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Reviews

Amanda’s Radio Single Round-Up: Part 2

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Rachel Wammack, “Damage”

The debut single from Sony Nashville powerhouse Rachel Wammack is a lyrical masterpiece. Wammack sounds a bit like Carrie Underwood, and her voice is one of the main assets that makes this song so great. Another exemplary facet of this song is how well she sells the emotion of the song and tells a riveting, compelling story. As someone who has had her fair share of experiences with love, I really connected to “Damage”, enough to where I was in tears by the end of the song. The only minor issue is the production, as I think a bit more steel guitar would be very beneficial. I doubt this will be a hit as country radio generally refuses female artists, actual country music or anything of remote substance, but I’m rooting for Rachel. This song deserves to be a hit. Rachel should be proud of herself for this song, as it is fantastic. In a just world, she’d be a star.
GRADE: 8.5/10

Carlton Anderson, “Drop Everything”

Speaking of a just world, Carlton Anderson should also be a star. The debut single from Anderson is the type of music that should be on country radio.  The song details the narrator approaching a girl at the bar who is having trouble with her boyfriend, when the narrator asks her to “drop everything” and come home with him.  Although a bit weak lyrically and thematically, as we’ve heard this story half a dozen times, what the song lacks, it more than makes up for in the other categories. Sonically, it’s awesome. For those of you who have been introduced to country music through Sam Hunt, Kane Brown, and FGL, that thing you’re hearing is called a fiddle, and it sounds amazing. The production sounds like something straight out of Jon Pardi’s playbook, and that’s a compliment coming from me considering that I am a huge fan of his. Carlton is an excellent vocalist; take Josh Turner’s voice and bump it up a few octaves, and you’ve got Carlton Anderson. On top of those strong points, I’m willing to argue that this is the most fun song that has hit mainstream country radio in months. It’s one of those infectious songs that will have you singing along in no time at all. Unfortunately, I don’t look for this to be a big hit, due to the people running that Mickey Mouse operation so affectionately called “country radio”, who don’t think the general listening public actually want to hear country music. Newsflash: we do. Since Carlton Anderson leans more squarely towards early-mid 2000’s neotraditional country goodness instead of pop bullshit, he will be one of the few male artists country radio will most likely ignore, and that fact really sucks, because in a just world, he would be a major star. While radio isn’t likely to eat this up, fans of Pardi, Turner, and actual country music in general will love this. Because THIS is what we should be hearing on country radio, not Kane Brown, Bebe Rexha, Sam Hunt, and the like.
GRADE: 7.5/10

Walker Hayes, “90’s Country”

Can we please trade this guy for the 2011 version of Walker Hayes? My personal hands-down winner of “Worst Album of 2017” (I dare you guys to listen to “Boom.” and tell me how far you get through it. Just kidding. But I am curious.) and runner-up of “Worst Song of 2017” (He would have won if not for the monster impact of Sam Hunt’s “Body Like a Back Road”; don’t get me wrong, Sam Hunt’s abomination is horrible, but what Hayes put out last year was one million times worse) for the god-awful “You Broke Up With Me”. After the seemingly commercial failure of “Boom.”, Hayes is back with a song about 90’s country music—which has absolutely fucking nothing to do with 90’s country music. It’s another mindless pop song with a ton of name drops. I can imagine Hayes and Shane McAnally’s meeting regarding this song went something like this:

Walker Hayes: Yo Shane!
Shane McAnally: What Walker?
WH: You know what would be a great idea for a country radio hit?
SM: Whatcha thinking about, Walker?
WH: A lot of people seem to be nostalgic for the country music of the 90s. I know! Let’s name drop a bunch of song titles and set them to a beat! It’ll be great, Shane! Just great!!
SM: *Sees dollar signs*
WH: *Googles “popular 90s country hits*
5 minutes later, this clusterfuck of a song is born.

Basically, Walker Hayes just name-drops a bunch of country hits from the 90s, and some of the lyrics are just so cringe-worthy (girl, you know you think my tractor’s sexy). However, kudos to Hayes for referencing “Jukebox Junkie” (a semi-obscure Ken Mellons hit) and for the song being catchy. With that being said, “90’s Country” still sucks.
GRADE: 1/10

RaeLynn, “Tailgate”

I would love to live in a world in which we can enjoy female voices on country radio. Carrie, Miranda, Ashley Monroe, Kacey Musgraves, Aubrie Sellers, Ashley McBryde, Sunny Sweeney, Margo Price, Angaleena Presley, Brandy Clark, Lori McKenna, Ashley Campbell, Lee Ann Womack, Sara Evans, Reba, Cam, Carly Pearce, Rachel Wammack, Tenille Arts, Tenille Townes, Mickey Guyton, Maren Morris (arguably), Maddie and Tae, and Runaway June are all awesome, unique, and should have a place on country radio. We need to hear more from the strong female perspective on country radio, and the ladies I just listed would be the ones to deliver on that promise. RaeLynn could be a great addition to these ladies, as she did give us the awesome “Love Triangle” in 2017. However, this perspective shown to us in “Tailgate” is exactly what we don’t need. In short, this is just female bro-country (and to mention, “Tailgate” was written by one of the ever-so-lovely founders of bro-country, Tyler Hubbard himself, and bro-country has-been Canaan Smith as well). (The extent of female bro-country is demonstrated even further with the video, which will most likely make your blood boil, fair warning). Honestly, RaeLynn, bro-country is so 2013. This shit should have gone away at least four years ago. RaeLynn is talented, but you sure wouldn’t know it from this offering. “Tailgate” is absolutely terrible and immature, and is honestly not even worth your time.
GRADE: 0/10

Lauren Alaina, “Ladies in the 90’s”

Guys, this is it. We have officially hit below rock bottom in mainstream country music. This right here is one of the worst songs you will hear all year, right next to Bebe Rexha and FGL’s “Meant to Be”, Morgan Wallen/FGL’s “Up Down”, and Kassi Ashton’s “Taxidermy”. This is the kind of shit that makes Walker Hayes listenable, and makes Sam Hunt sound like George Strait. And what a damn shame this is, because last year, Lauren Alaina delivered one of my favorite albums of 2017 with Road Less Traveled. This is nothing short of horrid and embarrassing, and is sure to piss off any true fan of country music. I would rather listen to “Body Like a Back Road” on repeat for an entire month than to ever here this clusterfuck again. The lyrics and production of this thing are bottom of the barrel. “So I can sing all night long, acting like I’m Britney”? Really, Lauren? Girl, have some pride. Referencing Britney Spears in a country song just shouldn’t happen. Like Walker Hayes, Alaina references and name-drops some of the most cliché songs of the 90’s (although Cowboy Take Me Away is amazing and Fancy isn’t half bad either). But unlike Hayes, she doesn’t stick to just country—she references straight up pop songs—in what is supposed to be a country song. Also unlike Hayes, this isn’t catchy at all. It’s flat-out horrible on all ends. The production sounds like a cross between some song you’d hear on a Disney Channel tween program and the annoying background music at Chuck E. Cheese, when you’re stuck at your little cousin’s birthday party with a horde of sugar-crazed, pizza-stuffing, screaming, bouncing off the walls six-year-olds. Lauren, if your heart will always be stuck in the 90’s, why don’t you build yourself a time machine and take yourself back. Maybe Lee Ann Womack, Trisha Yearwood, and Patty Loveless will teach you how to make some quality country music. I was previously a fan of Alaina’s before this and her duet with the scourge of 2018 mainstream country, Kane Brown, and I am extremely disappointed. Look, I’m all for more women on country radio. I’d love that. I’d love if country radio was dominated by women. But I’m begging you, people on social media and people on country radio, for the love of God, Please. Stop. Trying. To. Make. “Ladies. In. The. 90’s”. A. Thing. Instead of rallying around this steaming heap of trash, we should be rallying around the Pistol Annies and their great new single, “Got My Name Changed Back”. This song is absolutely horrible, and Lauren Alaina is much better than this. Hopefully, the album will be much better, but when this is what you’ve got to work with for a lead single…and you say yourself that it is your “favorite single you’ve ever done”…it doesn’t look too promising.
GRADE: 0/10

Commentary

Melody: The Most Forgotten and Forsaken Element in Music

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“Nobody even attempts to write a melody.”

These were some of the infamous words of Merle Haggard when he gave his opinion on modern mainstream country back in 2015. Interesting words because while you can find plenty of people harping on the lack of lyrical content and substance in the mainstream, or bitching about the encroachment of other genres and electronic beats into their beloved country music, not many people have commented on what may be the most rampant problem running through modern American music: the consistent lack of memorable and engaging melodies.

But even though we don’t mention it, this makes sense in the mainstream. Much of the stuff coming from Music Row is unimaginative and forgettable, and the lack of melody is only one small problem. So yeah, maybe we don’t criticize it often enough, but it’s not a stretch to see the undeniable lack of care for this crucial element in mainstream country.

But I’d argue it’s an even bigger problem in the world of Americana and independent music; yep, you know, that world where everything is good, and we can’t criticize anything. IN fact, I’d say that the mainstream is maybe the best place to find entertaining melodies these days–and no, that’s not saying a lot because so much mainstream music is just downright boring, but the majority of the songs we call “guilty pleasures” that come out of the mainstream stick with us because they’re catchy. They get stuck in our heads. Sure, we know the lyrics are stupid, maybe even at times misogynistic. But it’s the melody, and/or that lively, infectious instrumentation that keeps us liking the song despite how our mind tells us we should feel about it.

Conversely, how many Americana projects have you listened to that while there weren’t any flaws per se, there was also nothing memorable whatsoever? Maybe you read reviews or heard from listeners how great a record was, how awesome the songwriting was, etc., and for whatever reason just could not get into the album. That’s not to take away from the special art of songwriting, and it’s also true music is by nature subjective, but sometimes, albums are ruined just by a lack of effort and care for the melodies. Ray Wylie Hubbard’s is a shining example of this and indeed the inspiration for this post; equally, John Moreland’s latest might well have been the most boring record of the year if not for those catchy hooks and enchanting melodies that kept you coming back enough times to really unwrap the brilliance in his lyrics.

This problem of forsaking melodies is no doubt directly related to the equally alarming lack of quality vocalists in the independent scenes, which is itself a topic worthy of an entire post. We question whether to criticize such things as a singer’s vocal ability, and indeed, things like tone can’t be helped, but the technical abilities of singers can also be improved. Shows like The Voice and American Idol have gone to the other extreme, painting a picture of vocal ability as everything without taking into account an artist’s ability to draw an audience in emotionally. This emotional connection is more vital than technical skill, But singing is also more than emotive interpreting; this is what makes it different from reading poetry. it’s also nice to hear a great vocalist sing the hell out of a song; that’s one of the reasons Lauren Alaina’s sophomore album was such a joy to listen to.

When singer-songwriters are writing songs to fit their increasingly limited vocal ranges and abilities, their melodies become limited as well and often become somewhat of an afterthought. The results are often good lyrics that were turned into boring, lifeless songs. I’ve heard numerous Americana albums like this in 2017, brimming with good songwriting but completely forgettable. A singer may indeed possess that special thing that connects them with an audience and allows them to draw emotion out of every word, but does that matter if those magical words are translated into boring, forgettable music? Melody is what brings the lyrics to life and makes the songs resonate with us and get stuck in our heads. A script is only as good as the actors who make it come alive onstage, and lyrics on a page are only as thoughtful and relatable as the vocalist who interprets them for the world and the melody to which the songwriter sets them.

We praise songwriters, and we say we’re living in the age of the song, but it’s more like the age of the lyric. These independent/Americana types are often so caught up in telling a story and/or being deep and thoughtful that they forget what makes music such a unique and treasured art form. It’s good to be artistic, but that artistry shouldn’t replace accessibility. Even our greatest songwriters like Jason Isbell are guilty of this; there’s some brilliant material on his latest album, but some of it is honestly just forgettable melodically. This is not to take away from Jason Isbell as an artist or a lyricist, more to paint a picture of just how deep the problem goes and to illustrate that even the greatest songwriters and albums suffer from this phenomenon in 2017.

There is a lot of talk these days, especially in this blogging world, about what, if any, of the music coming out currently will be remembered years from now. Not ten or twenty, but say, fifty years down the road. Will we be listening to any music from today like people still listen to Hank? That’s a whole different discussion, but I’d argue that it’s not just the lack of substance keeping songs from having that timeless quality. It’s not just shallow radio singles that will be forgotten, but many of our greatest songwriters in both mainstream and independent music will suffer the same fate if they continue to treat melody as some sort of secondary element. It’s that indefinable thing that keeps us coming back to a song years later, that recalls a memory, a specific place and time, and has us singing a chorus we haven’t heard in so long but to which we still can recite the words. It’s the melodies which linger on in our minds and stir our hearts, and I hate to see it becoming so marginalized, even by otherwise great musicians and lyricists. So songwriters, please don’t forget this crucial part of your craft, or treat it as somehow secondary to your lyrics. It’s the thing that holds them together and gives them character, taking those thoughts from your head and words on a page and turning them into timeless songs that we’ll sing for years to come.

Reviews

Album Review: Lauren Alaina–Road Less Traveled

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Rating: 7.5/10

Of all the albums I missed covering at the beginning of the year, this one has bothered me the most. I finally did feature Lauren Alaina when her current single “Doin’ Fine” was released, and a host of behind-the-scenes factors kept me from talking about her before that, when “Road Less Traveled,” this album’s title track and first single, hit #1 on Billboard Country Airplay basically out of nowhere (although admittedly with help from On the Verge). I tried to satisfy myself with that because it just seemed too late to give her an album review, but now that I’ve finally got time–plus the inability to write anything new–I’m taking the opportunity to do what I should have done months ago and feature Lauren Alaina’s second album, Road Less Traveled.

So why the urgency to cover this, especially given the rating? Because it’s an example of good pop country, something being done right in the mainstream, and though Lauren’s gotten her fair share of praise for this album, she’s also received a lot of unfair criticism for it from people who dismiss it as too pop. That assessment in and of itself is fair; some of this is straight pop, about half, and the country-leaning half is pop-flavored, but Lauren Alaina’s not RaeLynn or Kelsea Ballerini either, churning out meaningless pop music and then labeling it country, and I think too many have dismissed her as such. IN fact, I’d argue that she’s exactly the kind of artist we should be supporting in the mainstream even if her music may not be your personal taste.

Why? Because Lauren Alaina did something very few mainstream artists–pop, country, or otherwise, can claim–she made a very personal record. Not only that, much of it is personal to her in a way that will relate to the very demographic the mainstream tries to target, and rather than release fluffy Disney material, she’s trying to say something. Sure, the style is pop country, or perhaps in her case country pop would be more accurate, but this album is an example of good songwriting eclipsing concerns of style. In the current single and album opener, Lauren Alaina tells of her parents’ divorce, even saying in the first line of the whole record, “Daddy got sober, Mama got his best friend.” “Pretty” might not work if sung by another artist, but when you know that Alaina herself had an eating disorder, lines like “all the other girls are thinner, so you skip another dinner” ring with authenticity and empathy rather than patronization. “Three,” which also fits in the more country pop half and features some nice piano, is achingly honest about Lauren’s struggles to get onto country radio, saying that she spent “six years of missing home” for only three minutes of airplay. And I haven’t even mentioned the pretty much universally accepted standout, “Same Day Different Bottle,” the beautifully sung story of her father’s alcoholism. Incidentally, this one is also the most country and showcases some really nice steel guitar.

And let’s not overlook the fact that Lauren Alaina is an incredible vocalist. True, singing talent is not everything, and as someone who knows her fair share about music, I’ll be the first to tell you that. Too many times, we see people who no doubt have amazing voices win some singing competition and then fade into obscurity partly due to the fact they’re just spectacularly clueless about everything else relating to the business of music and being a musician. It also takes far more than vocal ability to be a great singer; you have to convey emotion and connect with your listeners, and that will go a lot further toward sustaining your career than a ridiculous range and all the fancy runs in the world. But equally, there’s another side to this, where more than half the Americana albums I’ve heard in 2017 have featured a singer that was merely adequate, sometimes flat-out off-key. One specific album comes to mind that featured absolutely great instrumentation and production, lots of good songwriting, nice melodies–and sung by anyone else, I’d have reviewed it and loved it, but I couldn’t get past the voice. And tone is not something any singer can help, so it’s what you do with it that matters most, like Rod Melancon with Southern Gothic and Robyn Ludwick on This Tall to ride, but if you can’t sing on key, I can’t take your music seriously. Anyway, all that semi-tangent aside, I then turn on Lauren Alaina’s record, and I hear not just good, but excellent, stellar, ridiculous vocal quality on tracks like the heartbreak song “Painting Pillows” and the previously mentioned “Three,” coupled with that ability to be subtle and pull out emotion like in “Think Outside the Boy,” (which features mandolin, look, more country), and I just breathe a sigh of relief.

Sure, there’s some stuff on this album I could do without, and yes, it’s all on the pop part of the record. “Holding the Other” comes to mind first because it’s just such a fluffy and pointless love song thrown in on an otherwise empowering album. Placing it between “Same Day different Bottle” and “Pretty” only made its shallow nature stick out more. “Next Boyfriend” is catchy, and the hook is pretty clever, but it doesn’t work for me as much because the cadence and rhythm isn’t flattering to Lauren’s incredible vocal ability. The same is true in “Queen of Hearts,” which also suffers massively from overproduction and from parts of it sounding nearly identical melodically to Carrie Underwood’s “Undo It.” still, there’s some of the more pop tracks here that work just fine and prove it can be done right. “My Kinda People” is the best candidate to explain this, exhibiting some pretty deceivingly intelligent lines despite it being a lightweight song. “Road Less Traveled” probably shouldn’t have gotten a #1 at country radio, and I get the criticisms with it because the lyrics do have some inconsistency, but she just sings the hell out of it, and I enjoy it. Plus, it sort of fits the album theme–well, that’s the album title, so naturally–of being yourself, but it’s expressed in a more lighthearted way than some of the more serious stuff. “Crashin’ the Boys’ Club” also works for me, but it’s one that I’m not going to try to defend because it’s just going to be a song you either love or hate upon listening.

I’m not expecting to change anyone’s mind about Lauren Alaina here. Hell, it’s been six months since this came out, so most of you, if not all of you, have an opinion anyway. She’s not going to be for everyone, certainly not for strict traditionalists. But she’s the kind of artist, and this is exactly the sort of record, that we need to be successful in 2017. This album has something to say, and it speaks to that ever narrow demographic so desperately courted by country’s mainstream in a way that’s both real and understanding. I once read, on a comment on something somewhere, that pop country is good when it takes good pop and good country and mixes them, and that that’s what’s wrong with the majority of today’s stuff. Well, this is good pop and good country, and Lauren Alaina does a pretty nice job of blending them together. One of the mainstream’s best albums in 2017 so far.

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Playlists

My Top 13 Songs of 2017 So Far

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Editor’s Note: I wrote “my” instead of “Country Exclusive’s” for a reason; this does not necessarily reflect the views of our entire site. Also, these are not, and I repeat, not, in any order. Finally, with the exception of one song which I felt it would be idiotic to leave out, these are all from stuff we have covered in some fashion, either by a full-length review or perhaps through a feature in our “Memorable Songs from Overlooked Albums” pieces. Normally, I would restrict this to stuff one of us has actually written about, but that would leave out one song which, like I say, it would be a glaring sin not to bring up here. So take all this into consideration, and feel free to leave your own lists of songs and thoughts about these in the comments below!

Aaron Watson: “Clear Isabel”

From Vaquero
The first song to really blow my mind in 2017, this is a great and timely story about Isabel and her father, Mariano, who flee to America to escape the cartels of Mexico. Isabel ends up married to the narrator of the song, but her father is deported and later gunned down. It’s an honest and heartbreaking look at immigration, not to mention a brilliant song. Even better with the instrumental prelude, “Mariano’s Dream.”

Jaime Wyatt: “Wishing Well”

From Felony Blues
Jaime Wyatt is probably the name I’m most excited about breaking out in 2017. She has a way of singing about hardship that still manages to put a smile on your face, and this is just a stellar song that gets better every time I hear it.

Natalie Hemby: “Cairo, IL”

This one comes off Puxico, which we didn’t review in full, but it was partly responsible for the “Memorable Songs” features because this track about the lonely, forgotten river town of Cairo, Illinois, is one of the best songs of the year and should by no means be overlooked.

Jason Eady: “Barabbas”

From Jason Eady’s self-titled album
Purely from a songwriting standpoint, this has to be the cleverest thing to come out this year, telling us the story of the man freed by the crucifixion of Jesus, yet never mentioning Jesus or religion, and instead allowing the song to be a timeless track for everyone, although connecting even more deeply with those of faith.

Angaleena Presley: “Dreams Don’t Come True

From Wrangled
This just blew me away on the first listen; who’s going to tell you, especially at the beginning of their record, that look, dreams don’t come true, and don’t believe anyone who says otherwise? But it’s Angaleena Presley’s reality, and credit her for confronting it head-on to deliver us something so powerfully painful and honest.

Angaleena Presley: “Wrangled”

Also from Wrangled
Angaleena Presley has the distinction of being the only one on the list with two entries, but this song is equally deserving. From the wonderful melody to the thought-provoking lyrics about being “wrangled” by her life and husband, this song stands out just as much as “Dreams Don’t Come True.”

Brad Paisley: “Gold All Over the Ground”

From Love and War
What, a mainstream name like Brad Paisley? Yes, that’s what I said. This is Paisley’s musical adaptation of a poem composed by Johnny Cash in the 1960’s, and they don’t make love songs like this anymore. Between the poetry of Cash and the arrangement of Paisley, it has definitely earned its place among the best songs so far in 2017.

Colter Wall: “Kate McCannon

From Colter Wall’s self-titled album
There were many outstanding songs on Colter Wall’s debut record, I just picked the one that shined a tiny bit brighter than the rest.

Chris Stapleton: “Either Way”

From From a Room, Volume 1
I didn’t always think Chris Stapleton showed emotion on his new album–sometimes he just belted songs, and they lost a little of the passion. But this is one moment where he absolutely killed it, and this version might be better than the original LeeAnn Womack version.

The Steel Woods: “Straw in the Wind”

From Straw in the Wind
What a dark, ominous tale–this one comes from one of our collaborative reviews, and Brianna and I both agreed that this story of a town where strangers “disappear like straw in the wind” is a standout of the record.

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit: “If we Were Vampires”

Yeah, here’s the one I didn’t review, but this is one of the best songs of Isbell’s career, and when I said they don’t make love songs like that anymore about Paisley’s, I guess Isbell proved me wrong. He mentions all the details he loves about his wife, and more than that, he makes you think of death as a gift because it allows you to be a better lover and make the moments last. What a beautiful and morbid picture of love; I’ve never been sad, happy, and scared while listening to a love song before, but that’s what Jason Isbell does here.

Kasey Chambers: “Jonestown

From Dragonfly
The standout of Chambers’ recent double album, this one deals with hardship and discrimination and tells a great story. Probably the most underrated and least known one on the list.

Trisha Yearwood: “Maggie’s Dream”

This one is from the Gentle Giants album, and like I said before when I mentioned this song, I don’t care that it’s a cover, it’s still one of the best songs of the year. Trisha Yearwood delivered a better rendition of an already great song, and she’s earned her place on this list.

Honorable Mentions

  • Jason Eady: “Black Jesus”
  • John Moreland: “Love is Not an Answer”
  • Lauren Alaina: “Same Day, Different Bottle”
  • Zac Brown Band: “All the Best”
  • Kelleigh Bannen: “Church clothes”
  • Rhiannon Giddens: “Better Get it Right the First Time”
  • Sam Outlaw: “Everyone’s Looking For Home”
Reviews

Single Review: Lauren Alaina’s “Doin’ Fine”

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Rating: 7/10

I missed covering Lauren Alaina’s sophomore album, Road Less Traveled, back in January while I was out of the country, and it’s something I’ve regretted ever since because that album is a great example of good pop country. Lauren Alaina is someone we should all be supporting in the mainstream even if she’s more pop than country because at least she’s releasing pop songs–and sometimes actually pop-flavored country songs–that mean something. These songs actually have something to say and might also relate to a youthful mainstream audience–“Road Less traveled” may not be the best example of this, but even this pop single was trying to deliver a worthwhile message, even if the message was broad. But pop it definitely was, and even though it gave her a #1 hit, she had a lot of detractors. The thing is, though, that her album of the same name was better; much of it was personal to Lauren and, as much as that word has been run through the wringer recently, “authentic.” She spoke about her eating disorder, her father’s alcoholism, and her struggle to get onto country radio. Yes, it’s pop-flavored, but it’s the type of mainstream album we should be cheering for, and we should be happy for Lauren’s success–but it’s hard to do with a straight pop single like the title track.

So now she’s released something more pop country, and yes, more personal, to radio, and now maybe we can get behind her. Who knows if radio will play this since ON the Verge did support “Road Less Traveled,” but it’s something promising in the mainstream. Much like RaeLynn’s “Love Triangle,” this song deals with Lauren’s parents’ divorce, and though it may seem otherwise on the surface, there are some deceivingly detailed lines here too. It’s something that is so obviously Lauren Alaina’s story, with details such as her dad getting sober and her mom marrying her dad’s best friend, but at the same time, it’s broad enough to connect and relate to many people who have gone through the same thing. Basically, it sees Lauren finally fine after coming out on the other side; she always told people she was okay, but now she’s fine enough to see that people are all going through things, or that, as the song says, “everyone’s a little broken,” and these things happen. It’s a nice, reflective look on the events, and as I say, it could potentially connect with many. Time will tell if radio gives this a shot, but it’s something that would definitely improve the mainstream. Pop country being done right.

Written by: Lauren Alaina, Emily Shackleton, Busbee (I seriously doubt Busbee did any actual writing, but who knows?)