Coming hot off his latest number one hit, "Wasted Time", Keith Urban has released his fourth single off his Ripcord album.
"Blue Ain't Your Color" is a slow, catchy and bluesy tale of what a man see's when he see's a girl who has been treated wrongly by another guy. Urban is telling the story in a creative way, comparing what blue looks good on...
"Blue looks good on the sky Looks good on that neon buzzin' on the wall"
But, he then turns it around and tells the girl what blue doesn't look good on...
"But darling, it don't match your eyes I'm tellin' you You don't need that guy It's so black and white He's stealin' your thunder Baby, blue ain't your color"
Urban's vocals are pitch perfect and the melody is different from what Urban usually puts out to radio. His previous singles, "Wasted Time" and "John Cougar, John Deer, John 3:16" are more upbeat and required more production but "Blue Ain't Your Color" is doubled-down, relaxed and focuses more on Urban's vocals.
Fans can catch Keith this summer on the ripCord World Tour with Brett Eldredge and Maren Morris and then Keith heads back home to New Zealand and Australia with Carrie Underwood (in support of her Storyteller Tour) in December. More information can be found here.
Carrie Underwood is known for her cheating songs and storytelling abilities, not to mention that powerhouse voice.
"Dirty Laundry" is the next single of Underwood's 2015 number-one album Storyteller, which has already produced 3 number-ones already; "Smoke Break", "Heartbeat" and "Church Bells". Underwood is ready for her 25th number-one and "Dirty Laundry" is a song that can reach that for her.
Cover art for "Dirty Laundry"
"Dirty Laundry" is the story of a man who has been cheating on his wife. Nevertheless in this song, no one is murdered and no cars are being destroyed, instead the wife is simply airing his laundry out for everyone to see...
"That lipstick on your collar, well, it ain't my shade of pink
And I can tell by the smell of that perfume, it's like forty dollars too cheap
And there's a little wine stain on the pocket of your white cotton thread
Well, you drink beer and whiskey, boy, and you know I don't drink red"
...dirty laundry, that is. The song is infectious with its' catchy beat and lyrics that Underwood perfectly executes. "Now I'ma have to hang you out to dry, dry, dry
Clothespin all your secrets to the line, line, line
Leave 'em blowing in the wind, just say goodbye to you"
If "Dirty Laundry"does reach number one on the charts, it will not only be Underwood's 25th number one hit, but she will then be tied for the most number-ones by a female country artist with Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton.
Below you can listen to "Dirty Laundry" by Carrie Underwood
Cover art for Shelton's "She's Got a Way with Words"
It is the third single off Blake Shelton's latest album, If I'm Honest, and it may potentially be his 23rd number one of his career; but it could also be his most controversial single ever released to country radio.
Lets clear the air first. The song is definitely about his ex-wife Miranda Lambert and it is obvious based off of the lyrics, so I would imagine this song does not sit well with fans of Lambert.
In my opinion this song will go down as one of Blake's best songs he has ever recorded. Catchy and contagious are two words I can describe this song. "She put the her in hurt
She put the why in try
She put the S.O.B. in sober She put the hang in hangover"
But Shelton doesn't stop there. He continues, and it's great. "She put the low in blow
She put a big F.U. in my future"
And...
"Little words like "I" and "do"
Lying, cheating, screwed
Yeah all the words I thought I knew
They got a brand new meaning now"
Listen, no matter what Shelton sings, it will sell and it will go to number one. Country radio and fans love him. There's no denying that. They love him on NBC's The Voice, they loved him hosting the ACM's and they love him on stage performing.
Below is the music video for "She's Got a Way With Words"
My Kind of Country is the debut album from new comers Eric Sowers Band, and its a good listen. The band consists of 5 northern Ohio musicians who have one thing in common: chasing a dream in country music.
My Kind of Country album cover (photo courtesy ericsowersmusic.com)
And, based off their debut album, it seems they are on the right track.
"My Kind of Country" is the first track that bears the name of the album title. This song is a blue collar country boy anthem. From mason jars to catfish, the song gives us a good look into a daily country boys life. If you like to fish, chew tobacco and tear up your four wheeler, this is your song.
Another standout country-rocking tune is "Reckless Memory". The song reminds me of something that would come out of Jason Aldean or Brantley Gilbert. This is the Eric Sowers Band of "I See You" by Luke Bryan, but a tad more reckless and country.
But what I really like about the band, which features Eric Sowers on lead vocals and acoustic guitar, Chase Dull on electric lead guitar, Dylan Kromer on bass, Adam Thayer on keyboards (Dull, Kromer and Thayer also assist on background vocals), and Neal Anderson on percussion and drums, is that they can also sing ballads and songs about real life and still sounds great.
"Sometimes It Floats" is a great song about life's troubles and how whenever you feel like the world is coming down on you and going to 'drown' you but in the end after all the things knocking you down there's some hope that it'll get better. The song perfectly references water being the savior and at times symbolizing the thing that drowns you.
"Can bring you down or lift your hopes Yeah, sometimes it drowns Sometimes it floats"
And of course it wouldn't be a country album without songs about a country girl. "I Got Somethin'" is a personal take on what a guy feels around this girl he's been crushing on, but he doesn't know what exactly is it. Maybe love?
Another personal favorite is "Another One" which is a slower song about wanting that one more beer, one more kiss, one more perfect moment. The band is on point and production of this song is excellent.
For more information on the Eric Sowers Band and upcoming tour dates, visit their website. My Kind of Country is available for download on Apple Music, Spotify and Amazon. You can also listen to it on their YouTube page.
Make sure to follow the band on social media, Twitter and Instagram and 'Like' them on Facebook.
Below is a live performance of their title track, "My Kind of Country"
Country radio better open their doors and airwaves because The Band Perry is knocking and ready to be heard again.
Photo courtesy of The Band Perry/Republic Nashville
After a year hiatus, the family singing trio is back and ready to tell their side of the story behind all the talk with label changes and their image. "Comeback Kid" is the ultimate underdog song.
The song is a deep and raw take on what the trio has been feeling and experienced all within the past year and the controversy at country radio during their release of "Live Forever". "But no, I'm not leaving, even though I'm bleeding
Even though this nightmare makes me wish I was dreaming
Even though I hate it, I'm gonna take it
Until I win
Cause I'm a comeback, I'm a comeback kid
Don't know why bad things happened, but they did"
To be tough andcourageous is the message the trio perfectly executes. Don't let others underestimate your success and love for the game or music in this case.
But, the eye ball raiser of the song comes at the halfway point with these lyrics:
"How dare you forget where I started out
Uh-oh, uh-oh"
What makes this line great is the 'Uh-oh's' are sung in similar fashion as they are in the band's Grammy nominated and first number-one single, "If I Die Young". Brilliant.
Never give up and never let anyone tell you you can't do anything. The Band Perry's "Comeback Kid" is a true inspiration for many who are kicked to the curb and told they can't achieve their goals in life.
To listen to "Comeback Kid" you can download it now on iTunes or in the video below from The Band Perry's YouTube Vevo account
Kill The Lights Tour poster (photo courtesy of LukeBryan.com)
Luke Bryan once again informed everyone inside the sold-out Pavilion at Montage Mountain why he is the current CMA Entertainer of the Year.
Bryan recently celebrated the big 4-0 last week and if Bryan continues to rise and outperform every male in the genre, then it is true what they say-everything gets better with age.
Byran started the night with "Rain Is a Good Thing" which is a number-one hit from six years ago but the way the Scranton crowd sang, you would've guessed it was released within the past year. No matter what he sang, everyone sang along and actually knew all the words. And if they didn't know the words then his current single perfectly exaggerates what they did instead-"Move".
Bryan is known for his booty-shaking and gyrating thrusts on stage, something the female audience melts over. With his perfectly whitened teeth and skin tight jeans, we get it, he's a bit of a heartthrob. But what is refreshing is the age differences in this crowd. You have your typical country-wannabe teenagers and then the older, mature concert experts who kept up with Bryan every second of the show.
Bryan ripped though hits "Drunk on You", "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye" and "Strip It Down" before bringing back to the stage one fourth of Little Big Town, Karen Fairchild, to sing their hit "Home Alone Tonight". But Bryan wasn't done with Little Big Town yet.
The rest of Little Big Town came back to the stage where they shared a musical moment with Bryan. Performing Ed Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud" and Marvin Gaye's "Lets Get It On", it was pure gold. Bryan told the crowd, "If y'all can't get a girl with our help right now, then you've got no game!"
Throughout the night Bryan proved to us that he can entertain, he can dance and he can joke around. But it was during the song "Drink A Beer" where Bryan showed us that he can dance, drink and have a good time but also be real, raw and connect with the fans. As the sold-out Pennsylvanian crowd lit up the amphitheater with lights on their cell phones, Bryan sat solo on stage with guitar in hand. No stage lights. No special effects. Just a man, his guitar and thousands of passionate country fans singing with him. A moment many where many were thinking 'I don't want this night to end.'
Show opener Dustin Lynch who is very familiar to opening for Luke Bryan (Lynch opened for Bryan on last year's Kick The Dust Up Tour). Lynch did a good job with what he had as more than half the pavilion was still getting their beers. Be sure to look out for him being the next Luke Bryan when Bryan puts his boots up.
Then came Little Big Town. Members Karen Fairchild, Jimi Westbrook. Kimberly Schlapman and Phillip Sweet, blew us away and showed us why they are reigning ACM and CMA Vocal Group of the Year. With their pitch-perfect harmonies and down home country feel, you can tell they sure do love what they do. Being in the business for almost twenty years now, they are no strangers to working hard and moving up the ladder. "Little White Church" and "Pontoon" got the party going. But it was during a cover of Dolly Parton's "Jolene" where the group showed us what they are capable of. It was beautiful. But so was everything else they did. "Girl Crush", their most noted and controversial song back from 2014 was a highlight from their set with the disco ball hanging from above the stage and the whole crowd singing right along with them. They closed out their set with a powerful vocal performance of their biggest hit to-date "Boondocks". Grand Ole Opry members and hit makers, this band is a force to be reckoned with.
You can still catch the Kill The Lights Tour on the road the rest of this summer. For more dates and information visit Luke Bryan's tour page.
Below is a video from the sold-out Scranton, PA show (video courtesy of Michael Read).
Miranda Lambert has finally released some new music for her fans. Following her 2015 single "Smokin' and Drinkin'" (with Little Big Town), which didn't do so well on the charts, "Vice" is the new one and maybe Lambert will finally get her 5th number-one.
Cover art for "Vice" (photo courtesy of MirandaLambert.com)
For those that may not know what a vice is, I am guilty as well, vice is something having to do with wicked behavior. Another definition is involving oneself in criminal activities such as prostitution, pornography, and drugs.
"Vice" is no doubt about the struggles she has faced within the past year all relating back to her divorce with fellow country star Blake Shelton. "maybe I’m addicted to goodbyes another vice, another town, where my past can’t run me down"
The lyrics are deep and the melody has a lounge-style/bar show style with a steady drum beat.Based off the lyrics you can't help but feel bad for her,
"Don’t know where I am or how I got here Well the only thing that I know how to find is another vice"
Lambert executes this song with raw emotion and a cry for help that maybe something or someone will help her get back on track.
Below is the audio of "Vice" from Lambert's YouTube account. Take a listen and let me know what you think.
