Leaving Carolina – Ty Myers Written By Adam Delahoussaye
Ty Myers is one of those talents that feels like he breached the womb straddling a Martin. By 17, he was spilling bottles and bills on the floor, giving the impression that he may have a resume longer than a CVS receipt by the time he’s 30 at this rate. If his shot at stardom felt a little fast-tracked, “Leaving Carolina” is probably here to hit cruise control before he spins out in the first few miles. The newest single from country music’s budding blues brother flaunts an impressive sense of timing and self-awareness, pairing his raw and real vocals with a far more intrinsic and personal line of thinking than long nights and late mortgages. Myers, informed more by the Mayers and Marcus Kings of the songwriting realm than his rootsier peers, is immediately captivating in the driver’s seat. Wails and chirps flying out of a six-string with devastating landing spots help propel the journey forward, lingering on what’s being left behind just as much as it is curious about the way forward. It’s seeped in soul, dripping with southern signatures both in its storytelling and delivery; most of all, “Leaving Carolina” is acute to the senses of a teenager teeming with promise as he balances the weight on his shoulders, trying not to get dragged down in the process.
8.0
I Didn’t Come Here To Leave – Chris Young Written By Adam Delahoussaye
Something of a lifer in the Nashville zeitgeist these days, Chris Young operates as one of those voices that could sing you to sleep reading the phone book. Typically, that’s about the mode of quality his catalog rests on. It’s catchy, inoffensive, but assimilated enough into the status quo that you don’t really bother to give it a second glance to check if it’s getting closer or drifting off. But voices like his, while clearly doing just fine being fed writers’ room fodder, get elevated when the material sizes up to the talent. When his fate as a performer was still in the air, that line of thinking was a no-brainer. But with a rap sheet of sold-out tours and chart-topping hits under his belt, it seems like any desire for a progressive career besides a witty through-line doesn’t have the same return on investment it did for Young a decade ago. “I Didn’t Come Here To Leave” is fine; it’s a venture into neon comforts, offering at least a somewhat invigorating angle on the static structure of most bar songs. But a catchy hook can’t forgive its other sins, like a hosed-down, youth church level production that melds its instrumental pieces together into some oblong arrangement. Rather than take a good idea and run with it, it seems Young and his upcoming record are headed for familiar ground indiscernible from much of his previous works. At least his booming bass still remains front and center.
6.0
Gavin Adcock – Sunset Written By Joel Reuben Pauley
For the people who criticize Gavin Adcock’s music for his voice or a lack of depth, “Sunset” is a sharp rebuttal. Comparing brake lights to “red ants” crawling down the highway, he further proves his heartbreak anthems are anything but cliché. With its fiddle, electric guitar, and pounding drumbeat, the song draws on a traditional sound that calls back to the golden age of early-2000s country. Broadly, the track tells the story of a man drowning in regret as he watches the woman he loves ride off in another man’s “getaway Ford,” leaving him to wrestle with heartbreak, jealousy, and the weight of his own mistakes. Without fully painting him as the villain, Adcock explains how the other man in this story “slipped in like a bandit in the dark of night,” but the “Run Your Mouth” singer still takes responsibility for his own mistakes that led to the fallout. Being so sonically different from his other recently released singles, “Sunset” feels freshly placed into the growing collection of tracks set to appear on the highly anticipated 24-song album My Worst Enemy, scheduled for release on August 15th. Currently at the highest height of his career, it seems every song Adcock “lets out” is an instant hit for his fans, with his new single acting as another home run.
8.7
Riley Green – Bartender In Destin Written By Joel Reuben Pauley
In his new acoustic EP, Riley Green released a fresh new track that leans into a coastal Kenny Chesney vibe, complete with anchor tattoos and blue Budweiser tank tops set right in sunny Florida. “Bartender In Destin” tells a classic tiki bar love story with a twist — he’s got the hots for someone on the other side of the counter. As the plot plays out, Riley paints her like a Southern dive queen: raised right, loyal to the Florida Gators, and blasting AC/DC between shifts. It’s vivid without trying too hard, and it’s easy to picture the whole thing unfolding in some Florida beach bar. While it’s technically labeled as an acoustic track, “Bartender In Destin” sounds as full as it needs to be, carried by the kind of laid-back detail that makes you feel like you’ve been to that bar in Destin. The acoustic guitar solo before segues perfectly into the bridge, where Riley explains that he “never paid a dime,” implying that his feelings were mutual. The whole narrative of the song comes as a recollection from Green, as he smokes a midnight Marlboro,” and gracefully plays out his memories from the coastal encounter. Overall, the song feels one-of-a-kind, revealing a stripped-down, sand-swept side of Riley Green that fans might not expect, taking them on a mental vacation to somewhere peaceful and nostalgic.
8.4
Dreams to Dream – Jake Owen Written By Max Buondonno
With enough old-west swagger to make you think he was a completely different artist, Jake Owen is ramping up the rollout of a new project with his new single “Dreams to Dream.” As a newly independent artist, Owen seems to be taking a similar direction as Chase Rice with his soundscape, stripping back the instrumentals to something with more country soul than his previous records have offered. The result is a foot-stomping homage to chugging along and chasing your dreams, even when times get tough. If there are flowers due to Owen, it’s the fact that he’s stepping out of his traditionally Nashville-leaning sound for something edgier and neotraditional. That being said, it’s not the complete reset that its aesthetics would allude to for the country veteran. Owen’s voice sounds decent enough against the raw instruments, but lyrically, the song doesn’t leave you with a hook or clever cadence to force a second spin. It leans into neotraditional cosplay more than anything; it might sound old-school, but the song itself isn’t much to sink your teeth into. Still, it’s a refreshing change of pace from an artist whose stuffy “free-willed, love-chasing beach bum” brand is taking a back seat.
6.8
A Song To Sing – Chris Stapleton & Miranda Lambert Written By Creed Miller
Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton might be two of the most iconic country acts, but they took a 1970s pop approach for their duet, “A Song To Sing.” Penned by Lambert, Stapleton, Jesse Frasure, and Jeneé Fleenor, the affectionate track finds the two protagonists singing about how they are the “heart of” one another and how they find a song to sing within each other. The lyrics aren’t earth-shattering, but they are wholesome and make a cute love song and nothing more. They are pretty surface-level but do their job for what the song is looking to accomplish in a simple love song. It’s no secret that Dave Cobb is a legendary producer; however, he took a different approach than we’re used to with this track. Miranda Lambert is at the top of a long list of famed artists to come out of Texas, and that’s a major part of her brand and sound. The production feeds more towards Stapleton’s slicker, old-school pop sound, which isn’t fully in Lambert’s wheelhouse. Chris Stapleton has shown so much versatility throughout his storied career that it would’ve made more sense to feed into the traditional Texas country sound that Miranda always crushes. Instead, it doesn’t sound as natural for Lambert, which leads to what feels like a lack of chemistry between the two. “A Song To Sing” sounds like it would’ve thrived in the ’70s, but not as much now. Overall, the song is fine but doesn’t meet the lofty expectations of a Chris Stapleton and Miranda Lambert duet.
6.3
Damn Good Taste In Whiskey – Hudson Westbrook Written By Creed Miller
Despite his young age, Hudson Westbrook sure sings a lot about whiskey. This time, he shares a midtempo breakup tale, which triggers him to hit the bottle. His new song “Damn Good Taste In Whiskey” was written by him alongside Randy Montana and is about how the protagonist has a bad taste in women, which has inevitably led to his good taste in whiskey. This one feels different from most Randy Montana cuts, which usually offer a different angle on breakups. The Texas native leans into his roots here, with a fiddle-driven sound that shines from the chorus on. The fiddle makes the song feel a lot more authentic while still smoothly flowing with Westbrook’s vocals. Keeping the Texas theme, Westbrook carries some stylistic similarities to Cody Johnson, especially in the intro of the track, which sounds loosely similar to Johnson’s song, “Y’all People.” Once more, Hudson Westbrook’s voice leaves the biggest impression as the rasp feels very pure while still holding that Texas influence. He offers a fresh spin on the Texas sound that steers clear of heavy ’90s nostalgia, yet still nods to the traditions and spirit of the country scene there. Westbrook is one of the most exciting young acts in country music right now. While some of his other pre-releases have been better, “Damn Good Taste In Whiskey” is another offering that should have fans looking forward to his upcoming record.
7.4
Greylan James – Water At A Wedding Written By Will Chapman
Greylan James’ latest single is an exceptional display of narrative songwriting. From the first line, James, Chase McGill, and Matt Dragstrem pull the listener into a small-town wedding with old flames, unspoken secrets, and quiet glances that say more than any toast could. The lyrics unfold like a Southern Gothic short story, full of tension and implication, all leading up to a dramatic plot twist. At first, it sounds like your standard small-town gossip fodder: a girl’s drinking water at her wedding, no bubbles in her glass, and the narrator suspects the reason isn’t some health kick, it’s pregnancy. At a southern wedding, that’s a big enough scandal. However, every line adds just enough foreshadowing to keep listeners’ heads cocked and ears perked. The final climax, that maybe he is the reason for the water, is a gut-punch worthy of a great novel. The storytelling is rich, vivid, and restrained in all the right ways, but the production doesn’t do it justice. The beat leans into a soft, lo-fi hip-hop aesthetic that feels undercooked and emotionally disconnected from the weight of the lyrics. It’s not that a modern approach can’t work with a narrative, but this particular sonic choice doesn’t give the story the gravity it deserves. Instead of building around the raw, slow-burn drama of the lyrics, the instrumental feels like it was thrown together with little regard for the tension that’s driving the song. Still, the writing is strong enough to carry the track. “Water At A Wedding” proves that Greylan James has the chops to stand out as a lyricist, even if the production lags.
8.4
Oh, Anna! – Dasha Written By Ryan Lippe
After the whirlwind of events that jump-started Dasha’s career in 2024, she’s slowing down the world around her and taking inventory of what really matters to her in her life. Written as a heartfelt letter to her younger self, the song reflects on how differently her life and career have turned out, despite always knowing she would be writing and performing songs. Peeling back the curtain of previous party anthems, this track offers fans a deeper understanding of Dasha as a person and an artist as she begins to perform in bigger venues all over the world. Written by Emily Weisband, Dasha, Hillary Lindsay, and Chris LaCorte, the song is a step in the right direction of detailed storytelling as Dasha continues to break the mold of a one-hit wonder. Produced by LaCorte, “Oh, Anna!” is a fantastic blend of contemporary country arrangements and melodies that are easy to follow and provide a seamless experience for any listener. No element feels too overpowering or redundant, making the whole production feel very fresh and vibrant. This may not be a career-defining moment for Dasha, but it’s an opportunity for her to invite fans on the journey she’s been on as a star.
8.4
Waiting Room – Evan Honer Written By Ryan Lippe
His seventh single of the year, Evan Honer continues to grind out music and blend elements from all over the Americana, country, and folk scene to make his own sound. The diversity in his sound initially served as a way to stand out from the crowd, but unfortunately, he ended up blending in with fans of The Lumineers and The Avett Brothers. It all feels cohesive for Honer, making it easy for his fans to immediately identify his sound. Still, the transition away from a traditional country mold is potentially becoming more harmful than fruitful. Produced by Garrett Hall and frequent Cloverdale Records collaborator Shane Travis, the song starts with crisp staccato picking, giving each note a breath of its own life, instantly grabbing the listener’s attention like many Honer songs do. However, the song lacks a strong, climactic bridge that defines many of Evan Honer’s best songs, leaving the track feeling empty and without a clear direction. With flashes of what brought Honer into the spotlight, this track falls short of delivering a lot of substance, leaving fans wondering what to expect with his third album in September.
7.2
Noah Cyrus, Ella Langley – Way Of The World Written By Will Chapman
Noah Cyrus and Ella Langley’s “Way of the World” is a gentle, soul-searching meditation on life, loss, and the slow unraveling of childhood innocence; a reflection on how life chips away at us, from the moment we’re born until the day we return to the earth. It’s reminiscent of Tracy Lawrence’s “Time Marches On,” but updated for a more introspective generation. Where Lawrence used vivid imagery, narrating change from a storyteller’s distance, Cyrus and Langley focus on the emotional core of it all. The opening line, “From your mother’s womb, into the chaos of a cold hospital room,” sets the tone for a song that’s less about events and more about emotional truths. By the end, the song draws a quiet parallel between the mother’s womb that brings us into the world and the earth that welcomes us back to Mother Nature’s womb, in a sense.
The lyrics touch on the relationships between parents and children; how that bond shapes us, disappoints us, and mirrors our imperfections. The line “Your parents are people, and messed up like you” is not angry or accusatory; it is poignantly direct. From the moment you are dropped off at school, watching them drive away, the heartbreak starts early and never stops. The message is clear: life is full of small and large losses, and no one escapes untouched. And that is okay. The production is beautifully restrained. Soulful keys, soft snare, B3 organ, and pedal steel weave together a warm, melancholic backdrop. It never overwhelms, letting the story breathe. While Langley and Cyrus’s vocals blend nicely, the whole song sits relatively low in both registers, leaving the listener hoping for more. The only real stumble is the melody in the chorus. It floats where it should soar, stuck in a space that feels like a pre-chorus with no release. A bridge or final lift could’ve elevated the emotional arc even further. Still, “Way of the World” is lyrically timeless. Noah Cyrus brings forth a unique perspective, thematically going deeper than most of today’s country music while keeping it digestible enough to sound sincere instead of heady.
9.3
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