Count me among the people who thought we'd see some development from Luke Bryan after he finished up his infamous 'Spring Break' series, and also count me among those immensely disappointed that this is what we ended up getting.
I'll admit, I don't find "Kick The Dust Up", the lead single for Bryan's upcoming album titled Kill the Lights, to be nearly as terrible as others do. Yes, the lyrics are embarrassing and cheesy, mixing the worst of bro-country with the worst of country-pride anthems while making little-to-no sense as proper English sentences. Yes, the production is heavy handed and grating. Yes, the melody plods along during the verses, lacking the punch that made a song like "Country Girl (Shake It For Me)" memorable. Yes, his performance lacks the personality that made a tune like "Drunk on You" work. But the hooks littered throughout the chorus are strong enough to save it from being among the worst country music has to offer over the past handful of years, despite the rest of the song being nothing short of a mess.
"Kick The Dust Up" isn't the worst thing ever, but I was expecting growth from a 38-year-old man entering his prime as the biggest star in mainstream country music. This is not growth. In fact, this could very well be regression, and is really nothing more than a last ditch attempt to save the dying trend that is bro-country. This isn't just a bad song, it's a letdown.
Grade: D
Listen: "Kick The Dust Up"
I'll admit, I don't find "Kick The Dust Up", the lead single for Bryan's upcoming album titled Kill the Lights, to be nearly as terrible as others do. Yes, the lyrics are embarrassing and cheesy, mixing the worst of bro-country with the worst of country-pride anthems while making little-to-no sense as proper English sentences. Yes, the production is heavy handed and grating. Yes, the melody plods along during the verses, lacking the punch that made a song like "Country Girl (Shake It For Me)" memorable. Yes, his performance lacks the personality that made a tune like "Drunk on You" work. But the hooks littered throughout the chorus are strong enough to save it from being among the worst country music has to offer over the past handful of years, despite the rest of the song being nothing short of a mess.
"Kick The Dust Up" isn't the worst thing ever, but I was expecting growth from a 38-year-old man entering his prime as the biggest star in mainstream country music. This is not growth. In fact, this could very well be regression, and is really nothing more than a last ditch attempt to save the dying trend that is bro-country. This isn't just a bad song, it's a letdown.
Grade: D
Listen: "Kick The Dust Up"
