod’s not overly fond of being at the mercy of others, it seems like a trait he’s adapting to as his life and ours become more intertwined by the day. Maybe a more understated entry into his wildly pronounced catalog is a learning curve that’s important to note as we continue to follow the journey of this vibrant vagrant.
7.4
NLE Choppa & J.P. – SLUT ME OUT 2 (COUNTRY ME OUT) Written By Jack Humphrey
With a galling lack of enthusiasm and a big black hole where the hook should be, NLE Choppa and J.P. remind us why country fans have been so wary of cross-genre interlopers for the last decade. Post Malone and Beyonce each went all in on their country music enthusiasms this year, and it mostly paid off with inspired, interesting albums. NLE Choppa’s nauseating attempt at a country crossover harkens back to the Lil Nas Xs and Bebe Rexhas of yesteryear, who regarded country music as a gimmicky, Western subculture and nothing more. NLE Choppa fans sure weren’t thirsting for a country effort from the rapper, and country fans sure didn’t need another quasi-line-dance ditty. Like “Old Town Road” before it, some mainstream pundits may defend this silly remix as a creative subversion of genre norms, ignoring that its biggest sin isn’t that it’s not “country enough;” before anything else, it’s just not good.
0.5
Molly’s Song – Connor Price Written By Max Buondonno
Viral TikTok pop sensation Connor Price is trying his hand at a sound that, for better or worse, sounds like the typical Nashville trotter we’re used to streaming every Friday. Titled “Molly’s Song,” the artist – no stranger to bass drops and hi-hats over synths and computer-generated samples – picks up an acoustic guitar to pay tribute to his newly-born daughter. It’s a sweet tribute as Price reflects on his love for her and how his life has changed for the better, but this isn’t a country song. Price doesn’t touch on any of the typical themes we’re used to hearing, nor does this song dip into saloon sounds or whiskey-fueled choruses. Instead, it has a pop-country feel that would go over fine in most Nashville bars and on the radio, and it’s not far enough out of line where you wouldn’t assume someone like Sam Hunt or Chase Matthews would cover it. But this is not a country song; it’s an acoustic-leaning pop song that’s quieter than most other Connor Price tracks, and it’s being categorized as country for… well, for some reason. It’s a fine song, but it doesn’t belong in the same “New Country” playlist as the latest from Flatland Calvary and Zach Bryan.
5.3
