BigXthaPlug feat. Bailey Zimmerman – All The Way Written By Adam Delahoussaye
Nashville’s newest radio darling, Bailey Zimmerman, really digs him some rap music. After previous collabs with Youngboy Never Broke Again and Dermot Kennedy and a litter of trap-infused arrangements that have made it from his hard drive to the catalog, he’s now cozying up to the (literal) biggest new act coming out of the south in BigXthaPlug. Despite a staggering contrast in size and stature, physicality may be where the differences end for the two, at least in this instance. Genre crossover is prone to intense criticism, though this duo may be the most apt at recognizing where their sensibilities can find common ground. This boozed-up bonfire banger lets his rasp sit in the crevices of those preliminary guitar arrangements before the subs get their time to shine. Then, BigX barrels in, clobbering through his verses like he’s on the hunt for whoever stole Bailey’s heart or lunch money. If you weren’t paying attention, you’d think the track slipped into rappers’ down-low, southern swamp stomping LP ‘TAKE CARE’ released last summer. After all, the Texas native (and his sidekick) are proving to be a unique bridge between two sounds and words that rarely acknowledge each other. It’s ironic, as they’re constantly an inch from brushing shoulders in the modern music landscape. As fickle as genre-bending rules have become in 2025, these two seem poised to be trailblazers when it comes to normalizing these notions.
6.8
Lainey Wilson – Bell Bottoms Up Written By Adam Delahoussaye
A fan favorite release to appease her live patrons, or some sleazy marketing tactic to get Nashvillians in the door of her new Broadway bar? Whatever the intentions, Lainey Wilson’s long-awaited “Bell Bottoms Up” is a total groove in time with the bands in the honky-tonks she was no doubt frequenting back in the Bayou. The Louisiana native has become synonymous with every cowgirl’s favorite bottom wear, her newest coming as a playfully on-the-nose notion of confidence as the genre’s denim-clad darling. It’s a saloon-door swinging, rockin’ romp into honky-tonk territory that only builds on Wilson’s ethos. No bells, no whistles, just that classy cowgirl schtick that’s been cultivated by almost every release the singer has to her name. Combined with Wilson’s drawl reverberating down the Mississippi River and a clean and crisp production, there’s an undeniable energy coming off the drums and guitar licks as Wilson tells us she’s “just gettin’ started.” It’s a surefire hit and shot of adrenaline for the singer and her tribe, who have been begging for the track’s release for multiple years. While maybe nothing more than a bonus to an already established reputation, ‘Bell Bottom Country’ further digs her spurs into a horse Wilson’s been riding to the top of the mountain for the past two years.
8.0
Waylon Wyatt feat. Willow Avalon – Smoke & Embers Written By Joel Reuben Pauley
With each new release, Waylon Wyatt continues to evolve as an artist. His latest duet with Willow Avalon, “Smoke & Embers,” is another well-produced single that showcases both singers’ voices in a good light. The song sits in a grueling moment of distance, with the line “there ain’t nothing left for us here now” capturing the sentiment of a relationship fading away. The song uses the classic metaphor of an old flame and flips it to say that it’s only “smoke and embers now.” The lyrics have multiple references to fire, but they’re subtle enough to avoid feeling too heavy-handed, allowing the story to feel original. Written solely by Waylon and Willow, it’s easy to get lost in the emotions of hard-hitting lines like “They say distance makes the heart grow fonder, but I can’t break her heart much longer.” The only noticeable area for improvement here is the blend of their voices. Willow’s soft, airy vocals feel somewhat disconnected when they follow Waylon’s powerful and dynamic verse, creating an imbalance that slightly disrupts the flow into the chorus. However, the contrast of voices doesn’t ruin the song, and if there’s a “Waylon & Willow” project on the horizon, it would be worth a listen.
8.6
Lauren Watkins – Lose My Cool Written By Joel Reuben Pauley
If you are already familiar with Lauren Watkins, you’ll quickly notice the change of pace in her latest song. With its more fun, upbeat nature, “Lose My Cool” takes Watkins in a new direction with a less lyrically-driven focus. Unlike her usual down-tempo sound, the production has a carefree, poppy flavoring, although it maintains a strong country instrumentation with plenty of steel guitar runs. In such a big production, the unique raspy tone of Lauren’s voice sort of gets lost in the mix, softening some of the bite that usually sets her apart. You might find that some more stereotypical country imagery makes its way into the writing, with nods to “square-toed boots” and even an “F-350” appearing. While there aren’t any truly “bad” lyrics, the actual meaning of the track isn’t much more profound than “I’d embarrass myself for you if you gave me attention,” but it works well as a mood-setter. Lauren has you covered if you’re looking for a song called “roll-the-windows-down” or a summer anthem. However, if you’re after something as thoughtfully crafted as “Shirley Temple,” you’re better off exploring her earlier work.
6.5
Old Dominion – Me Most Nights Written By Creed Miller
Old Dominion changes the pace with their new track, “Me Most Nights.” We’re used to happy-go-lucky and upbeat energy from the group, even in their sad songs like “I Should’ve Married You.” However, that’s not the case here. “Me Most Nights” is a heartbreaking record where the protagonist wonders if his ex misses him like he misses her most nights. They’ve pushed this message across plenty of times, but the instrumentals rarely match it like this one, as it is mainly acoustic-based through the chorus. Between that and the band’s harmonies, the chorus is, without question, the song’s best part. Unfortunately, once the drums join the piano, it drowns out their vocals, which is one of the highlights and makes it feel more crowded than it needed to be. It sounds excellent when you can fully hear lead singer Matthew Ramsey and the rest of the band as they mesh so well, and their harmonies aren’t consistently recognized. The group is capable of much deeper lyrics, and they’re starting to get the idea, but it’s still pretty surface-level. This isn’t OD’s best effort, but it feels like a step in the right direction for the seven-time Group Of The Year winners.
6.6
Finish This Drink – Brothers Osborne Written By Creed Miller
Brothers Osborne is one of the most prolific duos of our era, making “Finish This Drink” all the more upsetting. While it’s easy to blame the lyrics for the disappointment, they’re not the main culprit, though they certainly share some of the blame. Sure, they’re corny, as is almost every drinking song. In this case, it’s all about getting held up at the bar as someone hands them another drink as soon as they finish. It would be a more significant issue if you could understand what they were saying, but they’re entirely drowned out in the chorus. This feels like the closest Brothers Osborne will get to the ’90s, and they’re still a far cry from it. The track comes off as a half-hearted attempt to channel that era while clinging to their signature gritty sound, creating some sonic chaos. The verses are actually clear but also add a little bit of funk to make it interesting. Unfortunately, that’s not enough to save the song from that overall clunkiness. The vision is definitely there; it just wasn’t executed, leaving fans wanting more.
5.5
Colbie Caillat feat. Russell Dickerson –If You Love Me, Let Me Go Written By Max Buondonno
As Colbie Caillat continues down a more country-driven path, she finds herself in an interesting place. On the one hand, she’s revered as an iconic pop performer of the early and mid-2000s, but on the other, those hits might not be paying the bills anymore. In any case, this must be the reason this song exists; it seems like nothing more than a plea for attention. “If You Love Me Let Me Go,” a collaboration with Russell Dickerson, tries to articulate the intricacies of a push-and-pull relationship by pleading to be let go if the protagonist were loved by their partner. The song sounds like the typical pop-country trotter we’ve heard from Dickerson, who works for Caillat, given her history in the popular music genre. But little here keeps you engaged and attentive. The production is generic, with boring chord progressions throughout, while the lyrics themselves feel almost as clunky and forced as the title itself. It’s the ultimate writer’s block moment; it could mean something yet fails to express a single feeling. Caillat’s future in music remains unclear, but if it’s further down the road paved by this song, it’s probably not worth sticking around.
5.7
Larry Fleet – A Lotta Women Written By Max Buondonno
As Larry Fleet continues his journey as an independent artist, his latest single further proves he can kick out some solid tracks with remarkable instrumentals. “A Lotta Women” feels like something close to a deep cut on a Chris Stapleton album, thanks to its wide-ranging vocal delivery and mysterious chord progressions that give the song a groove and swagger that’s a lot of fun to groove to. The music unravels a man’s bewilderment that the woman he loves sticks by his side while other women instantly flock. Written by Fleet, Jake Mitchell, and James McNair, the subject matter isn’t as strong as other topics we’ve previously heard Fleet cover. At the same time, the lyrics themselves are too surface-level to pinpoint anything specific that keeps his significant other in his life. However, there’s no denying the song has a groove that’s fun to listen to and deserves a few spins.
7.3
Hailey Whitters – High on a Heartbreak Written By Ryan Lippe
Fresh off the announcement of her Corn Queen album, Hailey Whitters delivers another glimpse into the direction of this new project. Written by Jessie Jo Dillon, David Garcia, Hillary Lindsey, and Whitters, the song is delivered from a perspective immediately after a breakup. It explores all the emotions that come with that process. While this isn’t necessarily a new creative theme, it’s new to Whitters, as a lot of her last album focused on happier themes centered around her upbringing in Iowa. There were definitely more imaginative ways the lines could’ve been delivered, but all things considered, it could’ve been far more cringeworthy. However, the track is laid out to give the listener a jolt of self-confidence as they come to terms with their own heartbreaks. Produced by her husband, Jake Gear, the song leans heavily on reverb and a call-and-response style structure in the arrangement. The cadence throughout is insanely catchy and will surely stand out from other promo singles to come. Irrefutably country, this release continues the momentum of this current album cycle.
7.3
George Birge – Back in the Country Written By Ryan Lippe
With this latest installment of the country-pride anthem genre, listeners are reminded of the cringe-worthy image that country music has been tagged with since the start of the 2010s bro-country era. While the lyrics yearn for a simpler way of life, the production is full of aggressive and annoying percussion moments that take away from the song’s intended sentiment. The way the song was engineered pushes the guitar and drums to the forefront so much that it drowns out George Birge’s voice. Some people have a thick drawl in their voice that can sound calming or even endearing, but Birge sounds tacky and feels like a forced facade of a country way of life. While the lyrics written by Chase McGill, Matt Drag, Michael Tyler, and Birge can be authentic to so many people, they are boastfully delivered in a very mainstream commercialized way, alienating many people who actually live this life. None of the lyrics here carry much of any substance, making it feel very “cookie cutter” in nature. While the song tries to commemorate an easier way of life, it’s a cluttered, overproduced mess of bro-country cliches.
3.3
Graham Barham – CAMO Written By Will Chapman
Country music’s favorite TikTok hype-beast is back with another impressive garbage release. Graham Barham’s latest cringefest, “CAMO,” sounds like the audio equivalent of a fake Supreme shirt. The track opens with a washed-out retro electric guitar riff, and for a brief moment, you might think, “Wait a minute, this doesn’t sound too bad.” However, before you can finish the thought, you’re bombarded with Barham’s overprocessed vocal yapping about some chick from a town with a water tower, which is ironic, considering just about every town in America has at least one. As the song enters the chorus, a corny trap beat drops, stripping away any shred of dignity it had left. Typical of a Graham Barham release, “CAMO” is packed with lazily written lyrics that do nothing but objectify women, dimly remarking that they look hot in camo and even hotter when the camo’s on the floor. Overall, “CAMO” is genuinely disrespectful to real fans of country music or anyone with ears, for that matter. Male country singers used to pine and yearn; now, they sing about how camouflage makes them horny.
2.6
Chris Young – Til The Last One Dies Written By Will Chapman
Chris Young has long been recognized as one of the best voices in country music since his arrival in the late 2000s. Before the bro-country crisis of 2013, his early records were solid country gold, and even through the mid-2010s, Young continued to release strong material, even as he drifted from the traditional sound that first put him on the map. More recently, however, some of the pop-leaning experiments in his music have felt underwhelming. His latest single, “Til The Last One Dies,” falls in the middle. It’s an easy listen, highly digestible, and could perform very well on country radio. However, it still doesn’t hold a candle to the traditional magic of those first few Chris Young albums. Lyrically, “Til The Last One Dies” centers around a unique, if slightly strange, concept: the narrator gives his love interest eleven real roses and one fake one, promising to love her until the last rose dies. It’s a creative spin on the well-worn theme of everlasting love, and while the execution might feel a little odd, you have to give credit for originality. Ultimately, “Til The Last One Dies” isn’t a bad song. It is just a very strange lyrical premise, and it doesn’t sonically rise to the heights Chris Young has proven he’s capable of.
5.0
