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Worst 20 Singles Of 2017

1/5/2018

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With 2018 now upon us, is there a better time to look back and reflect on the year that was 2017? We think not! Over the next two days we will be releasing our year-end features, starting with our annual Worst-Of list. While there was plenty of tremendous stuff this year (which we'll touch on tomorrow), let's take a look at the lesser offerings of the past calendar year. Featured in the rankings are our year-end regulars, Markus Meyer, Zack, and Chris Baggs!
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#20
Toby Keith, "Wacky Tobaccy"


I mean, at least "Red Solo Cup" could be fun in the correct setting. This is just immature and lazy. We get it, you're being a "bad boy". Don't worry Toby, I won't tell your parents. I could see the argument for how one would think this is fun, but really, to me it just seems like a cry for relevancy. - Zackary Kephart

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#19
Bebe Rexha feat. Florida Georgia Line, "Meant To Be"


Bebe Rexha is a pop music artist and in a partnership with Big Machine Label Group, sang a song with Florida Georgia Line that was released as a late 2017 country radio single.

The song uses repetition in its chorus, with a driving pop-influenced backbeat to make the track catchy…but in reality, it comes off as uncreative and downright annoying. The song is a pop song; there’s no way around it. It’s fine if a song is pop but it’s a problem if it’s played on the country radio format, that’s false advertising, and to be honest, this song isn’t good, no matter what genre it is.  - Chris Baggs

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#18
​Dylan Scott, "Hooked"


Why? Who? What? When the hell did Dylan Scott actually become a thing? I remember pointing and laughing at this guy when songs like “Mmm, Mmm, Mmm” couldn’t even chart. I guess radio really IS in need of Sam Hunt clones. As for this song, I don’t know what to say. It’s a ripoff of Thomas Rhett’s “Die A Happy Man” (which in itself is a rip-off of “Thinking Out Loud”) with sleazier language and generic production. Oh well, this guy won’t survive a few more years in this business anyway. - ZK

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 #17
Little Big Town, "Happy People"


Little Big Town is one of the best groups in Country music. Their vocals are unmatched in the format...but even they can swing and miss too. “Happy People” was the second single off their album The Breaker and it was absolutely the wrong choice, as evidence by its inability to crack the top 40 at country radio. The song uses the repeated phrase, “happy people” throughout its verses and the song’s theme while fine, comes off preachy and ends up laundry-listing everything happy people aren’t, when in reality, it’s possible to be happy while having many imperfections along the way. There are worse songs on our worst list but this is easily one of LBT’s lesser offerings. - CB
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#16
Morgan Wallen feat. Florida Georgia Line, "Up Down"


It's almost as if we counted some long lost single from 2014 just for kicks. I know it's tiring to rag on bro-country at this point, but dear God people, you have to work with what you have. You know things are bad in the Florida Georgia Line when they're on more featured singles than Tyler Childers is on year end lists. - ZK

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#15
Shania Twain, "Life's About To Get Good"


I'm as disappointed in anyone that Shania Twain's comeback amounted to...this. Really, we don't need to drag this out. The problems with rhyme with production. Oh wait, it is the production. Well, you get the point, right? - ZK

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#14
Todd O' Neill, "Love Again"

Todd O’Neill was Cumulus’ NASH NEXT’s singing talent competition winner in 2017 and his Cumulus played single, “Love Again”, made a sizable chart appearance. But “Love Again” is 2015 trend-chasing sound at its worst. The song reminds me of Waterloo Revival’s “Bad For You”, which isn’t a favorable comparison. The track’s production is all over the place and sounds like a cheesy pop song. The vocal arrangement is repetitive and annoying after just one listen.
- CB



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#13Chris Young, "Losing Sleep"

It would be easy to drop in a “this song makes me want to fall asleep” crack, but honestly, this song might qualify for such a hyperbole. Chris Young, who once sang well-written, traditional minded singles such as “Drinkin’ Me Lonely”, “You’re Gonna Love Me” and “Voices”, has now been releasing questionable material for a few years, with “Losing Sleep’ the latest release. The track offers little in the way of substance. Its instrumentation and production is boring. Its melody is nothing to write home about and its lyrics…what in the world does the hook line even mean?  

“Yeah we're winning, we're losing, when we're losing sleep”

Even if you can rationale what its meaning is, it’s a sloppy lyric and “Losing Sleep” is a waste of a lead single.- CB


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#12
Cole Swindell feat. Dierks Bentley, "Flatliner"


An obnoxious song about literally nothing. The writing thinks it's way more clever than it is, and the production pounds you over the head. There's no melody, and the performance does nothing to elevate the rest of the record. Well below both the talent of both artists (and Swindell has his fair share of mediocre tunes).  - Markus Meyer

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#11
Lady Antebellum, "You Look Good"

Well I was actually kind of looking forward to Lady A's comeback, and came out thoroughly disappointed. In one of the most obnoxious records of the year, the vocal falls flat, the melody goes nowhere and lyrically it says... Well, not really anything. It's thoroughly grating, and is a let down coming from a group who has shown capable of so much more. - MM

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#10
Jordan Davis, "Singles You Up"

You know, for a guy who cites Jason Isbell among his influences, I would expect Jordan Davis' music to not...well, suck. "Singles You Up" is the biggest travesty that you (thankfully) likely didn't hear this year though. The song takes the premise of Old Dominion's "Break Up With Him" right down to the creepy insistence for the girl in question to break up with this guy just so she can be with the "narrator". It's overproduced, it's badly written...need I say more? - ZK

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#9
​Chris Janson, "Fix A Drink"

Listen, Chris Janson has some serious upside. Listen to "Holdin' Her". Listen to "Drunk Girl". Those are some top-shelf efforts. This.. Well, sucks. There aren't really any redeeming qualities. Janson, who can be a decent technical vocalist at times, comes off as grating, while the production lacks nuance and simply hammers electric guitars. It goes nowhere and simply screams 'Buy Me a Boat 2.0', but without the charm. - MM

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#8
Luke Bryan, "Light It Up"


Imagine writing a song about a guy wanting a girl to blow up his phone and that literally being the entire song. That’s what the lead single off Luke Bryan’s What Makes You Country was about and if the theme wasn’t bad enough, it also sounds like a watered-down repeated instrumentation and production of his previous work. Luke Bryan can sing good material but “Light It Up” was easily one of the year’s worst ideas and executed songs. - CB
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#7
​Keith Urban feat. Carrie Underwood, "The Fighter"

This had serious potential. Two of the most potent vocalists, and strongest talents in the genre teaming up? Man, this could have been good. Instead we got ultra-pop fluff. Like seriously, this is beyond Sam Hunt-level pop. Nothing about this even remotely resembles country music, and quite frankly, it's borderline insulting to even try and peddle it as such. Such a shame. - MM

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#6
Florida Georgia Line, "Smooth"

Okay, listen. I've been a Florida Georgia Line apologist before. I'll admit that, despite their lyrical downfalls, I enjoy their upbeat melodies and hooky choruses. But honestly, this is quite poor. It's lyrical cliches wrapped in a grating production and a jarring melody. An unfortunate effort that rightfully fell short of the top ten. - MM  

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#5
Dustin Lynch, "I'd Be Jealous Too"


Dustin’s been a case example of an artist that decided to follow the trendy, chart-success chasing sound of mainstream Country radio.  “I’d Be Jealous Too” might be the best (worst?) case of that. The song sounds more like a pop-dance track than a Country one. Starting with finger clicks that lead into a loud and obnoxious chorus production that drowns out Dustin’s (computerized) vocals.

​Lynch does have a good voice – maybe one of the best male vocals in the genre – but his musical output has been nothing more than an over-produced, mishmash of pop sounds beneath a backbeat that resembles little in the way of country music. His music has been catchy but that doesn’t mean the rest of it is good. - CB




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#4
​Dustin Lynch, "Small Town Boy"

The worst rural cliches from the early 2010's smothered in ceaseless autotune. There's no charm, no personality, and no resemblance of depth in the songwriting. Lynch showed early in his career, or even with passable efforts like "Mind Reader", that he's better than this. What he's doing now is taking the worst of the country-boy phase, with the worst of the pop/R&B phase, and blending them together into one terrible effort. - MM

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#3
Canaan Smith, "Like You That Way"


We chose NOT to link to the single cover featuring the butt because...well, do we really have to explain why? Anyway, Canaan Smith tried to draw up controversy by mentioning Miranda Lambert in a questionable fashion on his latest single. After all, it was the only way this guy was ever going to get another hit now that the bro-country well has run dry. Instead, it thankfully did nothing, and now all that's left is a song that's creepy, repetitive, boring, and honestly, completely representative of Canaan Smith's career. - ZK

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#2
Sam Hunt, "Body Like A Backroad"

Personally, this is my far and away my pick for the worst single of the year, and this is coming from someone who would easily put Walker Hayes at #1 on any other year. What is there to say that hasn't been said already, though? This song makes your mouth drop each time you hear it, not because it’s breathtaking, but because it’s one of the biggest misogynistic pieces of crap you’ll ever hear in your life. The title really says it all, but even the comparisons he makes are downright creepy. I get that they were probably trying to go for a lightweight, breezy sex song, but in order to make that actually work, beyond good writing you need some personality and charisma. Sam Hunt doesn’t have that. Hell, he doesn’t even sing half of the time. He’s just there. Thankfully aside from that turd by Morgan Wallen and Florida Georgia Line, Sam Hunt didn't completely resurrect bro-country. - ZK

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#1
Walker Hayes, "You Broke Up With Me"


I honestly can't think of a single good thing to say about this song. Even if you want to ignore the blatant lack of country influence, there are still no redeeming qualities. The melody is jarring. The vocal is choppy and drenched in autotune, drowning out any chance Hayes had at redeeming it with vocal talent. The lyric is immature, and lacking in any sort of storytelling, or substance. It's genuinely hard to make it through this song. The fact that this has found a home on country radio is a travesty. Does Hayes have a good backstory to tell? Absolutely, but you sure wouldn't know it after listening to this trainwreck. - MM

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5 Second Single Reviews

11/8/2014

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Brett Eldredge - "Mean to Me"

Sometimes it's good to keep things low key. The latest hit from CMA New Artist of the year won't knock your socks off with any one element, but it's the endearing simplicity that makes "Mean to Me" a pleasant listen,

Grade: B+


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Kenny Chesney - "Til It's Gone"

It's not nearly as good as it's predecessor "American Kids", but "Til It's Gone" is still unoffensive, well executed radio fodder. The melody's a bit clunky, but this is still a very listenable effort.

Grade: B-


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Lady Antebellum - "Freestyle"

After delivering an excellent album like Golden last year, their newest album, 747, is a huge disappointment. It's clear they felt Golden wasn't commercially successful enough, so they threw together an album full of middle of the road, radio friendly material. Their new single "Freestyle" is a good example of what kind of song makes up the album. It doesn't feel like any effort was put into the creation of the song, from a lyrical and vocal standpoint, and ends up feeling half-a**ed and sloppy.

                                                  Grade: D+

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Kristian Bush - "Trailer Hitch"

The lesser known male half of Sugarland has delivered a single that encapsulates everything that made Sugarland so enjoyable. Charisma, charm, and a whole lot of fun without sacrificing lyrical integrity. I'm unsure of how much further it's going to get on the airplay chart, but if Bush's debut project is as good as his debut single, I will most certainly be picking it up.

Grade: A-


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Scotty McCreery - "Feelin' It"

There's nothing particularly bad about "Feelin' It". It is what it is, a feel good summer song, but it still doesn't catch my interest in any way. I'll give it points for capturing the escapism feel melodically, but this is still only mildly enjoyable at best.

Grade: C

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2013 CMA Award Predictions

11/2/2013

1 Comment

 
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For this set of predictions, myself and new writer sabre14 will be making our predictions and picks (Gator is busy so he is unable to join us this time).



Entertainer

Should win:


Taylor Swift
Jason Aldean
George Strait - MM, S14
Blake Shelton
Luke Bryan


Will win:



Taylor Swift
Jason Aldean
George Strait - MM
Blake Shelton
Luke Bryan - S14



Markus:  George will get sympathy votes from voters. Not to mention he's put out the best music of these 5.


sabre14: I just don't have faith George will get enough votes here to overtake Luke. His album is better, and he had a great first leg of his farewell tour. But the massive sales of Luke will be too much in the end.






Male Vocalist


Should win:

Blake Shelton
Jason Aldean - MM
Luke Bryan - S14
Keith Urban
Eric Church


Will win:

Blake Shelton - S14
Jason Aldean 
Luke Bryan - MM
Keith Urban
Eric Church


Markus: If "Fuse" had been released within the eligibility period, Urban would have been my should win by a landslide and Church is my favorite of the bunch but he hasn't done much this year. So I guess I'll go with Aldean. This is Bryan's to lose though.

sabre14: I think the voters will lean Blake purely for the fact of his success of his television appeal coupled with his album being out longer than Luke's. I have to go with my gut on this one.





Female Vocalist

Should win:

Taylor Swift
Miranda Lambert - S14
Carrie Underwood
Kacey Musgraves - MM
Kelly Clarkson


Will win:

Taylor Swift
Miranda Lambert
Carrie Underwood - MM, S14
Kacey Musgraves
Kelly Clarkson


Markus: This one is probably the most competitive group, for both picks. Underwood and Lambert have both released material among their career best this year, but Musgraves' album is too good to overlook. I could see any of them, Clarkson aside, winning this. Swift is the biggest name, Lambert is always a safe bet, Underwood has had a monster year and Musgraves has the critical acclaim. I guess I'll go with CU but wouldn't be suprised to see it go to the one of the aforementioned three.

sabre14: I feel Miranda has the perfect combo of great artistic music along with the success to go with it. But Carrie has the better chart numbers therefore she will win.





Vocal Duo of the Year

Should win:


Big & Rich
Thompson Square - S14
Florida Georgia Line
Love and Theft
Sugarland
The Civil Wars - MM

Will win:

Big & Rich
Thompson Square
Florida Georgia Line - MM, S14
Love and Theft
Sugarland
The Civil Wars 


Markus: A weak year for this category? What a shocker. In all seriousness, if FGL hadn't been arguably the most dominant artist in the format this past year, TCW would have a fighting chance by virtue that they released an album, which is more than B&R or Sugarland have done.


sabre14: Pretty cut and dry category. Thompson Squares album is better and makes better music. FGL have had 3 chart toppers and the digital and album sales to justify them winning.







New Artist of the year

Should win:


Florida Georgia Line
Lee Brice
Kip Moore - MM, S14
Kacey Musgraves
Brett Eldredge

Will win:

Florida Georgia Line - MM, S14
Lee Brice
Kip Moore
Kacey Musgraves
Brett Eldredge


Markus: Probably the best quality wise. I don't really consider Brice a new artist anymore though. I liked FGL's and Brett's debuts, but not quite to the extent I liked the other 2's. I'll give the should to Moore by the slightest of margins. FloGaLine takes this though.


sabre14: This will be my personal favorite of the evening. Kip had a great Album coupled with a string of chart toppers. But I would not be shocked to see the voters give more love than we think to Kacey or Lee. In the end I'll go with FGL with the transcending impact they have made in country music wether I like it or not










Vocal Group of the year

Should win:


Eli Young Band
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
The Band Perry - MM
Zac Brown Band - S14


Will win: 

Eli Young Band
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town - MM
The Band Perry - S14
Zac Brown Band


Markus: "Pioneer" is one of my favorite albums of the year. So they get my should win. I'm still gonna say LBT takes this though, but TBP are gonna start taking these home.


sabre14: I think the time has come for The Band Perry in this category, even though Zac Brown Band made a stellar album and two number one hits.






Vocal Event

Should win:


Florida Georgia Line feat. Nelly, “Cruise”
Tim McGraw feat. Taylor Swift and Keith Urban, “Highway Don’t Care” - MM, S14
Blake Shelton feat. Pistol Annies, “Boys ‘Round Here”
Kelly Clarkson feat. Vince Gill, “Don’t Rush”
Jason Aldean feat. Luke Bryan and Eric Church, “The Only Way I Know”

Will win:

Florida Georgia Line feat. Nelly, “Cruise”
Tim McGraw feat. Taylor Swift and Keith Urban, “Highway Don’t Care” - MM, S14
Blake Shelton feat. Pistol Annies, “Boys ‘Round Here”
Kelly Clarkson feat. Vince Gill, “Don’t Rush”
Jason Aldean feat. Luke Bryan and Eric Church, “The Only Way I Know”


Markus: Pretty competitive this year for a change. 3 of these were #1 hits, the other is huge pop hit and one features two big names. I'll give "HDC" both of them though.

sabre14: To me this song was the best song out of these choices and it was the biggest country hit this year. Pretty simple if you ask me.










Album of the year

Should win:


Blake Shelton, Based on a True Story
Carrie Underwood, Blown Away
Taylor Swift, Red
Kacey Musgraves, Same Trailer, Different Park - MM, S14
Little Big Town, Tornado


Will win:

Blake Shelton, Based on a True Story
Carrie Underwood, Blown Away
Taylor Swift, Red
Kacey Musgraves, Same Trailer, Different Park - MM, S14
Little Big Town, Tornado


Markus: I can't be the only one suprised "Uncaged" and "Night Train" have been completely snubbed at both the ACM/CMA'S so far. This one is close between Kacey and LBT for me but I'll give it to Kacey, who will also win.


sabre14: This one they will get right. Kaceys album was the most unique and well done record this year and I have a feeling the CMA's will see the same thing.







Single of the year

Should win: 


Florida Georgia Line, “Cruise” - MM, S14
Tim McGraw feat. Taylor Swift and Keith Urban, “Highway Don’t Care”
Miranda Lambert, “Mama’s Broken Heart”
Kacey Musgraves, “Merry Go ‘Round”
Darius Rucker, “Wagon Wheel”


Will win:

Florida Georgia Line, “Cruise” - MM, S14
Tim McGraw feat. Taylor Swift and Keith Urban, “Highway Don’t Care”
Miranda Lambert, “Mama’s Broken Heart”
Kacey Musgraves, “Merry Go ‘Round”
Darius Rucker, “Wagon Wheel”



Markus: Say what you will about FGL or "Cruise", but it would be unfair to not give them single of the year.


sabre14: This was the biggest hit on all the charts this year, and sold like crazy. This one has to go to "Cruise"






Song of the year

Should win:


Lee Brice, “I Drive Your Truck”
Miranda Lambert, “Mama’s Broken Heart”
Kacey Musgraves, “Merry Go ‘Round” - MM, S14
Little Big Town, “Pontoon”
Darius Rucker, “Wagon Wheel”

Will win:

Lee Brice, “I Drive Your Truck” - MM
Miranda Lambert, “Mama’s Broken Heart”
Kacey Musgraves, “Merry Go ‘Round” - S14
Little Big Town, “Pontoon”
Darius Rucker, “Wagon Wheel”


Markus: Pretty good "Pontoon" aside. It's close for me between Lee's, Kacey's and Miranda's but I'll give "MGR" the slight edge. "IDYT" takes it though. It touched so many people.

sabre14: If this doesn't win It will be a travesty. Kaceys song was the best song in terms of writing a different impactful yet, putting it in a subtle way to get her message across, and I would think the voters will agree.
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Single Review: Eric Paslay- "Friday Night"

10/3/2013

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It seems odd that a songwriter of Paslay's popularity, with smash hits such as "Barefoot Bluejean Night" (Jake Owen) and "Even If It Breaks Your Heart" (Eli Young Band) (NOTE: This song was also recorded as part of Lady Antebellum's 2011 Own The Night album) has never had success as a solo artist.

With "Friday Night" Paslay has likely found his first solo hit. And he does a hell of a job with it. I found the Lady A's version to be cluttered and loud. Paslay's version is filled with prominent banjo, keeping it firmly in pop-country territory without going over the top with pop-ness.

Because of the uncluttered arrangement, Paslay's soulful voice is able to be heard. The chorus is an earworm if I ever heard one and the melody is great.

It's not a groundbreaking lyric but Paslay and his record label do a great job with what will likely be Paslay's first top 10 hit.


Grade: B+

Listen: "Friday Night"


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5 Second Single Reviews

3/23/2013

5 Comments

 
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Billy Currington - "Hey Girl"
Not offensive. Has a nice little grove to it. Sounds like another Billy Currington track. He seems to have about one true gem an album and this is not it. I really like his voice but this is basically another addition to his oft forgotten hit catalog. Here's to hoping for another "People Are Crazy," "Good Directions" or "Love Done Gone" soon!

Grade: C

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The Henningsens - American Beautiful
They have written some good stuff for The Band Perry and so I do not doubt their talent, but this song is an outright dud that plays like Lady Antebellum's "American Honey" with an even less appealing hook.

Grade: D

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Greg Bates - "Fill In the Blank"
He hasn't hit a truly great song yet but Greg seems to be the best new male vocalist around due to his neo-traditional bent that is coupled with lyrics that are just clever enough to avoid being cliche/rote, which is impressive given the appalling titles. This one in particular manages to be effortlessly sexy and suggestive without being grotesque like many songs in the same vein.

Grade: B+

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Darius Rucker - Wagon Wheel
The original is great. This is better than a lot of what is out, but it loses the magic of the performance and thus loses some of its charm. Props for the attempt and the nice choice of material though.

Grade: B

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Tim McGraw (Feat. Taylor Swift and Keith Urban) - "Highway Don’t Care"
First single from the album that is somewhat memorable to me. Still no where near the glory days of Tim's Everywhere-era. The most intriguing thing for this track since it is rather bland is whether it will maintain Country cred for Taylor in this time where she is focusing almost entirely on pop music.

Grade: C+

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ACM Award Nominees+Predictions

2/20/2013

0 Comments

 
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Entertainer

Should win:

Jason Aldean- MM
Blake Shelton
Miranda Lambert- GP
Luke Bryan
Taylor Swift


Will win:

Jason Aldean
Blake Shelton- GP
Miranda Lambert
Luke Bryan
Taylor Swift- MM

Markus:
Meh, went with Aldean because he released "Fly Over States". Swift will win due to fan-voting. 

Gator: Just because, despite her bad year, Miranda is still my favorite. Blake will because he just won't stop it seems.

Male Vocalist

Should win:

Luke Bryan
Jason Aldean
Eric Church- MM, GP
Toby Keith
Blake Shelton


Will win:

Luke Bryan
Jason Aldean
Eric Church- GP
Toby Keith
Blake Shelton- MM

Markus:
Church has released the best music, but I wouldn't bet against Shelton. I like the Toby Keith nom.

Gator: I agree Church has the best music but I think he will win because the ACM's can be pretty adventurous


Female Vocalist

Should win:

Taylor Swift
Miranda Lambert
Martina McBride
Carrie Underwood- MM, GP
Kacey Musgraves


Will win:

Taylor Swift
Miranda Lambert- MM
Martina McBride
Carrie Underwood- GP
Kacey Musgraves


Markus: Why is McBride even nominated? Anyways, I'm not an Underwood fan, but she has released some of the best music of her career, along with a great album. Too bad I can't see Lambert losing.

Gator: Carrie by far has the best vocals in the category and with her great commercial and critical year I think its hers to lose.


Duo

Should win:

Florida Georgia Line
Big & Rich
Thompson Square- MM
Sugarland
Love and Theft


Will win:

Florida Georgia Line- MM, GP
Big & Rich
Thompson Square
Sugarland
Love and Theft


Markus: TS has released "Glass" and "If I Didn't Have You". Two excellent singles. But FGL has dat "Cruise" momentum.

Gator: I don't think any should win and that they should combine this category with group but i suppose it will go to Florida-Georgia Line


Group

Should win:

Eli Young Band
Lady Antebellum
The Band Perry
Little Big Town- GP
Zac Brown Band- MM


Will win:

Eli Young Band
Lady Antebellum
The Band Perry
Little Big Town- MM, GP
Zac Brown Band


Markus: It's the LBT era now. So they'll win. But I'm rooting for ZBB all the way!

Gator: This time next year I'll be voting for The Band Perry most likely, but since it's not, I'll go with Little BIg Town because they've been good quality and great commercially.

Single

Should win:

Little Big Town- 'Pontoon'
Miranda Lambert- 'Over You'
Eli Young Band- 'Even If It Breaks Your Heart'
Eric Church- 'Springsteen'- MM, GP
Hunter Hayes- 'Wanted'


Will win:

Little Big Town- 'Pontoon'- MM, GP
Miranda Lambert- 'Over You'
Eli Young Band- 'Even If It Breaks Your Heart'
Eric Church- 'Springsteen'
Hunter Hayes- 'Wanted'


Markus: 'Springsteen' is by far my favorite. But I can't seem them passing on 'Pontoon' after the CMA's and Grammy's didn't. It's not like the ACM's have ever been creative.  

Gator: I like Church's the best but I don't think "Pontoon" is as bad as people try to make it out. I can handle it winning,


Song

Should win:

Miranda Lambert- 'Over You'
Eli Young Band- 'Even If It Breaks Your Heart'
Eric Church- 'Springsteen'- MM, GP
Lee Brice- 'A Woman Like You'
Hunter Hayes- 'Wanted'


Will win:

Miranda Lambert- 'Over You'- MM, GP
Eli Young Band- 'Even If It Breaks Your Heart'
Eric Church- 'Springsteen'
Lee Brice- 'A Woman Like You'
Hunter Hayes- 'Wanted'


Markus: 'Springsteen' is legendary, but will lose to 'Over You'. *sigh*.

Gator: One final nomination for "Over You" and one final victory. I've got to say it has grown on me with all this belated attention.


Vocal event

Should win:

Kelly Clarkson & Vince Gill- 'Don't Rush'- GP
Kenny Chesney & Tim McGraw- 'Feel Like A Rockstar'
Rascal Flatts & Natasha Bedingfield- 'Easy'- MM
Jason Aldean, Eric Church & Luke Bryan- 'The Only Way I Know'
David Nail & Sarah Buxton- 'Let It Rain'


Will win:

Kelly Clarkson & Vince Gill- 'Don't Rush'
Kenny Chesney & Tim McGraw- 'Feel Like A Rockstar'
Rascal Flatts & Natasha Bedingfield- 'Easy'
Jason Aldean, Eric Church & Luke Bryan- 'The Only Way I Know'- MM, GP
David Nail & Sarah Buxton- 'Let It Rain'


Markus: None of them blow me away, but 'Easy' is my fave. Though, I guarantee 'The Only Way I Know' will win.

Gator: I think Vince and Kelly are the best (and if this was the Grammy's it would have a chance) but the star power is too much to bypass here.


Album
 
Should win:

Taylor Swift- 'Red'
Eric Church- 'Chief'- MM
Carrie Underwood- 'Blown Away'- GP
Luke Bryan- 'Tailgates and Tanlines'
Little Big Town- 'Tornado'


Will win:

Taylor Swift- 'Red'
Eric Church- 'Chief'- MM, GP
Carrie Underwood- 'Blown Away'
Luke Bryan- 'Tailgates and Tanlines'
Little Big Town- 'Tornado'
 

Markus: 'Chief' is my fave and I also have a feeling it will win.

Gator: Underwood did some great stuff and was the biggest step forward, but I don't see her picking it up over Church.



New Artist

Should win:
 
Florida Georgia Line
Brantley Gilbert- MM
Jana Kramer - GP

Will win: 

Florida Georgia Line
Brantley Gilbert- MM, GP
Jana Kramer

Markus: Don't love any of them, but I love "More Than Miles", so I guess I'll go with Gilbert. Oh, he will win as well.

Gator: Jana is by far the most acceptable nominee and the most interesting one. While I'd love to see her deservingly win this, I see her fiancee stepping in for the victory.


Video

Should win:
 
Eric Church- 'Creepin'
Kacey Musgraves- 'Merry Go 'Round'- GP
Hunter Hayes- 'Wanted'
Little Big Town- 'Tornado'
Taylor Swift- 'We Are Never Ever Ever Getting Back Together'
Zac Brown Band- 'The Wind' - MM

Will win:

Eric Church- 'Creepin'- MM
Kacey Musgraves- 'Merry Go 'Round'- GP
Hunter Hayes- 'Wanted'
Little Big Town- 'Tornado'
Taylor Swift- 'We Are Never Ever Ever Getting Back Together'
Zac Brown Band- 'The Wind'
 
Markus: Lol. How can you not love the video for 'The Wind'? I also like the video for 'Merry Go Round' though. I think this will go to 'Creepin' but I could see 'Wanted' taking it as well.

Gator: I personally think that Musgraves' video was an eloquent depiction of her excellent single and the fact that she is even nominated is awesome. Her somewhat surprising nomination makes me think she could win it, but I would not be surprised if Hayes sneaks in with his boyish charm.
0 Comments

Single Review: Lady Antebellum- "Downtown"

2/14/2013

3 Comments

 
Picture
I like this new upbeat single from Lady A. Though, the fact that they have a new single (that debuted at #25) means they will win like another 4 group of the year awards, but whatever.

Their newest effort talks about a girl who misses the thrills of teenage dating (such as writing their names on the bathroom tiles), and asks her boyfriend "Why don't we do that anymore?". I would have loved to hear the answer to that.

Hillary Scott carries the vocals and sings it almost charmingly and in a fun manner. Again, Charles Kelly could have been the husband responding "ummm..... I don't know". Hahahaha, that would have been awesome.

The production is cool and fun, that fits the mood of the song well.

Overall, very good single that has a tendency to get stuck in your head for several hours, and one that you will probably jam out to in the car when no one else is around.

Look, even Don Cherry approves:

Picture
PS: "Downtown" = 2013 version of "Cruise"

Grade: B+
3 Comments

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