It Just Got Weird – Kenny Chesney feat. Megan Moroney Written By Aishwarya Rajan
As the title alludes, this cut from Kenny Chesney’s latest LP is weird. Beautifully weird. It’s smooth, yet clunky, and the lyricism plays a game of badminton with you, batting you back and forth between being utterly wrecked by its heartfelt sincerity and scratching your head at wording that has no business in a song. A word like “weird” can ordinarily signal poor songwriting, but the simple, elegant melody saves it. Chesney’s delivery, layered over rich acoustics, softens the blow of such a strange descriptive choice, and his and Megan Moroney’s delicate tones create a conversational feel together. Take a minute to sit with the track, and it speaks to something universal in relationships: sometimes things feel off, and you can’t quite put your finger on why. Love can be a tough battle, no matter how strong a couple’s affection is.
7.9
What More Could You Want – Kaitlin Butts Written By Aishwarya Rajan
A classic piano hasn’t held the same space as a melodic instrument in modern country that it once did decades ago, with today’s records leaning on electric keys and synthy textures instead. However, Kaitlin Butts just filled that gap with her new single “What More Could You Want,” a dramatic, vulnerable track that sets her apart from most of what’s been released in the last couple of years. Butts has always been a bit kitschy and tongue-in-cheek, wielding the kind of show-tune vocal bravado that’s as intriguing as it is isolating, a quality evident in the track’s opening moments. Where the bedazzles and sparkles once felt like costume pieces of a persona in development, that cartoony cape finally feels intrinsic to her identity and her greatest strength. By leaning into a grandiose sound that stretches the country cloth further than listeners have grown accustomed to, she two-steps toward something that feels built for props and blocking in a musical. It’s reminiscent of “Never Enough” from The Greatest Showman, not just in orchestral swells or the low-register runs, but in meaning. Where “Never Enough” represented a hunger that could never be satisfied due to oneself, Butts mourns something different: it’s a plea to the profession, the industry, and the machine, which demands something infinite. This is likely one of Butts’ best pieces of work, and one that speaks to the hearts of anyone following a dream.
7.8
You Only Love To Break My Heart – William Beckmann Written By Aishwarya Rajan
If Andrea Bocelli lessened his operatic flourish and conspired with country music, it would likely sound close to William Beckmann. The 31-year-old’s early sound leaned on smooth acoustic arrangements, as displayed in “Starting Over Again,” and dusky baritone guitars, like the ones carrying “Lay Your Heartache Onto Mine.” Pedal steels and Latin-style instrumentation have long accompanied these styles, sitting alongside his cavernous, rumbling low register. In his latest single, Beckmann finds a sound in between. He retains the passionate, suave tone embellished with delicate and operatic flair. This time, however, he omits the use of bilingual tendencies to feed the song’s romantic spirit. Instead, the production carries a cinematic, vintage European ambiance. It’s light-hearted at its core, elevated through lush instrumentals, shuffling percussion, and vocal twists and turns across wavering tempos. Among the echoes and pauses between note holds, the atmospheric production choices fill the space with a sense of yearning. It enables the delusion of being riveted by someone who breaks his heart time and time again. This track is proof that in a cohort of acts charging towards the classical and soul-country subgenres, Beckmann is developing something undeniably distinctive.
8.3
Beginning of the End – Abbey Cone Written By Noah Sneath
This song rules. It’s patient, beautifully produced, and well performed. Those of us who enjoy Eva Cassidy’s work (go listen if you’ve never listened) might be reminded of her in Abbey Cone’s phrasing. She carries a soft power through the smooth melodies and leaves you with vibrato over a beautifully sustained note. The key to this song, though, is in its development. Opening with a spotlight on Cone, each subsequently introduced character is brought on stage carefully. The piano, steel guitar, bass, strings, electric guitar – their watery interplay is additive and contrasts nicely with the acoustic strumming. Most fascinating, however, is the way the musical harmony develops. The second chord in the song’s opening progression (a iii, for the musicians) is technically not the “right” chord. For reasons we won’t get into, music theorists believe this progression to be a weak one. It works in this context because it serves as the setup for a tremendous payoff at the bridge. When we reach the triumphant musical peak around 2:45, that chord is swapped for a close cousin (a vi). We are now technically playing by the music theory rules, and it results in a satisfying moment that the verse was holding back all along. Like falling in love, this songwriting approach gives you the feeling that you’ve finally experienced something you only knew about intellectually. Making that resolution short-lived was a beautiful choice for a song this bittersweet.
9.4
What Do I Do If You Don’t – Jordan Davis Written By Noah Sneath
Two words: harmonic recontextualization. It’s the process of changing the underlying chords while a repeated melody plays in order to change the way it sounds to the listener. It’s the key to dozens of pop country hits, from Morgan Wallen to Tucker Wetmore to Jordan Davis, and it’s how a song can be repetitive and interesting at the same time. The verse melody (and most of the chorus melody) of “What Do I Do If You Don’t” is made up of only four notes and repeats nearly three full times. The bass line and chords shift so the same melody notes feel different even though the melody hasn’t changed. It’s like in old movies where actors sit in a parked car that looks like it’s moving because of the video behind it. In Sweet Anticipation (2006), music cognition scholar David Huron argues that songs like this work because the brain rewards itself for being able to predict what comes next. In other words, we love simplicity. Country fans do, too. From Hank Williams to Johnny Cash, most of the classics are built on laughably simple melodies and harmonies. “What Do I Do If You Don’t” is a great song because it gives our brains exactly what they want using high-level songcraft that’s beautifully simple.
8.4
One Night Wonder – Hudson Westbrook Written By Adam Delahoussaye
Maybe it’s the healthy helping of fiddle sprinkled throughout these singles, but Hudson Westbrook’s upcoming Made You Look LP feels poised to take the singer from doe-eyed loverboy to bona fide Texan troubadour. There’s also the fact that his songwriting and song-choosing have matured even if the emotions behind them really haven’t. Despite some airtight arrangements and razor-sharp one-liners, Westbrook is, above all else, a hopeless romantic. The extremes of which can clearly be felt going from the kitschy winks of “Made You Look” to the stare-at-the-stars pining on “One Night Wonder.” His latest is a little less confident in his swooning skills, relying more on wishful thinking than a good first line to help seal the deal. It’s a real western yearner that’s as slick in heartache as Westbrook typically is as a heartthrob, selling the story with a vocal performance that’s forlorn yet still youthful in its optimism. Westbrook follows a long line of Texans who cut their teeth on love ballads one way or another, but what sets him apart is his ability to use his age to his advantage. The singer, now 22, is still in the throes of young manhood and speaks on the experience as if that’s all there is to love. To him, at this moment, that’s probably true. Even as he creeps toward the top of the mountain as a star, it’s refreshing that he doesn’t sound too eager to grow up just yet.
7.4
Blue – Marcus King & ERNEST Written By Adam Delahoussaye
“Blue” works in part because it fits Marcus King’s strengths, but it also impressively shows how adeptly ERNEST can play to them. It’s a bit of an odd pairing on paper to have a southern Swiss Army knife like King and a down-the-middle radio-hit guru tag-team a makeshift Ray Charles number, but you realize how well it works when they start to spell it out for you. It was a given that King could hit these notes in his seasoned soul register, but ERNEST is just as seamless, flipping the track into a more mellowed-out 80s country heartbreak tune that doesn’t skip a beat. It feels like it could’ve easily slipped into King’s heavily stylized Darling Blue LP from last year or been plopped toward the back of ERNEST’s recent Deep Blue project that took a more coastal approach to his craft. As performers, the two know how to let each other’s personalities have some space to flourish. As writers, they’re able to strike a middle ground that retains their individual flavor far more than most around-town team-ups. “Blue” is a collaboration that feels like pure chemistry between two artists from opposite ends of the Nashville spectrum.
7.2
Sad Casino – Kenny Chesney Written By Will Chapman
Kenny Chesney has always had a knack for nostalgia. Even at his most celebratory, there is often some sense that he is looking back on a place, a person, or a period of life that cannot quite be recaptured. “Sad Casino,” from Silver Sands Marina, fits comfortably into that part of his catalog, pairing a wistful story with a melody that feels immediately familiar. Written by Matraca Berg and Brett James, the song’s casino metaphor is simple, but it gives the story a fitting setting. The narrator is still living the life he told his girl he would, but without her, the whole thing feels a little emptier. “Since you left I’m like this sad casino” is the central idea, and the image of a half-empty casino somewhere west of Reno captures that loneliness without making the song feel overly heavy. The melody is big and natural, making “Sad Casino” remarkably easy to listen to, but it still maintains enough character to catch the listener’s ear. Even the repeated “la la la” feels organic, like the remnants of an old song being sung by someone who still remembers exactly how it went. There is something reassuringly familiar about the whole thing. Chesney does not need to chase a new sound here because this is a world he has inhabited for the better part of three decades. “Sad Casino” has the warmth, wistfulness, and melodic appeal that have defined some of his best work. It is nostalgic without being maudlin and accessible without being disposable. Most importantly, it just sounds like Kenny Chesney, and there are few artists for whom that is quite as meaningful a compliment.
8.9
Main Street – Lauren Watkins Written By Will Chapman
The house on Main Street itself is an especially effective device. The “1942 Victorian” with its bay window and front porch gives the song a physical setting, but it also becomes a metaphor for the woman’s predicament. In a small town where “the word runs when it gets out,” even the most private problems feel publicly visible. She knows her husband is cheating, but she feels compelled to maintain the appearance of a happy marriage because the neighbors are watching. There is something convincing about the way the song gradually reveals how much effort goes into preserving a life that has already become a nightmare. The only real lyrical quibble is the “1942 Victorian” itself. The Victorian era technically ended in 1901, so a 1942 house wouldn’t actually be Victorian. It’s a minor detail, and certainly not enough to undermine the song, but “1892 Victorian” would have accomplished the same thing without historical inconsistency. “Main Street” finds strength in its images. It paints a picture, establishes its world quickly, and tells a compelling story within it.
7.9
Set The Blues Back – Randy Travis Written By Joel Reuben Pauley
In his current state, Randy Travis has two options for releasing new music. He can either release something brand new, using AI to replicate his vocal on an outside cut, or he and his team can reach back into the vault of unreleased music that was recorded long ago, before his stroke. After a not-so-pleasant fan reaction to the AI material he released last year, they are back to digging up more unreleased recordings. It wouldn’t be fair to expect high hit-potential from everything he happened to record before his career took such an unexpected turn. That said, “Set The Blues Back” is an overall good song, but doesn’t stand out in his catalog due to a lack of star power. This track cleverly references so many great artists and offers a strong vocal performance from Travis. While it may not hold the timeless charm or gripping narrative of songs like “Forever and Ever, Amen,” or “Three Wooden Crosses,” it perfectly embodies the carefree, fun feeling that so many great classic country songs did. It may not be a monumental smash hit, but it’s definitely a good song. In Randy’s prime, this could’ve been a favorite deep cut for many fans and could’ve fit right into one of his albums. Today, it may not get the appreciation that it deserves, but getting more music from one of country’s most legendary voices is always a positive. For his most devoted fans, Randy’s new album is looking to be just what the doctor ordered.
8.0
Could Have Been Raining – Reba McEntire Written By Joel Reuben Pauley
There’s something incredibly raw and powerful about the music Reba McEntire has been releasing lately. Her latest single, “Could Have Been Raining,” is another strong example of just how deeply she continues to dig into her music. The intimate opening organ and first verse let you relive her memories with her. The message of the song is all about being accidentally reminded of a brutal breakup, which is executed with such precision that you can feel it as you hear it. After she finds the ring she was given, she reflects on the could’ve-been’s in her relationship that ended before she was supposed to walk down the aisle. McEntire didn’t write this song, but she could fool you into believing it’s her story from her delivery alone. After decades of success and fame, younger generations may be more likely to see Reba as a grandmother of country music, someone better suited for a cooking show than a collection of genuinely heartbreaking songs. But that perception couldn’t be further from the truth. In 2026, she’s showing that time has not watered down her abilities or intentions for her art. Her newest music serves as a powerful reminder that she is still capable of delivering songs with the same emotional weight and honesty that have defined her career.
8.4
Hate to Be That Guy – Easton Corbin Written By Max Buondonno
The early 2010s era of country music is almost 20 years old, and looking back on it, the nostalgia around it is quite complicated. While it’s next to impossible to find an artist who veered off the polished-90s vibes of the music of that time to chase mainstream audiences, a few of them remain who stepped away from the limelight for a bit and stayed true to their own groove the second they stepped back into the studio. Easton Corbin is in that limited company for all the right reasons. There’s no need for him to chase modern sounds and productions when “Hate to Be That Guy” sounds as good as it does. You might as well have found this track on the B-side of “All Over the Road,” with a twangy production and the same early 2000s charm you’d expect from him. Written by Carson Chamberlain, Matt Chase, Chris Rogers, and Zach Top, the song features a very basic storyline about falling in love at a dive bar, which exemplifies the simplicity of Corbin’s musical stylings. No, he’s never tried to write anything deep or poetic, and there’s little reason for him to start. There’s a pocket in country music fandom that appreciates songs reminiscent of a simpler time, and Corbin does a fantastic job at it without sounding like he’s cosplaying as a different decade. That’s because he’s not. It’s clear this is all he knows, and he sounds just as good today as he did when “Roll With It” was climbing the charts.
7.9
TAILSPIN – Graham Barham Written By Max Buondonno
There is an essence, a feeling, a radio signal from a light-year away throughout “TAILSPIN” that Graham Barham wants to make a real song. Whether it’s the 80s-inspired chords at the intro or the fact that it doesn’t immediately start with a hook designed for short-form videos, this song is about as close as we might ever get to sensing a real emotion from the guy who brought you such hits as “OIL MONEY” and “MCCONAUGHEY.” It’s, of course, about drowning your sorrows in whiskey, which is as sarcastically unheard of for Barham as it is for many artists. But unlike the rest of the CLUB COUNTRY album, “TAILSPIN” sounds as if it were originally intended to be produced with real instruments, only to be snatched up by the FGL-ripple-affected individual and doused in EDM. Sure, the vocal delivery wouldn’t line up with any conventional country instrumental, and Barham is great at making songs sound like they could only be sung by him because of it. Yet there’s a real sense of soul you catch only in vague hints during its brief runtime. It doesn’t undo the sins of CLUB COUNTRY as a whole, nor does it elevate Barham to a new artistic level. Instead, it proves he’s capable of something more than just insatiably blending bro-country with dubstep in his catalog. He can make an actual song, and if he just toned down the intolerable club-ready persona once in a while, maybe he’d stop wondering why folks don’t understand his music.
4.9
