Every week, the Wide Open Country team rounds up our favorite newly released country, folk, bluegrass and Americana songs. Here are six songs we currently have on repeat.
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"Queen of the Rodeo," Victoria Bailey
Thank TSA and the rambling ways of both singer-songwriters and ropers-and-riders for Victoria Bailey's latest slice of West Coast country goodness, "Queen of the Rodeo."
"A few years back, I was completely starstruck running into a rodeo queen at an airport security check-in," Bailey said in a press release. "She stood there with her white sash and sparkly cowgirl hat, and I knew I wanted to write a song about her someday and give tip of the hat to all the strong, horse-riding women out there. This fun, country-western tune is filled with fiddle and pedal steel and ties in a bit of my California country roots."
Keep an eye out for a "Queen of the Rodeo" music video starring Miss Rodeo California 2020, Morgan Laughlin.
-- Bobby Moore
"Turn in the Wind and Burn," Moot Davis
"Turn in the Wind and Burn," a recent single off Moot Davis' forthcoming album Seven Cities of Gold, blends classic country twang (of the Bakersfield and Nashville varieties) with the warts-and-all honesty of a Red Dirt songsmith.
"This song talks about my frustration over the years about other people moving up the ladder faster and more nimbly than me," Davis said in a press release. "I am nothing if not an outsider and that does nothing to help me on my crawl to the top. It talks about all the relationships that have died because I was more interested in chasing the phantom of a career, my past issues with infidelity and some references to living at sea and on the road. Struggling and fighting to move forward only to be undone yet again by some unseen hand that looks an awful lot like my own."
Seven Cities of Gold arrives Oct. 22 and includes a revved-up, country-rock interpretation of the Willie Nelson-penned Patsy Cline standard "Crazy."
--Bobby Moore
"Pinwheel," Natalie Hemby
To say Natalie Hemby has had an eventful few years is an understatement. The celebrated singer-songwriter has penned hits for Miranda Lambert, Jon Pardi and Little Big Town, won a Grammy for her contribution to the A Star is Born Soundtrack, joined the supergroup the Highwomen and signed a record deal with Fantasy Records -- just to name a few recent accomplishments.
"Pinwheel" finds Hemby reflecting on the whirlwind ride she's been on.
"'Pinwheel' was the last song I wrote for the record," Hemby said in a press release. "I wanted lyrics that summed up the last 10 years of my life, which has been an absolute beautiful blur. 'Carried all my dreams by the handle, heavy as an anvil. And then they all showed up.' Barry Dean and Madison Kozak helped me carve out what I wanted to say.... Like a therapy session."
Hemby's second solo album Pins and Needles is out on Oct. 8.
-- Bobbie Jean Sawyer
"7.28," Waylon Payne
Waylon Payne honors his late mother, country legend Sammi Smith on the devastating "7.28," which he co-wrote with Wade Bowen and Angaleena Presley.
"I received the phone call that my momma had died at 7:28 am," Payne says in a press release. "Curious, because I was also born at 7:28 pm many years ago. I wrote this song with my friends Wade Bowen and Angaleena Presley about the devastating moments that sometimes happen in life. I'm extremely proud of this one, and I hope you enjoy it."
Payne released his critically acclaimed album Blue Eyes, The Harlot, The Queer, The Pusher & Me in 2020.
-- Bobbie Jean Sawyer
"Get That All The Time," RaeLynn feat. Mitchell Tenpenny
Now this is what I call some good flirting! RaeLynn did it again. She released another banger with the help of Mitchell Tenpenny. The dynamic duo sing about that special moment two people meet while out at a bar. The playful and catchy song was co-written by Raelynn, Tyler Hubbard, Corey Crowder and Kane Brown.
About the song, Raelynn stated, "I've known Mitchell since I moved into town. We've had so many fun memories of going down at Printers Alley and singing at the karaoke bar. The first person I thought of who could pull this song off was Mitchell. He added a whole different vibe to this song, his ad-libs are phenomenal, and I think our voices really complement each other."
-- Silke Jasso
"Lay It On Me," Mickey Guyton
Mickey Guyton recently released her album Remember Her Name, featuring her latest single, "Lay It On Me," which shines like a bright star. "Lay It On Me" was co-written by Jaden Michaels and Gavin Slate, with the inspiration behind the song coming from Guyton's husband. The singer revealed that he had been struggling with his health for a while, which was a rollercoaster of emotions for both of them.
Speaking to Today's Country with Kelleigh Bannen, the singer recalled, "My husband was really sick. He had something going on with his health where we went through a whole year of testing, and that included us going to the cancer ward and getting a bone marrow biopsy and all of these things," Guyton recounts. "At one point, he was misdiagnosed with leukemia, and it was a really difficult time that I didn't talk about."
Guyton is up for New Artist of the Year at the 2021 CMA Awards and was recently honored as the 2021 CMT Breakout Artist of the Year.
-- Silke Jasso
