This week’s crop of new music finds several top-tier country artists issuing new music, with Ella Langley unveiling new music leading up to the release of her sophomore album Dandelion. Meanwhile, HARDY welcomes Tim McGraw, Morgan Wallen and Eric Church for a multi-generational saga.
As well, Jamey Johnson offers up an introspective new track, while ERNEST takes a dip into tropical-country territory and Americana artist Meels releases a quietly scathing new track.
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.
Ella Langley, “Dandelion”
As her song “Choosin’ Texas” rules on the Billboard charts, Ella Langley enters a new career chapter, gearing up for her sophomore album Dandelion by releasing this lilting title track. A hazy melody, washes of pedal steel and organ bolster her honeyed, sultry twang, as Alabama native Langley describes spending time in upscale environments, but declares she’s always going to have a love for mason jars and blue jeans, while a sip of whiskey will always be comforting. This preview offers up a promising glimpse into her full project.
HARDY with Morgan Wallen, Tim McGraw and Eric Church, “McArthur”
HARDY welcomed fellow country hitmakers Morgan Wallen, Tim McGraw, and Eric Church for this song of family, legacy, loss and loyalty. The song reflects how each generation’s choices, work, and life’s inevitable uncertainties impact the generations to follow. Each artist vocally portrays a family member in the McArthur line, as their voices blend seamlessly, while each artist’s distinct style brings individuality to their character. HARDY, Chase McGill, Jameson Rodgers and Josh Thompson create a story-forward, timeless-sounding song with their masterful songwriting.
Jamey Johnson, “More of What Matters”
Jamey Johnson has long established a reputation as one of country music’s premier songwriters, and his latest further evinces that status. “More of What Matters,” released nearly two decades after he wrote it with Keith Follese and Jon Stone, offers a straightforward musing about the consequences of “a pocket full of money/ And a cold and empty heart.” The song reflects on years and energy spent building a life that looks impressive on the surface, but one that’s ultimately unfulfilling. Johnson’s brooding vocal style lends further authority to this quietly philosophical song.
ERNEST, “Lorelei”
While parts of the country are still battling snow and wintry weather, ERNEST is intent on bringing the musical antidote, as he delves into a coastal-country vibe. On “Lorelei,” he unfurls the tale of an old-time sailor who longs for an elusive lover, singing, “I still hear you in the dead of night.” Tambourines mesh with pedal steel, fiddle and guitar, placing this as a worthy inclusion to country music’s history of balmy, tropical-infused tracks. ERNEST wrote the song with Rhett Akins, Ben Hayslip and Mark Holman.
Meels, “Out West”
Lost Highway-signed indie-folk artist Meels brings a richly nostalgic, country-inflected sound to her new EP Across the Raccoon Strait, including the song “Out West.” The song finds California native Meels singing of a yearning to head out West and break free from a corrosive past. “Know that I’ll feel better when I get you off my chest,” she sings, her rustic and elegant tone gliding over layers of harmonica, guitar and fiddle. “Out West,” as with the rest of the EP, showcases Meels as an artist unflinchingly embracing the influences and idiosyncrasies that shape her musical voice.
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