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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"Whatever Floats Your Boat," Brian Kelley (feat. The Boat Boys)
Florida Georgia Line might be taking a break making music together, but Brian Kelley fully embraces doing music solo. The Flordia native has a breezy, beachy sound to his new music, making it perfect for the upcoming summer season. "Whatever Floats Your Boat" was written by Kelley, Jessi Alexander, Corey Crowder and Drew Parker, a fun balance between his beachy roots and Nashville country with fun lyrics like "Whatever floats your boat / Whatever cranks your tractor."
-- Courtney Fox
"Right on Time," Lindsay Ell
As a woman, this song really hits home for me. It's easy to feel like you're missing out on something or even feel like things aren't happening fast enough because of all of the outside pressure from society. "Right on Time" is a refreshing reminder that doesn't have to be the case; everything happens when it's supposed to.
"I think women spend a lot of time feeling like they might miss their 'time' in life — their time to be beautiful, to be a mother, to have their dream career, to work their a** off...It's a constant fear that we might miss the very thing we want by focusing on something else, and I think I'm just done worrying about that," Ell explained to ET Canada.
"This is a new dawn for me. I'm stepping into my new music, unapologetically feeling that I can be certain I'm right where I want to be. 'Right On Time' is my own theme song — I've been told I've missed my chance more times than I can count. If women in country believed that, we would not triumph in the way we always do," she declares. "So this song is for anyone who needs to hear and be inspired by the idea that you can't be late to the party in your own life!"
-- Courtney Fox
"Whole World Gone Crazy," Whiskey Myers
Whiskey Myers' sixth album Tornillo is coming this summer and their new single, "Whole World Gone Crazy," gives us a nice preview of what we're in for. The song is one that everyone can relate to right now, so it makes sense that John Jeffers wrote it at the height of the COVID pandemic.
"I wrote "Whole World Gone Crazy" back in April of 2020," Jeffers told American Songwriter. "There was so much hysteria going on in the world before and around that time that this song just sort of came out of me. Between COVID and everything else, everyone seemed to be going a little nuts. I felt like during all of that, most people were and still are, just normal people trying to make it another day. Trying to keep their job, praying to the big guy upstairs, and working on getting through some crazy times."
-- Courtney Fox
"Man Made," Matt Stell
Matt Stell's new single, "Man Made" was released just in time for Mother's Day. Honoring women, especially moms, the song was written by Brett Sheroky and Ian Christian. The sweet song is the lead single from Stell's new project set to be released at the end of the year.
"It turns a phrase in an interesting way," Stell told CMT. "It has a melody that makes you want to sing it over and over again. This song also has a positive kind of vibe to it. I think that's really hard in songs to do in a way I find interesting."
"All us boys wanna grow up and make our mamas proud/ Find that girl who lifts us up when life gets us down/ Behind any guy doing anything right is a woman's work at hand," Stell sings. "If a man made anything it's 'cause a woman made that man."
--Silke Jasso
"Tomorrow Me," Luke Combs
Luke Combs is back and better than ever! The country singer recently released his new single, "Tomorrow Me," which will be included on his forthcoming album Growin' Up. The soon-to-be dad first teased the song in 2020, officially announcing its release on Instagram last month along with the album's cover artwork. He has slowly been sharing snippets of unreleased songs, leading up to the big release on June 24.
"Tomorrow Me" is a mid-tempo ballad telling the story of an ex-lover who's afraid they might regret seeing their former partner one more time.
"Tomorrow me ain't gonna like the way things go tonight/ If I let you in and think that it'll be different this time," Combs sings. "So maybe we should let yesterday be/ 'Cause I gotta live with tomorrow me."
Let me tell you, he sure knows how to break hearts left and right, and I am living for it! I personally can't wait for the new album.
--Silke Jasso
"1x1," Jake Owen
Jake Owen's latest single "1x1," written by Josh Miller, Hillary Lindsey and Luke Laird, brings a sense of romance and nostalgia all in one. Owen's voice perfectly suits the melody, as he pays tribute to the good moments in life with the ones you love. It's truly written so beautifully -- and it makes you want to hug everyone around you.
"One by one, them kisses did a number on me/ Started breaking my walls, making 'em fall one by one," Owen sings. "Always thought I'd always be/ The guy on the town, knocking 'em down one by one/ Another six pack/ Forget that, look at me now."
The song follows "Fishing' On a River," "Drunk On a Boat" and "Up There Down Here." He is expected to hit the road this week for his 34-date headlining Up There Down Here Tour.
--Silke Jasso
