First, let me give this song the SLIGHTEST amount of credit I can. The song revolves around a man who is haunted by an old lover’s memory and is upset that she has already moved on. Ok that’s it, the ONLY good thing about this song is that it’s decently written. Now for the fun part. This song has the same pop/R&B beats that are prevalent in every song of his. And wow, if you thought the spoken word in “Take Your Time” was bad, then get a load of this song! It’s even more annoying and prevalent than ever before! Seriously, stop just for the love of God, stop!
Now, yeah, this is decently written, but the overall theme could just be the worst part. This song revolves around breaking up in a “small town”. Where are small towns usually mentioned? That’s right, country songs! Good guess! Which means that since this song features a small town, it’s at least Country-Pop right? NOPE. In fact, the mention of a small town is what pisses me off the most about this song. Sam, the writers, his label, his mother……EVERYONE knows this isn’t country, and so they think country fans are stupid enough to fall for the idea that this song is country just because it mentions a small town!
Even as a Pop song I don’t think it’s great, and after the reaction that “Take Your Time” received on the Pop charts, I know I’m not the only one who doesn’t think this pop music is that great. Country music is not a recycle bin for other genres, and it is most certainly not a springboard for singers to leap off of and reap profits from.
Grade: F
Listen: “Break Up In A Small Town”
Author: Zackary Kephart