After failing to make any sort of significant commercial impact with his last radio attempt, the uptempo "Drinkin' Town With a Football Problem", Billy Currington is back in the upper echelons of the airplay chart with the melancholic "It Don't Hurt Like It Used To". When on his game, the 42-year-old hitmaker is among mainstream country's finest, and this is most certainly one of those moments.

Unlike many of his recent hits, which rely on somewhat fluffy lyrics and pleasant-if-forgettable productions, "It Don't Hurt Like It Used To" shines in it's strong narrative and even better backing track. The track depicts the story of a man who, slowly but surely, is getting over a past love, and while he won't declare victory over the pain, concedes that it is indeed getting better with time. He moves on with his life, getting married, and crafting a new path, but admittedly isn't fully over his past love just yet. In a musical society that relies heavily on either a 'tear in your beer' or a 'ha, you are so gonna miss me' mentality, finding one that takes the best of both worlds is a refreshing change of pace.

The production, meanwhile, is admirable. The strong percussion and bouncy guitars add a layer of intensity to an already strong lyric, and while it takes a back seat to the vocal throughout the verses, explodes into an anthemic chorus built for heavy repetition. Currington is, as usual, on his game from a purely technical standpoint, while seamlessly blending the line between frustration and relief through his interpretive performance. What truly makes Currington's latest hit shine, however, is its melody. The record is a textbook ear worm that makes it easy to reach for the repeat button, only helping the song's case for entry in to heavy airplay rotation. 

"It Don't Hurt Liked It Used To" fires on all cylinders, checking off every box from the vocals, to the melody, to the performance. A veteran relative to his peers, Currington has found a song that is not only developing into a commercial blockbuster, but also a definite standout among the class of 2016. Who knows what we'll get next from the often hit-or-miss Currington, but one thing's for certain, and that's that this one is a homerun.

Grade: A
Listen: "It Don't Hurt Like It Used To"

For this review, we're bringing back our former writer Zackary Kephart as a contributor for our first ever roundtable review! Both myself (Markus) and Zack will write a short review with a letter grade. We hope you enjoy!


Markus Meyer

This is one of those singles that just works. Yes, the lyrics are basic. Yes, there's some semi-rapping/spoken word stuff going on here. Yes, the production isn't fully country. But it just works. It has an 'it' factor about it, and "American Country Love Song" has a lot going for itself. The melody is (particularly throughout the course) is as strong as you'll find on a mainstream country single. The production, despite being a little overbearing in the chorus, has some edge and some flash to it and is, overall, fairly enjoyable despite failing to utilize any traditional country elements. What really makes the record, is Owen's natural charisma, which is on full display here. Unlike "Beachin'" (Owen's last major hit), where he comes across as a cheerful beach fanatic but does so in an obnoxious matter, he sounds fully convincing and full of energy. 

The lyrics are by far the weak point here, as they fail to go beyond a list style description of a small town summer, though they come across as above-average relative to other summer love anthems (hardly a high bar to scale, albeit). Overall, this won't break ground, it won't top any year-end lists, and won't take home any songwriting hardware, but for what it is, a catchy, likable summertime tune, it works. Guilty pleasure? Perhaps, but as far as shallow, anthemic earworms go, this one more than satisfies.

Grade: B

​Zackary Kephart

Hey Markus! (And all of you TICM readers!) It's good to be back. You know, it doesn't seem like two people can have a reasonable discussion about things they disagree with these days. I think it's easier to be more open to the other side than we think, which is why Markus picked a song we disagreed on to discuss today. It's not really meant to be a debate per se, just a way of two people seeing each other's opinion and respecting it. 

I can sort of understand all of your points Markus. As somebody who thinks that Jake Owen is one of the few artists that can pull off a "bro" summery sound, I want to like a song like "American Country Love Song". I don't know if Sam Hunt actually started the whole trend of talking while singing, but it sure as heck is more noticeable these days. I can honestly barely get through the verses because of this. I do agree that it kicks up a notch in terms of melody when it gets to the chorus. Being a summer song, I'm not going to be as hard on the lyrics here as I probably should be, but even still it's just way too generic for my personal tastes. There's a way to make these sort of songs work, and even Owen's natural charisma seems to be missing here for me. 

Even still, I've always like Jake, and I think that he could pulling an ol' "Dierks Bentley" on us. What I mean by this is that Jake could potentially just be sending out this song to appease radio (because let's face it, "Real Life" did him no favors). Maybe he's setting up to send more substance to radio. We're slowly getting more of it (even if the songs that have it aren't usually the ones that do well). I could totally be wrong but who knows. Still, as much as I've criticized this song it's not the worst thing out there. It's just not Jake's best work. I totally see the appeal in this song, I just wish it appealed to me. 

Grade: C-

Selected as the latest On the Verge pick, Tucker Beathard has gotten a major kickstart for his debut single, "Rock On". As it stands right now, the single appears to be trudging its way through the clogged 20's of the airplay chart, and isn't selling particularly well. It may not be the breakout smash Tucker was hoping for, but in terms of quality, how does "Rock On" do? Well... It does OK.

Now, first of all, this is not an amazing record. It has flaws, and some major ones at that. The one that stands in particular is Beathard's vocals which are, to put it lightly, rough around the edges, particularly when he has to shout over the bombastic production, which leads me into my next point. The production during the chorus is loud. It's bombastic, it's over-the-top, and it's obnoxious. It doesn't work, and really drags down the single.

Of course, "Rock On" does have it's good points. The melody is fairly strong, and relatively engaging. The lyricism is strong, specifically the title hook, as it hits the melancholic sweet spot between regret and moving on. It's rather well-written, which is a pleasant surprise from a new, male artist. Additionally, as rough as the technical vocal abilities are on this track, the performance is wholly believable, and Beathard actually does a superb job in selling the story.

"Rock On" is a very up-and-down listening experience, but one that doesn't spark anger or hatred in any way. Is it a masterpiece, or a career-defining single? No, far from it, but it's hardly the worst we've seen. At its worst, "Rock On" can be described as aggressively mediocre, but at bets is nothing more than listenable radio-fluff. There's been worse, but there's certainly been better as well.

Grade: C+
Listen: "Rock On"

Among a semi-revolution in terms of breaking out new female performers, Maren Morris' "My Church" has become a huge success, doing well digitally while currently placing in the top-10 on the country airplay chart. Unlike fellow newcomer Kelsea Ballerini, however, Morris has seen a breakthrough with an interesting, substantial record that pushes boundaries at country radio.

"My Church" is a bit of a bad-ass anthem with enough self-awareness to not reach the almost self-parody that bad girl rompers from Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood (see: "Somethin' Bad") have. It has more depth and nuance to the lyrical construction, with the premise being the importance that music - specifically country music - has had on her life. From a songwriting persepctive, "My Church" smartly draws the line between edgy and reflective, making it a most interesting listen.

From a sonic standpoint, the record mostly succeeds. With a mix of acoustic and electric instrumentation, as well as handclap percussion, "My Church" is a diverse mixture of sounds that makes for a strong arrangement, and mixed with Morris' strong technical and interpretive performance, is most certainly a compelling listen.

The two minor knocks on "My Church" would be that the melody can feel a bit clunky at times - especially after repeat listens - while Morris borders on shouting by the end of the chorus. While neither are enough to dock major points, they do prevent this from being an elite-level recording.

There's easily more than enough good here, however, to say that "My Church" is a definite bright spot at country radio, and that it's success is a massive victory for the genre. If this one's just the start, Maren Morris will definitely be an act to watch going forward.

Grade: B+ 
Listen: "My Church"

Tim McGraw is on a bit of a roll right now. With the exception of lead single "Top Of the World" (which was more pleasantly bland than outright terrible), his past several singles have ranged from very strong ("Shotgun Rider") to flat-out brilliant ("Diamond Rings and Old Bar Stools"). His new single, "Humble and Kind", is no doubt one for the positive category, and is an absolute homerun of a single.

It's a simple yet elegant composition which finds the narrator passing off everyday advice such "don't steal, don't cheat and don't lie" and "hold the door, say please, say thank you", while also delving a bit deeper (with lines such as "I love you ain't no pick-up line"). It all seems so obvious, and yet sometimes, we all have the tendency to get caught up in success. Sometimes we all need a reminder to go back to our roots, and remember what it was that got us to that point, and "Humble and Kind" does a brilliant job in portraying that message.

In addition to the strong lyrical content, McGraw puts in a typically sincere and heartfelt performance, while the melody is superbly constructed. Despite all this, one thing holds the record back from reaching "instant classic" status, and that's the production. While mostly country and never really overbearing, McGraw's vocals, in spots, are especially processed, which gets in the way of the overall sincerity and realness of the song. 

That one misstep aside, "Humble and Kind" should easily be in contention for a high placement on year-end lists, and is yet another brilliant track in what has become quite the hot-streak for Tim McGraw. A single that deserves to be a hit, and comes highly recommended.

Grade: A-
Listen: "Humble and Kind"

I'll be the first to admit that the debut album, Pawn Shop from the Brothers Osborne wasn't quite the knockout that I had hoped it would be. I loved “Stay A Little Longer”, and you can bet that I'm excited that it helped them break through. However, I only thought the album was good rather than great, which sort of frustrated me a little. And it wasn't for this reason that it didn't get reviewed here at TICM (for the record, it would have gotten 3/5 stars), it's just that I honestly never had the time to get around and review it. That being said, I did think Pawn Shop had some damn good quality cuts, and their latest single, “21 Summer” is one of those songs.
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Thematically, “21 Summer” recalls the nostalgia of a lost summer love, and the effects that it has on the male of the relationship in question. After hearing this song, I immediately thought of similar songs by Keith Urban and Kip Moore titled, “'Til Summer Comes Around” and “Girl Of The Summer”, respectively. Both of those songs share similar framing, as they both center around a girl who seemingly disappeared from the scene once summer ended without so much as a goodbye, leaving the male narrator bitter and heartbroken. Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking those songs, nor am I going to go into great detail with them (after all, this is a review of Brothers Osborne and not Kip or Keith.) However, it really seems to elevate the framing and songwriting of “21 Summer” as a whole when you put it in context. The song still focuses on a heartbroken male. However, he is able to look back at those memories with a smile on his face rather than a grudge. And maybe that's because the relationship here not only ended amicably, but also taught the narrator a lot of lessons along the way, such as how to be a man and what love truly is. Then there's the fact that the male directly says that he hopes his old flame managed to achieve her goals in life, and wishes her the best wherever she may be by now. There's a strong sense of maturity present here that I can definitely appreciate.

Instrumentally, this song drifts away from the brother's signature fusion of country, rock and blues, and instead, locks in a more country-pop sound, which works surprisingly well (I'd even argue better) for the duo. There's a spacey atmosphere here that often times feel smoothing, and is accentuated by the warm delivery with which TJ Osborne delivers this song with. The chorus on this song is melodically strong, and heck, even the “oh's” that echo after the choruses are done right, most likely because they serve to bolster the somewhat haunting tone of this song rather than just serving as pointless ear candy.

As the reality of winter finally starts to set in (I mean it's only late January.....), “21 Summer” is the perfect single the Brothers Osborne could have sent to radio. There are a lot of little key elements that make this song stand out above the rest of the pack, and for that, it's most likely going to be one of the better country singles in the mainstream this year. Certainly a fine start if you ask me.

Grade: A-
Listen: “21 Summer”
 
​By Zack Kephart

I don't think there's a better example of an artist in mainstream country music who straddles the line between commercial appeal and critical acclaim better than Dierks Bentley. He's a name that gets brought up repeatedly regarding this subject because he's essentially one of the last male artists out there who actually cares about making quality music. And so, when he announced his new single would be called “Somewhere On A Beach”, I didn't know what to expect. On one hand, he had the challenge of following up two ballad singles with “Say You Do”, and “Riser”, and so expecting an uptempo party number (a.k.a, Dierks appeasing his label) in the vein of “5-1-5-0” or “Sideways” wasn't totally out of the question. On the other hand, when Dierks described his upcoming eighth studio album, Black, he proclaimed that the album would explore the concept of love, and so a title such as “Somewhere On A Beach” can sort of depict something romantic such as enjoying a nice sunset with a loved one on a beach listening to the calm of the ocean. The unfortunate thing about this song is that it chooses to be former rather than the latter.

It's not that expecting a “Bentley dud” (as someone else I saw described them) is bad. Heck, the great thing about Dierks is even his most mainstream friendly material retains at least some sort of artistic integrity, in a way that at least makes it stand out from the crowd. But “Somewhere On A Beach”? This is bad folks. Like, REALLY bad...........

​Considering Black is said to explore the concept of love, the theme of “Somewhere On A Beach” is completely nonsensical. “Somewhere On A Beach” tells of a man who escapes to the beach to escape an ex-lover. It's just quite the coincidence that he meets a new girl while he's there. That's great that you met a new girl dude, but do we have to go all “Home Alone Tonight” by rubbing it in the ex's face that you now spend your days doing nothing but having wild sex and partying? If anything, that proves you haven't moved on. And you wonder why she left in the first place? In addition, where's the love here? Hooking up with some new girl and having revenge sex doesn't really scream love to me. As immature and cringe inducing as the theme is, the lyrics that get us through it are even worse. Written by Jaren Boyer (“Hell Of A Night”, “Riot”, “Laid Back”), David Kuncio, Josh Mirenda, Alex Palmer, and Michael Tyler Spragg (“Laid Back”), (yes, this song took five writers ladies and gentlemen), there are some lines here that sound like Florida Georgia Line 2.0. The chorus is where the most damage is done. Take a look:

​“I'm somewhere on a beach, sippin' something strong. Got a new girl, she got it going on. We drink all day and party all night. I'm way too good to have you on my mind. Well, she got a body, and she's naughty, and she's got me like you ain't ever got me. Getting sun, getting sun and I ain't slept in a week, yeah I'm somewhere on a beach.”

I hate to quote the whole chorus but.......wow.  Honestly, if Dierks was going to pander to any trend, at least this isn't a pop/EDM hybrid. But still, “she's got a body and she's naughty”??? “Getting sun and I ain't slept in a week”? Dierks, buddy, you're forty, stop that. Mock something like “Drunk On A Plane” all you want, but at least that had a clever story to it, and even something like “5-1-5-0” had a noticeable energy to it. This? I got nothing folks.

What's most sad about this song is that even a somewhat melancholy, blues production isn't enough to cloud the horrid lyrics here. But really, that's the only saving grace about this song. Heck, even the melody is extremely clunky.

Do I think Dierks “sold out”? No, absolutely not, and anyone who says he has is being totally unfair (notice that doesn't equate to me saying it's not fair to dislike this particular song.....). But that doesn't change the fact that “Somewhere On A Beach” is his worst attempt at trying to win over radio. I heavily believe that this song will be the anomaly of his upcoming album, which really leaves me nothing else to say about this song other than I hope it shoots to #1 so this song can go away and we can hear the quality on this album. Until then, sorry Dierks, but even as a huge fan of your work, this just sucks.

Grade: D-
Listen: “Somewhere On A Beach”

By Zack Kephart

From both of us here at This Is Country Music, we would like to wish all of you a very merry Christmas and happy New Year! It's been a massive year of growth for TICM, thanks to you readers. We hope that you've enjoyed everything that we've had to offer in 2015, and we hope you stick with us for what we believe will be a wonderful 2016! Happy Holidays everybody!

- Markus Meyer and Zack Kephart

​

 

Hello everybody, and welcome to fourth annual This Is Country Music Top 20 Singles of 2015 list! In the past three years, we have awarded the top spot to Jason Aldean's "Fly Over States" (2012), Kacey Musgraves' "Follow Your Arrow" (2013) and Maddie & Tae's "Girl In a Country Song" (2014). Who took it home this year? Better read on to find out!

#20
Chris Janson, "Buy Me A Boat"

Chris Janson finally got a break and hit his lottery... quite literally. He was signed to a major label and awarded iHeartRadio's On The Verge selection in one fail swoop. "But Me A Boat" tells the tale of what many of us think; what would we buy if we won the lottery? For Chris, it was buying a boat with some truck to pull it and some beer in a cooler. Considering how Chris stumbled upon his major label deal with Warner Music Nashville, I can't think of a more appropriate song to score your first big hit with. - sabre14

#19 
Carrie Underwood, "Little Toy Guns"

I've admitted before that I'm not a particularly big fan of Carrie Underwood, but there is no doubt that "Little Toy Guns" is one of the year's most compelling singles. With a dark yet relatable lyric about a child caught in the middle of a domestic dispute, along with an intense production and killer vocal, it is one of Underwood's finest pieces of work to-date. - Markus Meyer

#18 
Mo Pitney, "Country"

This song was our first introduction to Mo Pitney -- a straight up traditional country artist with a killer voice. This song is the essence of what's great about country and country music fans. Country isn't what you own. It isn't where you live. It isn't how you talk. It's what you feel inside, and that love for "country" helps connect all of us country music fans. - sabre14

#17 
Rainey Qualley, "Me and Johnny Cash"

This honest to God sounds like a song that was released in 2005, not 2015. What really impressed me was the great uniqueness of Rainey's vocals -- which were more noticeable in this song. Perfect production and witty songwriting made this song an absolute winner for me and it's a shame that Rainey was on a start-up label as this should have had hit written all over it. - sabre14

#16 
Chris Stapleton, "Nobody To Blame"

TICM was way into Chris long before he was cool, and you'd know why after hearing his debut album. This song in particular was a highlight for me. Sure, on paper it's not a knockout, revolving around a tired theme of a woman leaving her man, but the details put into it elevate it to a top-notch song. It's refreshing to hear a guy admit that HE'S the one responsible for everything going wrong and not blaming on something else. Plus the song is Country as heck - Zack Kephart

#15 
Florida Georgia Line, "Confession"

Taking a break from their usual brand of bro-country, Florida Georgia Line are back with what is absolutely their best single yet. An atmospheric production surrounds a serious, reflective lyric, a major shift for the duo, while still retaining signature elements such as Tyler Hubbard's confident performance and the hooky melody. This is what we should expect of our duo of the year. - MM

#14 
Maddie and Tae, "Shut Up and Fish"

Is that fiddle and steel guitar that I hear? Be still my beating heart! "Shut Up and Fish" is the perfect definition of the evolution of Country. We have a hilarious storyline involving a woman who stands up for herself, and the twist at the end never gets old. The TICM Single Of The Year alumni have returned with another strong Country song - ZK

#13 
Chris Stapleton, "Traveller"

Before Chris Stapleton was cool, he released the title-track to his award winning album, Traveller. Despite not even scratching the top-60, "Traveller" is a slice of pure country gold, with an organic arrangement, a soulful performance and a simple yet elegant lyric. Absolute gem from arguably the best voice and hottest act in country music. - MM

#12 
Brothers Osborne, "Stay A Little Longer"

"Stay A Little Longer" proved to be 'third time's the charm' as it became John and T.J.'s first top 10 single at country radio. This single was a prime example of everything these two do well; utilize T.J.'s deep, strong vocals; great melody and instrumentation which showed their songwriting chops, and was an opportunity for John to give us that awesome guitar solo - sabre14

#11
Eric Church, "Mr. Misunderstood"

Eric Church desired to be bold and rebellious in 2014, and he was, he just went a tad overboard with it. "Mr. Misunderstood" finds Eric Church back to being well, Eric Church. He's a guy who deviates from the mainstream path. I find myself relating to this song a lot, and I'm glad someone else in the mainstream understands that it's time to put the music first. Hopefully Eric continues down this path - ZK

​

#10 
Jon Pardi, "Head Over Boots"

Every time I hear a Jon Pardi song, I get thrown back into the late 90's to early 2000's. This song felt right at home for Jon and featured a melody that was similar to Dwight Yoakam in his prime. Jon just might have outdone his stellar 2014 single, "What I Can't Put Down" - sabre14

#9
Mickey Guyton, "Better Than You Left Me"
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Capitol recording artist, Mickey Guyton's long awaited debut single did not disappoint. The eloquent production and throwback country instrumentation was soothing to the ears of listeners and was coupled by one of the best vocalist in the genre. Great introduction into Mickey's talents - sabre14

#8 
Kip Moore, "Running For You"

My personal favorite single of 2015 comes courtesy of Kip Moore. The second single of his excellent sophomore project Wild Ones, "Running For You" is a masterpiece on all fronts. From his impassioned rasp, to the enticing melody, to the superb songwriting, "Running For You" is what modern country music should sound like. Absolutely brilliant single. - MM

#7 
Love and Theft, "Whiskey On My Breath"

Who thought we'd see the day Love and Theft placed in a top-10 singles list. From a duo whose entire career has relied on pleasant-but-fluffy pop-country records, "Whiskey On My Breath" comes as a massive shock. With the heart wrenching lyric and the subdued production, it packs a punch rarely seen from any mainstream act. Hopefully a sign of things to come for Love and Theft. - MM 

#6 
Ashley Campbell, "Remembering"

The best kinds of Country songs are the ones that are the most personal, as they add a value that cannot be replicated. That is what "Remembering" is, a touching ode to Ashley's father, Glen Campbell. Words cannot do a song such as this one justice, as this is truly something you need to hear for yourself - ZK

​

#5 
Lee Ann Womack, "Send It On Down"

Perhaps the most forgotten song on the list, mainly because it was released very early this year and didn't make a dent on the charts. But if there's one thing you can learn from Country music in 2015, it's that chart success doesn't equate to quality, as Lee Ann Womack delivers a knockout of a song about a woman who is down on her luck...to say the least. The somber tone of this song really punches you in the gut, and proves that Lee Ann Womack is still making some damn fine Country music - ZK

#4 
Kacey Musgraves, "Dime Store Cowgirl"

While Pageant Material was a step down from her debut project, Kacey Musgraves still proves why she is so highly regarded among critics with many tracks on the album, most notably, "Dime Store Cowgirl". A wonderfully-written piece of accessible country music, Musgraves absolutely blows many of her peers out of the water with this brilliant and poignant track. - MM

#3 
Cam, "Burning House"

Hey country radio! Play some more females! No, no, no... not Kelsea Ballerini! Play some Cam! Humor aside, "Burning House" is a masterpiece with its haunting, acousticy production and even more haunting and alluring storyline of holding onto a lost love. This song is probably the deepest lyrical song you'll hear this year in mainstream Country music and it goes to show that females are still making some of the best Country music out there - ZK

#2
Dierks Bentley, "Riser"

A criminally underrated song, "Riser" by Dierks Bentley shows a man who actually cares about the music. The anthemic lyrics combined with the passion and emotion behind Bentley's vocals mold together to form one of the best singles in the mainstream this year. "Riser" has everything you could want in a Country song and more, and it's a shame that there seemed to be only a few who didn't like it (*cough cough country radio cough*) - ZK

#1
Tim McGraw feat. Catherine Dunn, "Diamond Rings and Old Barstools"

Tim McGraw is back ladies and gentlemen. "Diamond Rings and Old Barstools", one of the finest tracks off his masterful Sundown Heaven Town album, is a pure-country, beautifully written, poignant, well performed record that absolutely blows many of his mainstream peers into oblivion. With it's excellent metaphorical hook and raw vocal, this is one to remember and is certainly worthy of being TICM's #1 single of 2015. - MM