The summer of 2016 has been full of amazing country releases, and it's been incredibly overwhelming along with exciting. As the summer comes to a close, here are five amazing tracks you may have missed!
"Rebel" by Alyssa Bonagura
Even though Alyssa Bonagura hasn't been the voice behind a lot of hits, she's been the writer behind a few. She recently had cuts on the latest Steven Tyler and Jana Kramer records, with her cut with Kramer, "Circles," now being sent to radio. Her own music is something to pay attention to as well. "Rebel" is a track from her new solo record Road Less Traveled. The song is driven by piano, and it discusses how hard it is to be a human. She sings, "I'm a rebel with an unknown plan, I'm a believer trying to figure out who I am," something that anyone of any age can relate to.
"Jail" by Tara Thompson
Tara Thompson's debut self-titled EP came out in June, and on it is this gem. The train track beat is a sound that only seems to be found on the occasional Tim McGraw song on country radio, and it fits this edgy song. The premise of the song is "love me like you just got out of jail." This song sounds as if it came from thirty years ago, in the vein with the rest of Thompson's pure, country sound.
"This Ain't War" by Morgan Dawson
Morgan Dawson recently put out her debut EP, featuring some fan favorites, "Rebel Child" and "Why Ya Gotta Be That Guy." But the new songs on the record have as much potential to become favorites as some of the older songs do. The title track, "This Ain't War" is a midtempo track that talks about wanting to stop fighting and start loving. In this song, it applies to a relationship, but it's a message that people can apply to their own lives in all senses. It's not worth it to keep fighting, because we've only got so much time with each other.
"Drinking for Two" by Kree Harrison
You may recognize Kree Harrison's name from the twelfth season of American Idol, where she was the runner up. Since then, Harrison has been working on her debut record, which she dropped early this summer. The record is a gem, so I recommend that you listen to all the tracks, but "Drinking for Two" is a specific highlight. With lyrics like "I feel about as empty as that stool, so I'm drinking for two," Harrison sings about being stood up. It's a topic that has been sung about before, but Harrison approaches it in a new and different way, making the song a standout.
"Dare Ya" by Carly Pearce
Carly Pearce ventures into new territory on her newest single "Dare Ya," released in late May, the song is more sultry and more beat driven than anything Pearce has done before. The bluegrass and country rooted sound that Pearce established in "Blame the Whiskey" and "Black Sheep" is not very easy to find on this new single. But the new country pop sound looks great on Pearce. Her voice sounds flawless, and this song is a summer jam you can listen to all year long.
Even though Alyssa Bonagura hasn't been the voice behind a lot of hits, she's been the writer behind a few. She recently had cuts on the latest Steven Tyler and Jana Kramer records, with her cut with Kramer, "Circles," now being sent to radio. Her own music is something to pay attention to as well. "Rebel" is a track from her new solo record Road Less Traveled. The song is driven by piano, and it discusses how hard it is to be a human. She sings, "I'm a rebel with an unknown plan, I'm a believer trying to figure out who I am," something that anyone of any age can relate to.
"Jail" by Tara Thompson
Tara Thompson's debut self-titled EP came out in June, and on it is this gem. The train track beat is a sound that only seems to be found on the occasional Tim McGraw song on country radio, and it fits this edgy song. The premise of the song is "love me like you just got out of jail." This song sounds as if it came from thirty years ago, in the vein with the rest of Thompson's pure, country sound.
"This Ain't War" by Morgan Dawson
Morgan Dawson recently put out her debut EP, featuring some fan favorites, "Rebel Child" and "Why Ya Gotta Be That Guy." But the new songs on the record have as much potential to become favorites as some of the older songs do. The title track, "This Ain't War" is a midtempo track that talks about wanting to stop fighting and start loving. In this song, it applies to a relationship, but it's a message that people can apply to their own lives in all senses. It's not worth it to keep fighting, because we've only got so much time with each other.
"Drinking for Two" by Kree Harrison
You may recognize Kree Harrison's name from the twelfth season of American Idol, where she was the runner up. Since then, Harrison has been working on her debut record, which she dropped early this summer. The record is a gem, so I recommend that you listen to all the tracks, but "Drinking for Two" is a specific highlight. With lyrics like "I feel about as empty as that stool, so I'm drinking for two," Harrison sings about being stood up. It's a topic that has been sung about before, but Harrison approaches it in a new and different way, making the song a standout.
"Dare Ya" by Carly Pearce
Carly Pearce ventures into new territory on her newest single "Dare Ya," released in late May, the song is more sultry and more beat driven than anything Pearce has done before. The bluegrass and country rooted sound that Pearce established in "Blame the Whiskey" and "Black Sheep" is not very easy to find on this new single. But the new country pop sound looks great on Pearce. Her voice sounds flawless, and this song is a summer jam you can listen to all year long.
Listen to "Rebel" on iTunes