This week’s crop of new songs includes Grammy winners, country traditionalists, and bluegrass luminaries. Grammy winner Ashley McBryde leans into an aggressive, edgier tone on her latest release, “Arkansas Mud,” while Emily Ann Roberts offers a bubbly, playful new tune on “Whipped.” Elsewhere, Waylon Wyatt and Wyatt Flores team up for a raw, acoustic-leaning number in “Didn’t Forget,” while Randall King evokes hard-hitting heartbreak on “Thinkin’ ‘Bout Drinkin’.”
Two bluegrass groups, The Travelin’ McCourys and The Kody Norris Show, also show off their musical acumen on new tracks.
Check out all of these and more in Billboard‘s roundup of some of the best country, bluegrass and/or Americana songs of the week below.
Ashley McBryde, “Arkansas Mud”
McBryde is jumping headlong into her harder rock edges. Stout, bluesy guitar and a pummeling rhythm lead to McBryde turning in a ferocious, fearless vocal, singing about a litany of vices and urges that stay steeped her bloodline. “You can shine me up, you can whittle me down…what’s underneath you can’t scrub out,” she sings. She’s proven her acumen as a premier country tunesmith, but this is a strong reminder that she can handle rock-infused material with aplomb.
Waylon Wyatt and Wyatt Flores, “Didn’t Forget”
Waylon Wyatt broke through with songs such as “Arkansas Diamond,” while Wyatt Flores earned a nomination for emerging artist of year at the 2024 Americana Honors & Awards and released his debut album Welcome To The Plains that same year. The two Wyatts blend their country and Red Dirt inspirations on this sweeping song about heartbreak and hurts that still simmer. “I forgave, but I didn’t forget,” Waylon Wyatt sings, as Flores joins in lamenting a fizzled relationship marked by unresolved emotional trauma. A compelling collaboration from two emerging talents with rising momentum.
The Travelin’ McCourys, “Gas and Oil”
The Travelin’ McCourys bassist Alan Bartram drew upon memories of his years working with his father in the timber industry in creating the group’s new release.
“Some days I miss my days in the woods, carryin’ the gas and oil,” they sing in a haunting melody, as the song weaves in the lessons of hard work, initiative and an awareness of the dangers of the industry that were gleaned over the years. As the reigning IBMA instrumental group of the year, The Travelin McCourys are expanding on the song’s essence of passing down knowledge and passion through the generations, as they gear up to launch their Young Guns Tour this year, intended to highlight rising newcomers to the bluegrass scene, such as Heaven McCoury, son of Travelin’ McCourys mandolinist Ronnie McCoury.
Emily Ann Roberts, “Whipped”
With every new release Emily Ann Roberts proves she’s got the country bona fides, heartfelt songwriting, an enchanting vocal, and plenty of charm. In the tradition of some of Dolly’s more coquettish tunes, this is a flirty track that features Roberts singing about being devoted to her man, while knowing she’s got the upper hand in the relationship. “He does the do’s just for the honey,” she purrs, ticking off a list of ways he works simply to make her happy.
Randall King, “Thinkin’ ‘Bout Drinkin’”
King turns in a royal barroom weeper that easily scaffolds his whiskey-smooth voice. Dripping with pedal steel and mournful fiddle, King has issued yet another gem that showcases why he deserves his place among top-tier newcomers with old-school country allegiances in country’s mainstream.
The Kody Norris Show, “Spirit of America”
The Kody Norris Show just picked up five wins at the annual SPBGMA bluegrass honors, including entertainer of the year. The group follows the accolades with some masterful musicianship and their signature high energy on this patriotic tune celebrating hard-working individuals throughout the United States, from truckers and farmer to coal miners and military members. Their crisp, straightforward harmonies, high-octane banjo keep this song driving and gives it a timeless sound.
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