"I wanna be on the cover of Rolling Stone."
It's a dream, an ambition, a goal for many musicians out there, across all genres. But for Parker McKay, it's not just a goal: it's her debut single.
As a debut single, "Rolling Stone" is a bold one. Parker McKay is a relatively unknown singer and songwriter, but she shouldn't be. She has the most potential to be a star than any woman in country music since Maren Morris broke out with "My Church." She's got a unique sound that spans across all areas of country music, along with a killer, soulful voice and sharp songwriting.
It's a dream, an ambition, a goal for many musicians out there, across all genres. But for Parker McKay, it's not just a goal: it's her debut single.
As a debut single, "Rolling Stone" is a bold one. Parker McKay is a relatively unknown singer and songwriter, but she shouldn't be. She has the most potential to be a star than any woman in country music since Maren Morris broke out with "My Church." She's got a unique sound that spans across all areas of country music, along with a killer, soulful voice and sharp songwriting.

McKay's debut single speaks of wanting to make it into Rolling Stone, but also wanting to be a musician. It seems like a very autobiographical song, making it fitting to be the first song the country industry will hear from her. It's interesting how she takes the perspective of wanting to be a rock star, as a common, but tired theme in country music is to prove how country you truly are, usually accompanied with pop production, ironically. This song preaches to rock music, and it's reflected in the rocky production. The production echoes a bit of Aubrie Sellers take on country, a mix of country and garage rock. Heavy on guitars, but not so loud that it overpowers McKay's vocals, this song was masterfully produced, and it reflects her rock influenced country sound as a whole.
The song itself tells a somewhat bittersweet story, contrasting sharply with the self-assured and confident chorus. The first verse tells the story of how her mother was upset that she wanted to pursue music, and the second verse tells the story of the man she has to leave behind in order to chase her dreams. These verses and details add another level to the song, and if the song is truly autobiographical, then another element to her character as an artist. She risked disappointing and losing the people she loved just because she is so determined to make her dream come true. The best confidence anthems are the ones that bring a little element of realism into the equation, like this one.
Parker McKay is set to release her debut EP on June 20th, and I tell you, it's gold. She has something about her and her music that is just special. I'm excited to continue to share her music with you and to see what she is capable of as a musician, because I've got a good feeling about this one.
Overall rating: 4 ½ crowns
The song itself tells a somewhat bittersweet story, contrasting sharply with the self-assured and confident chorus. The first verse tells the story of how her mother was upset that she wanted to pursue music, and the second verse tells the story of the man she has to leave behind in order to chase her dreams. These verses and details add another level to the song, and if the song is truly autobiographical, then another element to her character as an artist. She risked disappointing and losing the people she loved just because she is so determined to make her dream come true. The best confidence anthems are the ones that bring a little element of realism into the equation, like this one.
Parker McKay is set to release her debut EP on June 20th, and I tell you, it's gold. She has something about her and her music that is just special. I'm excited to continue to share her music with you and to see what she is capable of as a musician, because I've got a good feeling about this one.
Overall rating: 4 ½ crowns