Country music has a well-earned reputation for being cheesy, blatantly commercial, and alienating to…well, it’s easier to describe who it doesn’t force out: cishet white people. But! It doesn’t have to be this way, and never did. That’s the whole point of Adobe & Teardrops, after all.
So this week, I want to celebrate commercial country artists who are living the phrase y’all means all — and making fucking amazing music on top of it. Special thanks to Ashley Ann for coming up with the title for this week’s playlist — otherwise I would’ve called it “Country Music That Doesn’t Suck” — but that doesn’t fit on a Spotify playlist photo.
- Cam — “Diane” (The Other Side) — God damn I can’t get over this song. That opening vocal harmony is just an endorphin shot straight to the pituitary. It doesn’t hurt that Cam is a consistent ally for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ artists in the country world.
- Valerie Ponzio — “A Little Obsessed” (Single) — Ponzio is a popular former contestant on The Voice, and it’s easy to understand why she’s a fan favorite. Ponzio’s single is cute and infectious and an invitation for what’s to come on her future EP.
- Aaron Vance — “Blue Collar High Life” (Cabin Fever) — I think I learned about Vance through the Black Opry. Vance’s music is country at its best: at times hilarious, at times poignant, but at all times proud of living a rural lifestyle. Whether Vance is singing about getting high and fishing or resisting racism, he is singing with three chords and the God’s own truth.
- Brothers Osborne — “Younger Me” (Single) — If you don’t know, you won’t know. For those of us who grew up, or are growing up, in the closet, anxious about a future that seemed like it could never happen, “Younger Me” is comforting and gut-wrenching all at once.
- Charlie Worsham — “Fist Through This Town”(Single) — Unfortunately, I don’t remember how I learned about this stunner, but it’s a shining example of ’90s country’s legacy. The song reminds us of the seamier sides of living in a small town, but the song’s luscious production tips it more towards the radio than Americana charts.
- The Heels and Aaron Pritchett — “Catch and Release” (Single) — The Heels are an instantly lovable Canadian country trio. This song has been stuck in my head since I heard it around 6 months ago, so I can predict you’ll have the same experience. You’ve been warned.
- Jenna Paulette — “Pretty Ugly” (Single) — This has pretty much all the pop elements you need for a late-2000s country pop song. Some catchy yodeling a la “Party in the USA,” inoffensively distorted guitars, and that weird sort of vocal isolation sound that I’m not sure how to describe. Paulette’s delivery and bittersweet lyrics tell a sad tale, even as the song’s peppy music will make you tap your foot. That emotional confusion is, to me, one of the biggest draws of country music.
- Hailey Whitters — “Janice at the Hotel Bar” (The Dream) — It doesn’t get much better than Hailey Whitters. She is guaranteed to put a tear in her beer which, unfortunately, is why she hasn’t gotten as much love from country radio as she should: she’s too badass. But I’ll still shout her name from the rooftops, so get on board.
- Kirby Brown — “Dance Floor” (Break Into Blossom) — Brown’s latest album covers a lot of sonic ground, though roots music is the anchoring force. On “Dance Floor,” Brown tries his hand at commercial country sounds. It works — a song of yearning that is complicated by pop vocal elements, hinting at the time and place he hopes to meet his crush.
- Alisa Amador — “Slow Down” (Narratives) — Amador is a careful and thoughtful songwriter. Narratives is a joy, showing us how she stretches her production muscles.
I think that following me on Spotify is a thing you can do to make sure you get a new playlist from me every Friday! You can also follow Tuesday Teardrops, a playlist of new and exciting songs that refreshes every — you guessed it — Tuesday! As always, buy music and/or merch directly from the artists because Spotify is a horrible and exploitative platform!
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