You Had To Be There – Megan Moroney & Kenny Chesney Written By Creed Miller
Ever since Megan Moroney joined Kenny Chesney on tour, their growing friendship has sparked excitement among fans, especially with the release of their highly anticipated collab “You Had To Be There.” The track marks a full-circle moment for Moroney, who opened for Chesney just seven years after watching the “King of No Shoes” from the nosebleeds. While it’s wholesome and will bring a smile, it is also incredibly generic. The only thing that makes the song interesting is the story; outside of that, it sounds like any other assembly-line song with basic production you’ve heard and forgotten about. Kenny and Meg have a great relationship, but their chemistry on an actual song is lacking. There’s a lack of flow between the two, and it doesn’t feel natural. Chesney makes his first appearance on the song with a verse that shares his general advice to Moroney on the road, like wearing your heart on your sleeve and keeping your chin held high. What truly gives this song its ‘moment’ is the undeniable cool factor of a country music legend joining forces with one of today’s brightest stars and the overall growth Moroney has enjoyed in just a few years. “You Had To Be There” feels like they weren’t looking for the hit, but wanted something tangible to recognize their stint on the road together. Considering that, it’s not the worst song in the world, but it’s a letdown nonetheless.
5.4
Mama Ain’t Jesus – Naomi Johnson Written By Creed Miller
Naomi Johnson had the perfect Mother’s Day weekend release with the moving ballad “Mama Ain’t Jesus.” Penned by Johnson alongside Brad Clawson and Brandon Jay Day, the song discusses the special bond between a mother and her child. In this vulnerable track, Johnson recognizes her flaws, but despite that, she will do anything for her kid, even going as far as to say she would kill for them. Johnson’s smooth and graceful vocals will easily suck you in as her voice can effortlessly cut through an entire room and is flawlessly accented with soft acoustics to support her. The chorus is what takes the song to the next level as she sings “No I ain’t perfect all the time, but I’ll be there when you need me” straight into “If trouble ever comes your way, I sure as hell wouldn’t hesitate, I keep that loaded .45 for a reason.” This track is an anthem for moms everywhere, encapsulating everything they would do for their family, especially admitting that they have their faults. As she continues to lay the foundation of her debut solo album, Naomi Johnson taps into powerful songwriting and tells her story piece by piece.
7.8
Morgan Wallen – Superman Written By Joel Reuben Pauley
Morgan Wallen has a reputation for writing about love, lust, heartbreak, alcohol, trucks, bars, and small-town living. However, in doing so, despite the stereotypical qualities of its subject matter, his music has remained highly connected with his massive audience. However, his next album shows more personal depth, with songs like ‘Smile’ and his latest release coming from places of honesty and introspection. The new track, ‘Superman,’ is written for his son, Indigo, reminding him that the role of a father is one grounded in humanity. Using the powerful image of a superhero as a metaphor, Wallen acknowledges that even Superman is still just a man sometimes.” By revealing his weakness, the lyrics warn Indigo about the flaws and struggles from his father’s past that may surface as he grows older. Messages like these will set Morgan’s fourth record apart, filling in areas of his life that haven’t been put to music. This song also follows the same sound evolution revealed in the other leading singles from I’m The Problem, incorporating the modern, electric textures that may stem from Wallen’s influence by hip-hop and pop. Truth be told, this song bangs. The combination of the beat, catchy melody, and vocal production makes it easy to return to this song for another listen, even for fans who don’t yet have children of their own.
9.0
Parker McCollum – Big Sky Written By Joel Reuben Pauley
This summer is looking huge for new music, with Parker McCollum’s self-titled album set to release in June. Anticipation is high, with expectations that Parker will access a rawer, more personal sound than we’ve heard from him lately. His new single taps into the high-energy rhythms of “Young Man’s Blues,” but without feeling overly commercial. No, it’s not the stripped-down version of Parker that everyone is so hungry for, but after releasing something intimate like “Hope That I’m Enough,” he’s got ample room for a rocker or two. In the lyrics, lines like “come and save me” feel forced, as if squeezed in to make the rhyme work. However, the little vocal run in the delivery of the hook, “It’s a big sky, I’m a lonely man,” makes up for it. McCollum has always had a unique way of making loneliness feel almost appealing, and he nails it again on this track. Stating “Everywhere is my home,” Parker stays true to the recurring themes of freedom and restlessness that have stayed consistent in his music. As the number of days until his next record decreases, “Big Sky” makes it worth the wait.
8.3
Nancy Avenue – Ole 60 Written By Adam Delahoussaye
It’s been a minute since we last heard from Kentucky’s newest darlings of the y’alternative circuit. Six-piece standout Ole 60, a mishmash of stylistic senses, seems to crack the code on practice and presentation now and then. “Nancy Avenue,” while coursing with the folkie blood that runs through the group’s veins, is a tainted memory with blotches of nostalgia found in the specifics that make the track feel so homely. Flashes of memory bubble up through this windy, clouded recollection of a street with as much character as any of those who walked on it. The details are fuzzy, but the feelings are razor-sharp. Pinpoint plucks of a guitar ring out and bounce off the concrete as Jacob Young’s vocals sizzle off the sidewalks in haunting fashion. It’s another blend of the sublime anguish that country music boasts, packing punches in blunt delivery and shaky, stifled sobs of vocal delivery. “Nancy Avenue” is an alternative-minded poem blanketed in the comforts and bare structure of the painful pulls signature to Kentucky’s country and folk movement. The recollections that bleed into one another personify this eerily Appalachian track warped by the angst and nostalgia so many budding rockers carry with them.
8.4
Man Of His Word – Kashus Culpepper Written By Adam Delahoussaye
When he first broke onto country stages a year ago, it felt like Kashus Culpepper was at war with a sound prescribed to him by the suits over at Big Loud. That muddy, down-south brass styling felt unnerving under glistening pianos and silky smooth rhythm sections. As he inches closer to the mainstream, a heartbeat away from the biggest names on the bill, the narrative and the sound feel more form-fitting. It’s not that he’s selling out or shaving down scruff to fit the fold; the progression feels much less forced than that. On “Man Of His Word,” that sandy timbre delightfully bobs and weaves in and out of the pockets of its pop-infused production. Carrying over slight imitations of the snarling blues licks that ground the singer, pairing them perfectly with the glitz from new gadgets shining through the studio. Bouncy, repetitive keys in time with a newfound bustle about his strut as this Alabama native keeps us in time with his own pace. A lot is going on in the peripheral, but Culpepper never lets that distract us from staying in focus, sonically and thematically. “Man of His Word” keeps its roots close, contrasting Culpepper’s instincts with the red carpet he’s rapidly approaching.
8.0
Small Town Girls – Thomas Rhett feat. Tucker Wetmore Written By Max Buondonno
If there were ever an exception to not judging a book by its cover, it’s this song. Thomas Rhett’s promotional track from the deluxe edition of his album About A Woman, “Small Town Girls,” sees the artist collaborate with newcomer Tucker Wetmore to sing about all the stereotypes associated with the concept of “small town girls.” Between sipping lemon drops and tattooing Bible verses to blasting music with the windows down, Rhett and Wetmore take turns going over a bunch of cliches for two and a half minutes over a country-pop production that neither Rhett nor Wetmore are strangers to. It’s exactly what you’d expect a song between these two with a title like this to sound like: probably fun live, but boring as all get out otherwise. While the chorus has a bit of an earworm effect, the production sounds too generic to stand apart from anything else in Rhett’s catalog. It also seems that neither artist was interested in recording the song, given their lazy vocal performances, making “Small Town Girls” sound like a fulfilled obligation before the two kick off their summer tour. With writing credits to eight different people and a runtime that breezes by before you can even consider enjoying the song, there’s not much to do when this song plays; unless you have/are a small town girl, then you can sing about it?
5.5
