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King Calaway: ‘Midnight’ – EP Review

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King Calaway’s new EP, Midnight is out now, August 27th on all streaming platforms. Check out our full review and listen to the brand new music below.

After nearly a two-year hiatus, boyband turned country group, King Calaway has released brand new music; their four-track extended play titled Midnight is out now, August 27th on all streaming platforms via Stoney Creek Records.

King Calaway is a 5-piece band comprised of original members Caleb Miller, Chris Deaton, Simon Dumas, Chad Michael Jervis, and Austin Luther. They made a splash into the country music scene when they released their debut project Rivers (produced by Ross Copperman and Robert Deaton) in October of 2019. The project featured a mix of romantic love songs, agonizing heartbreak ballads, and fun, pop-inspired tracks, including the top 50 single “World For Two.” The group brings the same energy and vibe with these four new tracks, “Homegrown,” “More People,” “Heartbreaker,” and “Good Time To Me.”

King Calaway tried something on this EP that they didn’t on their debut album; write their own songs. Chad Michael Jervis penned the first track, “Homegrown,” with Kevin Griffin. In this southern-rock anthem, the singer proclaims he can’t wait to head home to his girl after a long time away. The bridge features an extended electric guitar solo.

“Yeah it’s been a long road, need a little homegrown // Little bit of you is all I really need, some of that small-town company // Got a southern summer night, where you dance to make a fuse ignite”

The next two tracks were co-written by Dumas; “More People” and “Heartbreaker.” The former is a calm, acoustic tune in which the band describes what kind of people we need more of in the world—ones who learn to forgive, call a friend on their busiest day, get to know strangers by inviting them over for a beer, and would pay for a single mother’s groceries.

“Heartbreaker” is a very produced track about a woman who only uses guys when she’s lonely. The man in the song gives in to her beauty, even though he knows she will just break his heart in the end. The verses give off an old-western vibe with its backing strings and steel guitar. 

The final song features rising female artist, Lainey Wilson and was penned by Nashville stars such as Corey Crowder (Florida Georgia Line), Steven Lee Olsen (“Blue Ain’t Your Color”), Russell Dickerson, and Lady A’s Charles Kelley. “Good Time To Me” has classic country sounds with heavy bass and percussion. King Calaway and Wilson paint the picture of a perfect night at the bar. Her drawl in the second verse and chorus adds to this authentic honky-tonk feel.

“And it sounds like a good time, like music to my beers // Like the soundtrack to a good night, that’s all I want to hear // I love the sound of neon buzzing, whiskey pouring in my drink // If it sounds anything like that it sounds like a damn good time to me”

The band celebrated the release of Midnight with a live show at the Brooklyn Bowl Nashville last night. 

Midnight is the result of many months spent diving into new creative and sonic spaces,” the band said in a recent press release. “We carefully crafted these songs with our live show in mind, and it’s only fitting that we get to share them for the first time live from Nashville.”

Midnight Tracklist

  1. Homegrown (Chad Michael Jervis, Kevin Griffin)
  2. More People (Simon Dumas, Ryan Lafferty, Tina Parol Gemza)
  3. Heartbreaker (Simon Dumas, Neil Medley, Dave Cohen)
  4. Good Time To Me ft. Lainey Wilson (Charles Kelley, Russell Dickerson, Corey Crowder, Steven Lee Olsen)

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news and announcements about future King Calaway releases.

To keep up with King Calaway, follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Midnight is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

niko-moon-new-album

Niko Moon: ‘Good Time’ – Album Review

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Niko Moon’s debut album, Good Time is available everywhere today, August 27th. This 14-track project perfectly portrays the positive vibes and ‘glass half full’ perspective that Moon aims to bring to his music and to his fans.  Check out the full review below.

We here at Country Swag have been fans of Niko Moon since he first hit the country music scene. We got to know the talented singer-songwriter back in 2019 with our Swag Spotlight Interview. At the time, Moon had just begun exploring the performing side of his artistry as previously Moon had success solely as a songwriter. At that point, he had already had four number one hits with Zac Brown Band (“Loving You Easy”, “Homegrown”, “Beautiful Drug” and “Keep Me in Mind”) and one with Rascal Flatts (“Back to Life”), but had yet to release the now several songs that we know and love by him, as a recording artist.

Later in 2020, Moon joined us in New York City for a Live Swag Session, where he played some songs for us and sat down for an interview. Check it out in the video below.

With the release of his full-length project, Moon includes previously released tracks that have become fan-favorites and remain standouts on the album. Moon’s very first number one song as a recording artist, “Good Time” serves as the title track of the album and joins his most recent release “Small Town State of Mind” along with “No Sad Songs”, “Paradise to Me”,  “Dance With Me”, “Drunk Over You”, “Way Back” and “Good At Loving You”.

The project adds six additional songs from the artist, including a cover of Travis Tritt’s “It’s A Great Day to be Alive”, a song that perfectly encapsulates Moon’s entire perspective on life and the vibe he brings to his music, and thus is the perfect song to close out his debut album.

Moon’s love for his wife, Anna, who is both a writing partner and a pop artist herself, is woven through the entire project. Songs like “Good At Loving You”, “Dance With Me” and “Last Call” each show this in their own way.

“Yeah I spill more than most people drink // Wake up and don’t remember a thing // The band is playing their last song // While all the lights are coming on // Yeah if lovers are like alcohol, girl you’re my last call”

“Let it Ride” is a chill, go-with-the-flow song much like “Good Time” and “Paradise to Me” but with greater meaning.

“Let it ride, let it roll, feels good just to let it go // No I ain’t got time to think about the things I can’t control // Let it in, let it out, ain’t a thing that I’m worried about // Just gonna sit right here and watch the sun go down “

“Without Saying A Word” is a song for his dad, and is a more emotional and authentic song than what we are used to hearing from Moon. It is about all the lessons that his dad taught him, without saying a word.

“Best believe that I’m still reaching // For that silent bar he set // And I won’t give up, trying to live up // to the things he never said”

Moon is currently on the What A Song Can Do Tour with Lady A, which kicked off this summer and runs through early Fall. For tour dates and tickets, click here.

Good Things Tracklist

  1. No Sad Songs
  2. Way Back
  3. Paradise to Me
  4. Last Call
  5. Dance with Me
  6. Good Time
  7. Let it Ride
  8. She Ain’t You
  9. Small Town State of Mind
  10. Good At Loving You
  11. Without Saying A Word
  12. Drunk Over You
  13. Diamond
  14. It’s A Great Day to Be Alive
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Niko Moon’s debut album ‘Good Time,’ is available now

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news and announcements about future Niko Moon releases.

To keep up with Niko Moon, follow him on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Good Time is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

Boy Named Banjo: Circles – EP Review

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Boy Named Banjo release their newest EP titled Circles, out today, August 27th on all streaming platforms.  Check out our full review and listen to the new music below.

Making their major-label debut, Boy Named Banjo is a country music band that you are going to want to remember. The bluegrass-inspired act are unique, innovative, and their music feels just like home. Today, Boy Named Banjo release their brand new EP Circles.

Kicking off the project with “Only You Know,” Boy Named Banjo show off their Kings of Leon and Mumford and Sons vibes. The opening track is fun, quirky, and catchy. It depicts the story of only one person knowing all your secrets and idiosyncrasies, but it still does not work out.

The band slows it down a bit with “Feel For You.” The previously released song is a beautiful love song. Reminiscent of the romance from The Cadillac Three’s song “White Lightning,” the song is exquisite. Boy Named Banjo showcase their ability to weave together lyrics and craft a song that everyone will want to fall in love to.

“No words are right I can’t describe the sun tracing your outline // And just a touch that’s enough to burn me down and get me high // Yeah, you hit me like a heart attack // Like a lightning crack // Every time you leave you got me being come back”

“Too Close” leans into the more modern-country side of the band’s talent. The wordplay with the phrase “too close” is crafted in such a way that only Boy Named Banjo could do. The song will make you believe in the power of love. Similarly, the title track “Circles” will make you feel and features clever wordplay. However, in this song, the singers share how it feels to get lost in the wake of a breakup.

“Am I ever gonna get out // Am I ever gonna get out? // Here I go // I’m standing right outside your door // Say I won’t // I probably will a thousand more // Here I go // I’m standing right outside your door”

Next up, “Where The Night Goes” features almost bluegrass mixed with slight electronic vibes. The love song is simple, yet special. On “Keep Lying To Me,” Boy Named Banjo explains how it feels to experience unrequited love. With lyrics like “chasing down a moon rock” and “I’m just a stepping stone to get you where you want to go,” the band reflects on not wanting to let go.

Finally, the record ends with one of our favorite songs off the project, “Go Out Dancing.” Although it is unclear if the singers wrote the song in the wake of the pandemic, it feels extremely pertinent. With a society that is so unclear and many natural disasters happening, “Go Out Dancing” is the simple song we all needed. The opening lyric “we woke up to a world on fire,” is the perfect way to start the song. Poetic and emotive, the love song is definitely a standout.

Overall, Boy Named Banjo delivers a record that is unlike anything else out there right now. The men are both talented and innovative. With a clear passion for music and multiple genres, Boy Named Banjo, and their EP Circles, is the pinnacle of artistry.

Circles EP Tracklist:

  1. Only You Know (Barton Davies, Jon Sherwood, William Reames) 
  2. Feel For You (Barton Davies, William Reames, Michael Whitworth, Dan Fernandez)
  3. Too Close (Barton Davies, William Reames, Tim Bruns, Jon Sherwood)
  4. Circles (William Reames, Oscar Charles, Jon Sherwood)
  5. Where The Night Goes (Barton Davies, William Reames, Benjamin Simonetti, Jon Sherwood) 
  6. Keep Lying To Me (Barton Davies, William Reames, Benjamin Simonetti, Jon Sherwood)
  7. Go Out Dancing (Barton Davies, William Reames, Oscar Charles, Jon Sherwood)

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news about upcoming Boy Named Banjo announcements and releases.

To keep up with Boy Named Banjo, follow them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Circles EP is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

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Ryan Hurd Reveals Debut Album + Drops New Song “June, July, August”

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Ryan Hurd surprised fans with news of a forthcoming debut album titled Pelago, due out October 15th. In addition, Hurd released a brand new song, “June, July, August”, available everywhere today, August 27th. Take a look below as we dig into the track.

“June, July, August” marks the second release of the summer from Hurd, following the release of “Coast” last month. Meanwhile, his song with wife Maren Morris,  “Chasing After You”, continues to climb the charts since its release this past February.

Despite having a large selection of songs, Hurd has still yet to put out a full-length album. Now, fans can rejoice knowing a full project is on the way. Hurd does, however, have a handful of EP’s including Panorama, Platonic, which features his hit single “To A T”, and EOM, named after his single Every Other Memory, which highlights a handful of songs that Hurd has co-written for other artists. This includes Morgan Wallen and Diplo’s “Heartless”, Luke Bryan’s “Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset”, Rascal Flatts’s “Payback” and Lady A’s “What If I Never Get Over You”. EOM was a unique project that got to show fans who may not have known that Hurd was and always will be a songwriter first, and artist second. Hurd is a co-writer of a few other songs climbing the charts right now including Lady A’s “What A Song Can Do” and Luke Bryan’s “Waves”.

Hurd’s artistry stays consistent throughout each song he releases and that he is a part of. His style of songwriting is so unique to him that while he plays a part in so many other songs that you hear in country music, the songs that he chooses to keep for himself feel as though he is the only one that could have released them.

Much like “June, July, August”, which is a textbook Ryan Hurd song from its sound to its lyrics and simply its overall vibe. It’s a song about young love that felt like the real thing and not just another fling, even though it only lasted those three months. It’s about the feeling of wishing you could keep doing that summer over and over again before the day came that it all ended.

“There’s one sunrise I wish never came, 6 a.m. August 28th // It looked like heaven, but I’d turn it back to the 27th // When we were young and drunk by the water // Felt that sunburn love getting hotter // And that feeling never faded like the tan lines on your skin // I’d do June, July, and August, a thousand times again”

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news and announcements about future Ryan Hurd releases.

To keep up with Ryan Hurd, follow him on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook

“June, July, August” is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

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Hannah Ellis Releases New Song “Home And A Hometown”

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Hannah Ellis’ new song, “Home And A Hometown” is out now, August 27th, on all streaming platforms.  Take a look below as we dig into the track.

We have been big fans of Hannah Ellis for many years now. We first fell in love with Ellis when we heard “Would You Love Me”, a song she co-wrote for Russell Dickerson’s debut album Yours, and then hosted her at our Women’s Brunch back in March 2018 where she sang that song along with her first single “ILY So What”.  Check out our full recap from that event here. Today, the newly signed Curb Records artist releases her popular song “Home And A Hometown.”

The song is a special one. It is Ellis’ story of falling in love and feeling at home in Nashville, but still finding herself missing and loving her hometown. The songstress shared, “I realized that I love both places so much for different reasons and it occurred to me that I have a home and a hometown. I came home to Nashville and wrote the song that week.”

“Cause I got a highway and I got a backroad // I got a fast-paced life and a place I go to move slow // One I wanna make it, one I wanna make proud // No matter which one I’m leavin’ I still wanna turn around // ‘Cause I got a home and I got a hometown”

In just a few more weeks, Ellis will share the song on one of the most prestigious stages in Nashville. She makes her Opry debut on September 28th. Then shortly after, Ellis will release her next single “Us.” 2021 is sure to be a huge year for the rising star!

Hannah-ellis-new-song

Hannah Ellis’ new song, “Home And A Hometown” is out now, August 27th, on all streaming platforms.

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news and announcements about future Hannah Ellis releases.

To keep up with Hannah Ellis follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

“Home And A Hometown” is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

Renee Blair Releases Brand New Song “Turn Up The Night”

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Renee Blair’s new song, “Turn Up The Night” is out now, August 27th, on all streaming platforms.  Take a look below as we dig into the track.

We have been huge fans of Renee Blair since she first burst onto the music scene back in 2018. The talented singer-songwriter continues to impress with each new release. Although Blair typically releases songs that she co-writes, today she is releasing a track she did not have a hand in penning but fell in love with all the same. Her brand new song and fan-favorite, “Turn Up The Night” dropped today.

During our conversation with Blair, she shared how special this song is to her. “I feel like I have a little bit of a golden ticket by sheer ‘right place/ right song’,” she begins. “When he [Kane Brown] was working on the demo, I knew it was just an undeniable hit, an absolute smash.” Written by Kane Brown, Corey Crowder, Jordan Schmidt, and Matt McGinn, the song became hers after Brown passed on it for his latest project. “At the last minute when Kane didn’t end up putting it on his record, I kind of begged and pleaded, ‘will you guys please give me the chance to sing this song?'”

“Get everybody feeling right in the neighborhood // hey it’s the freaking weekend, we got to turn it to ten // Doing whatever we like // If we’re going out, it ain’t gunna be quiet // It’s going down, down / We bout to turn up the night”

The single is sassy and celebratory! The perfect song to jam to before a night out with friends. Blair manages to elevate the song vocally too. According to the songstress, “this song had been my show opener and still is, and probably always will be. It’s such a good way to kick off the live aspect and get the crowd hyped.”

Finally, Blair promises that more new music is on its way. Calling it a “party pack,” the singer has some more fun-loving songs coming out soon. She also hinted at a collaboration with a top female songstress in the industry, coming out in October. Stay tuned!

renee-blair-new-song

Renee Blair’s new song “Turn Up The Night” is available now, August 27th on all streaming platforms.

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news and announcements about future Renee Blair releases.

To keep up with Renee Blair, follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

“Turn Up The Night” is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

Nelly-60-seconnds

5 Things to Expect from Nelly’s Country-Inspired Upcoming Album

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Superstar Nelly is going country! His country-inspired album, Heartland is due out this Friday, August 27th. It features collaborations with country artists like Blanco Brown, Florida Georgia Line, Darius Rucker, Chris Bandi, and more. After chatting with the megastar, we are giving you the inside scoop about what to expect from the brand new project.

Nelly - Heartland

Nelly’s country-inspired project ‘Heartland’ is due out this Friday, August 27th

  1. Nelly may not have listened to country music growing up, but he was still a country music fan.

“The way that I kinda got turned on to country music,” he shares, “my uncle was the one that turned me on to music, but what he made sure to do was he taught me to appreciate all music. All music is good.”

 

  1. His hit record Country Grammar inadvertently inspired his connection to country music and country music fans.

“I was getting so much love from the country music community ever since Country Grammar came out, they had been rocking with me. I didn’t know it would lead me to this moment, but I definitely knew that it was something special.”

 

  1. Heartland came to fruition due to the time Nelly got to create during the pandemic.

“What really allowed me to do this project was the pandemic. It allowed me time to sit down and think about how I was going to take these blessings from this whole different genre of music and salute them for showing me the love.” He declared later, “This album is my salute to the whole country world for showing Nelly so much love.”

 

  1. The new record is country-inspired because Nelly will never quite identify himself as a country artist.

 “I’m just trying to tell my story and rock out, but the thing is my story connected with so many people that it allowed me to do this project today.”

 

5. The incredible collaborations were done intentionally!

“There’s no doubt about it that the majority of my features are these young African Americans [Breland, Kane Brown, Jimmie Allen] in this business of country music. That is definitely on purpose.”

 

Check back here on Friday, August 27th for our exclusive interview and full album review of Nelly’s Heartland.

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news about future Nelly releases.

* Interview Conducted by: Stephanie Wagner // Written by: Erica Zisman for Country Swag

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Luke Combs Releases “South On Ya”, SEC Football’s New Hype Song

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Luke Combs’ new song, “South On Ya” is out now, August 26th, on all streaming platforms. The track serves as SEC Football’s latest hype song. Take a look below as we dig into the track.

Luke Combs has been a man of the people all quarantine long! The superstar consistently releases brand new music, keeping a ‘fans first’ mentality, always. He recently secured two more number one hits to add to his collection with “Forever After All” and “Better Together.” Additionally, Combs has teased numerous unreleased tracks over the past few months including “See Me Now” and “Good Old Days.” Today, in collaboration with SEC Football, the singer officially releases the latest hype song, “South On Ya.”

The song grew in popularity when Combs first teased the track earlier this summer and is slated to serve as the SEC Network’s 2021 college football anthem. “South On Ya” is as fun and rowdy as they come, proving that Combs is just a good old southern boy at heart. In the track, the singer pays homage to the fourteen teams in the football conference.

“Got a little dirt road dust runnin’ through our blood // From a never-heard-of-it hometown // Got a can’t-quit heart and some take-it-too-far // And a whole lot of never-back-down”

The southern anthem is a perfect fit for Combs’ impressive catalog of music. It is nice to see the singer have some fun on the one-of-a-kind jam!

Luke-combs-new-song

Luke Combs new song, “South On Ya” is out now, August 27th, on all streaming platforms.

Combs is headed out on the road this fall, with two nights at the famous Madison Square Garden in New York City. For tickets, head to his website.

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news and announcements about future Luke Combs releases.

To keep up with Luke Combs, follow him on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

“South On Ya” is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

kacey-musgraves-new-music

Kacey Musgraves Drops New Song & Announces Brand New Album

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Kacey Musgraves surprised fans with a brand new song “star-crossed” and announces a forthcoming album of the same name, due out on September 10th.

Superstar Kacey Musgraves is one of the most uniquely talented artists on the music scene today. The GRAMMY-award winner has made a name for herself through praise from the industry and a loyal fanbase. Earlier this week, she announced her brand new album and released the title track “star-crossed.” Additionally, Musgraves shared the news of a film for the project also being released on September 10th.

The highly-anticipated fourth studio album follows the 2018 success of Golden Hour. Keeping with the etherealness of her past music, “star-crossed” is wonderfully beautiful. The song is both mesmerizing and entrancing, words you do not usually use to describe a country song. About a minute into the song, Musgrave’s piercing vocals begin. She effortlessly sets the stage for what will be a magnificent project and film.

“What have we done? // Did we fly too high just to get burned by the sun? // No one’s to blame // “Cause we called all the angels to save us // Called them by name // But I guess they got lost // Star-crossed”

The upcoming record features fifteen tracks in total. The film can be viewed on September 10th exclusively on Paramount+.

star-crossed Tracklist:

  1. star-crossed
  2. good wife
  3. cherry blossom
  4. simple times
  5. if this was a movie..
  6. justified
  7. angel
  8. breadwinner
  9. camera roll
  10. easier said
  11. hookup scene
  12. keep lookin’ up
  13. what doesn’t kill me
  14. there is a light
  15. gracias a la vida
Kacey-musgraves-music

Kacey Musgraves’ new song “star-crossed” is out now

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news and announcements about future Kacey Musgraves releases.

To keep up with Kacey Musgraves follow her on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter.

“star-crossed” is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

Jessie James Decker Drops New Song “Should Have Known Better”

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Jessie James Decker’s new song, “Should Have Known Better” is out now, August 20th, on all streaming platforms.  Take a look below as we dig into the track.

In her brand new single, “Should Have Know Better,” Jessie James Decker is on full display. The singer and entrepreneur shows off her feisty side, singing about how a break-up is definitely not going to get her down.

Fans of Decker have come to love her spirited and sassy personality. In every release, she makes sure to show off her killer vocal range and her bubbly personality. On “Should Have Known Better,” Decker invites everyone that has ever had their heartbroken to shake it off the best they can.

“Forgive and forget, well forget about that // One look in the mirror and I ain’t ever lookin’ back // They say karma’s a bit… but I’ma make it seem sweet // Cause I’m dressed to kill, honey, how’s it feel knowing you lost me // Cause if it hurts like hell, you can only blame yourself // Should have known better than to break my heart”

The new single is Decker’s first release, since her 2020 Christmas single, “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.” We are interested to see what is in store for the songstress, as she focuses on her music career this year as a signed artist.

jessie-james-decker-song-new

Jessie James Decker’s new song “Should Have Known Better” is available now

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news and announcements about future Jessie James Decker releases.

To keep up with Jessie James Decker, follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

“Should Have Known Better” is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.