South of Sanity – Zach Top Written By Adam Delahoussaye
It’s not a groundbreaking statement in the slightest to say that there are tidbits of ’90s nostalgia all across Zach Top’s discography. But the revelation that began as an internet in-joke amongst the country music crowd has now morphed into a far more frustrating reality; that Top’s immense talent is stuck in shackles, forced to milk a gimmick that already has chapped udders. But if “Good Times and Tan Lines” was an insult to the awareness of that business model, “South of Sanity” at least has the decency to make its derivative nature feel less like stale leftovers and more like a wine whose flavor has been tapped into existence by age. Despite callbacks to tracks like “Midnight in Montgomery,” there are ample differences, at least from a songwriting perspective, to position Top as an act with healthy admiration rather than exhibiting some sort of parasocial, quasi-paternal relationship with his biggest point of influence. Brooding behind his drawl, our Washingtonian is stuck playing phone tag on the road, leading him to a point you can’t find on a map, but a final destination that lives in every cowboy’s heart. It’s an invigorating change of pace, both in timing and subject, from previous singles rolling out his newest record, beautifully placed keys peppering the edges of this road-trip nightcap. Here, he dances between his own personal flourishes and the Whitley-esque nuance of ’90s lyricism he’s become a master at emulating. Good artists copy, great ones steal, and right now Zach Top sounds like he’s figuring out how to achieve the latter while avoiding the former.
8.5
Toby Keith, VAVO – Should’ve Been A Cowboy – VAVO REMIX Written By Joel Reuben Pauley
Toby Keith’s name carries a certain weight in country music. For many, it brings back memories of resilience, patriotism, and simpler times. His true fans remember him as the king of the Fourth of July and one of the greatest heroes in country music, but it’s clear that today, some only see him as a chance to sharpen their skills behind the DJ booth. On a new remix, VAVO hijacks the legendary track “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” forcing Keith’s iconic vocals over an uninspired EDM backdrop. The song goes for peanut butter and jelly and ends up more like a bite of filet mignon covered in blueberry Go-Gurt. The entire beat feels mismatched, as if it were built for a completely different song rather than to support the original melody. It sounds as if VAVO simply checked the key and BPM of Toby’s classic hit, found a pre-made beat that roughly matched, dropped the vocals on top, and called it done. Today, when you search up Toby Keith on Spotify, this track is the first song that shows up on the late artist’s discography section, which just doesn’t feel right. It’s possible to take this song as an opportunity to focus on Toby’s vocals, which completely overshadow the calm, unfinished EDM beat beneath them.
2.0
Tim McGraw – King Rodeo Written By Joel Reuben Pauley
It’s never easy coming to terms with the fact that the greats are getting older. In a live performance of a new track from his upcoming album, Tim McGraw leans into themes of aging and feeling “a little past your prime.” Lyrically, this song lives as an intimate conversation between McGraw and a rodeo star, discussing the bittersweet moment when even the best must accept that the ride is nearly over. At McGraw’s age, the track plays like a metaphor for the legacy he’s etched into country music—a moment of heavy self-reflection, as if he’s speaking to himself while sensing the twilight of his career drawing nearer. No fan of McGraw’s wants to think about him stepping away, and a song like “King Rodeo” hits that nerve with full force. Backed by soft, emotional piano chords, Tim delivers the melody with a vulnerable, shaky yet stern tone that makes it clear he truly feels the message of the song. As an early glimpse into his upcoming album, this track sets a high bar for the rest of the record and suggests there are more honest, meaningful messages to come.
9.5
Family Tree – Austin Snell Written By Creed Miller
Austin Snell shows some much-needed vulnerability and reflection in his new release, “Family Tree.” Penned by Snell alongside Conor Matthews, Nicolette Hayford, and Riley Thomas, the track explains letting go of the hardships of your family tree’s history. It highlights the simple fact that you can only control what you can control. Austin Snell hasn’t really shown this kind of honesty, and it’s a refreshing change of pace from more surface-level concepts like a breakup. He slows things down, which helps feed into the emotion of the song and allows the story at hand to be in the spotlight. Sonically, “Family Tree” sounds relatively similar to HARDY’s “Favorite Country Song,” which is unfortunate. Still, the big difference is that “Family Tree” shows real emotion and feels authentic instead of simply checking off the boxes of stereotypes. Full transparency, “Family Tree” was a pleasant surprise from Austin Snell as he shows a lot of growth, especially through songwriting and expressing true sincerity through his music.
7.8
Worth Your Wild – Russell Dickerson Written By Creed Miller
Russell Dickerson is back with a new track, and from the first note, it’s clear it’s another classic, shallow, bro country song from the Tennessee native. “Worth Your Wild” would’ve done numbers in 2014, but unfortunately for Dickerson, it’s 2025. Expressing a dreadful pop-country sound that just feels too over the top from the get-go. The lyrics are intolerably surface-level and generic as Dickerson sings about making a drive with a girl “worth your wild.” What makes things worse is that it took nine (9) people to pen a song that sounds like ChatGPT could have made. It feels impossible to stay engaged with the song in its entirety because it lacks any notable elements. The production has way too much going on with each instrument noisily competing for attention, which ultimately drowns out his voice. Dickerson has shown a lot of growth through his career and even adapted to the growing genre with a simpler, stripped-down approach and less corny radio songs.. But lately, it feels like he is reverting back to his “Every Little Thing” sound, which is fine if that’s the path he wants to take, but it’s just outdated. “Worth Your Wild” is just another cookie-cutter type song that shouldn’t stay in any rotation.
1.8
Don’t Leave – Jolene Remix – Chase Matthew Written By Max Buondonno
It seems that the latest trend in country music is making mockeries of some of the genre’s most beloved songs by sampling them in the most disrespectful way possible. Case in point, Chase Matthew’s “remix” of Dolly Parton’s 1973 hit “Jolene” deserves not just to crash and burn, but have everyone who worked on the track arrested. Interpolating the song’s hook and rhyming it with a plea to beg a love interest not to part ways, Chase Matthew’s take on the classic hit is a repulsive disfigurement of Parton’s song, coupled with two verses where Matthew decided it would be a good idea to rap with his mouth half-open the entire time. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if the song tried to remain remotely country, or at least tastefully harken back to the classic country sounds we all expect when we hear “Jolene” sung in a song. But that didn’t happen. “Don’t Leave – Jolene Remix” is an overproduced, digital drum kit slop fest that seemingly has no reason to exist beyond the hook. Its verses are void of anything noteworthy beyond desperation, and even when you think it can’t get any worse, the ad-libs in the background add sour accents to the rest of the instrumental. At this point, it’s probably best to keep Chase Matthew away from a recording studio, at least until he can apologize to Dolly Parton in person for this atrocity.
0.5
Chevy Silverado – Bailey Zimmerman Written By Max Buondonno
As Bailey Zimmerman readies the release of his sophomore album, Different Night, Same Rodeo, he rounds out the rollout of its promotional singles with one that could be the most underrated of the bunch. “Chevy Silverado” tells the real story of falling in love for the first time in his white Chevy Silverado, purchased from his grandfather with money borrowed from the bank. As the story unfolds, the only constant in Zimmerman’s life winds up being the truck, exploring the ups and downs of young love as experienced in the cab of the vehicle. Here, Zimmerman sounds at home; he flows easily against the rock-infused instrumental, with his raspy vibrato conveying enough emotion to deliver the authenticity that the record demands. It’s a mid-tempo break from the barn-burners that Zimmerman is popular for, helping to highlight a different side of his artistry that many of his singles fail to do. It’s reminiscent of some of Zimmerman’s earlier work, like “Fall in Love” and “From the Fall,” which put him on notice for many across the industry. Granted, this track isn’t quite as instrumentally daring as it could’ve been; the song’s verses and chorus blend together due to boring chord progressions, leaving nothing of interest to write home about. But peer into the lyrics and his vocal performance, and you’ll find that Zimmerman manages to punch above his weight, redeeming himself from some of the sloppier tracks he’s released in the past and proving he can produce a good song without capitalizing on bro-country themes every time.
7.5
Music For The Soul – Sam Barber Written By Will Chapman
Sam Barber’s “Music for the Soul” has a lot of heart but not much new to offer. It kicks off with an ambient lo-fi electric guitar riff laying a spacey atmosphere behind Barber’s vocals. But about 45 seconds in, the same old cheesy strum pattern makes its inevitable appearance. That unmusical, faux-bluegrass acoustic guitar loop has become the tired hallmark of this entire post-Zach Bryan wave. Barber’s voice is as powerful as always, but we can’t understand a word he’s saying. He doesn’t enunciate, so half the lyrics get lost in the mix, and emotionally, it lands somewhere between a teenager yelling in his bedroom and a Lumineers B-side. The lyrics are doing more work than the rest of the track, to his credit. There’s a sincere commentary about art and what making music without chasing fame or trying to write some crowd-pleasing barroom hit looks like. It’s not trying to be clever, just honest. “This is music for the soul” might not be a revolutionary hook, but Barber believes it, which counts for something. “Music Got the Soul” isn’t terrible. It feels stuck in neutral, leaning on everything Barber has already done instead of trying anything new. It’s a decent message, trapped in the same-old delivery.
6.8
Your Cheatin’ Heart (Live) – Ashley McBryde Written By Will Chapman
Cut live for the Opry’s 100th anniversary album, Ashley McBryde’s cover of Hank Williams Sr.’s “Your Cheatin’ Heart” is just as lonesome as ever. Hank’s classic doesn’t need dressing up; it’s already perfect, and McBryde knows that. She keeps the arrangement true, sings it straight, sad, and sincere. There’s a reverence in her voice that echoes through the Opry house, and you can’t help but imagine Hank’s ghost smiling down from the balcony. The Opry band, per usual, nails it with taste and tone, bringing their musical deftness while honoring the sacredness of the original. The whole thing feels poetic, considering Hank was fired from the Opry in 1952 for showing up drunk and missing gigs. There’s something full circle about this performance. It’s not flashy or groundbreaking, but doesn’t need to be. It’s respectful, heartfelt, and rooted deep in the tradition that the song and the Grand Ole Opry helped define.
9.2
