This week's stack of new country songs includes new entries from two artists featured on Beyoncé Cowboy Carter: Shaboozey and Tanner Adell. Plus, Riley Green offers songs from his new EP Way out herewhile Trisha Yearwood releases a song she performed during the CMT Music Awards, Luke Combs' celebrated band The Wilder Blue releases a '90s country-influenced track, and Kimmi Bitter delivers a vintage '90s vibe 1960.
Shaboozey, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”
Shaboozey has been in the headlines and gaining traction thanks to his work on Beyonce's songs Cowboy Carter work. He follows through with this mesh of perfect melodies, acoustic guitar, horns and handclaps in this tip of the hat to river bars. From the viral hit of “Let It Burn” earlier this year, to his latest outing, this artist-writer knows how to craft an unforgettable song. Taken from J-Kwon's 2004 smash 'Tipsy', this single previews his album Where I've been is not where I'm goingreleased May 31.
Trisha Yearwood, “Put It in a Song”
Yearwood debuted this ballad at the recent CMT Music Awards, performing it with her co-writers Erin Enderlin and Jim “Moose” Brown. Yearwood's vocals are pristine as always, never overpowering the lyrics but picking up every nuance in this great song. Not unlike one of Yearwood's signature hits, 1993's “The Song Remembers When,” this song suggests the power of music to serve as a guardian and vessel for any emotional memories, from heartbreak to love.
Morgan Wade, “A Time to Love, a Time to Kill”
From Wade's upcoming album on August 16th Obsessed here comes this stellar preview. Like all songs Obsessed, Wade is the only writer here, depicting the murky moments of a relationship's consummation in visceral detail. Although each has expressed his intention to move on, as he sings in the song, “The truth is that I am at the starting point/ He's just waiting for you.” As on previous songs, including her breakthrough hit 'Wilder Days', Wade's voice crackles with unfiltered honesty, managing to be sweet and incredibly real at the same time.
Connie Smith, Love, prison, wisdom and sorrows
On Friday (April 12), Smith made a surprise release of her new album Love, prison, wisdom and sorrows, which pays tribute to songs by country artists including Dottie West, George Jones and Loretta Lynn. It also features a rendition of Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner's 1970 song 'Once More', her crystalline voice enhanced by steel guitars, fiddle and gorgeous harmonies. Her rendition of “One of These Days,” originally recorded by the Glaser Brothers, showcases her soaring vocals, while elsewhere she offers versions of Merle Haggard's “The Fugitive” and Lynn's “World of Forgotten People.” The album also marks the late pianist Hargus “Pig” Robbins' last recording with Smith before his death in 2022. Smith's voice is still an instrument of tremendous power and style, and this magnificent record is essential listening for fans of old-school Country.
Riley Green, “Jesus Saves”
From his new seven song EP Way out here, Green delves here into the life story of a homeless man and military veteran who regularly sits on the side of a road, holding up a sign that reads “Jesus Saves.” A solo penned by Greene, this story also features some of his most poignant songs. It chronicles the series of life upheavals that led the man to the side of the road: when he was eight, his father had left and his mother had died. The young boy grew up to join the army and went to war, but when he returned, as the lyrics describe, “my whole world didn't love me anymore.” From there, “Jesus Saves” traces a downward spiral of lost jobs, tragedies and broken relationships while simultaneously calling for compassion. This is undoubtedly one of the strongest tracks of Green's new set.
Kimmi Bitter, “I Can't Unlove You”
Like most of Bitter's new album Old school, “I Can't Unlove You” is immersed in a detailed study of 1960s countrypolitan sounds, from Jordannaires' harmonies to muted percussion. Bitter, meanwhile, possesses a smooth, polished vocal that arguably draws comparisons to the late Patsy Cline (or even, to a much lesser extent, “Blue”-era LeAnn Rimes). Bitter and her musical teams on the album, most notably writer-producer Michael Gurley, create a great vintage sound but cleverly blend it with original songs.
Tanner Adell, “Whiskey Blues”
Adell gained mainstream attention with her album Buckle Bunny and, like Shaboozey, she's currently enjoying a rush of attention thanks to her inclusion on Beyoncé Cowboy Carter. In her recently released song, she wants to get an ex-lover off her mind (but not quite). The pop-country hybrid is catchy and polished, led by Adell's airy, shimmering vocals and a dash of radio production.
The Wilder Blue, “I'm Your Man”
This versatile Texas quintet is deep into '90s honky-tonk in this barnyard jam that makes the most of their tight harmonies and top-notch vocals from frontman Zane Williams. They are part of Luke Combs' current Growin' Up and Gettin' Old tour, having previously featured Combs on a cover of the Eagles' “Seven Bridges Road.”
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/country/best-new-country-songs-shaboozey-riley-green-morgan-wade-1235655008/