Kane Brown: ‘Different Man’ – Album Review

Kane Brown’s new album, Different Man is out now, September 9th on all streaming platforms. Take a listen and read our full review below.

Since bursting onto the country music scene in 2015, Kane Brown has become one of country music’s fastest rising superstars. Today, the singer-songwriter releases his third album, Different Man, which features seventeen new tracks that run the gamut of styles.

For the Sony Music Nashville superstar, Different Man allows him to explore a wide array of sounds and styles while still remaining true to himself as an artist. One of Brown’s core tenants has always been his fans and this is ever-consistent on this album, as Brown relied on them to choose the cover art, which was then revealed on Paramount’s Times Square Billboard.

As dedicated as Brown is to his fans, he’s also dedicated to the state of Georgia, where he was raised. In fact, both the album’s opening and closing tracks revolve around the state, with the opener (“Bury Me in Georgia”) imploring those he leaves behind to give him a final resting place in Georgia while its bookend (“Dear Georgia”) reads as more of a love letter. The opening track kicks off with somber church bells before kicking up a one-two country beat, with Brown singing, “Bury me in Georgia, let me rest in peace // Underneath the pines, where my roots run deep,” He sings. “When I die, bury me in Georgia.”

The album’s title track is an immediate standout, Brown trading verses with Blake Shelton on the dark and brooding tune. Here, the pair are questioning their purposes in life, wondering if they were made for the stage and not small town life. “What if I was made for the stage? // What if I was made for the lights? // What if I was chosen to write the stories?” They ask. “Wasn’t built to work the line // Oh what if I was different?”

Another highlight of the album is “Thank God,” a folksy ballad featuring Brown’s wife, Katelyn, as his duet partner. Here, the pair share verses of how thankful they are to have found each other. “Thank God I get to wake up by your side // Thank God your hand fits perfectly in mine,” the pair sing. “Thank God you loved me when you didn’t have to // But you did and you do and He knew // Thank God for giving me you.”

Other romantic moments of the collection include the sweet “Nothing I’d Change,” the bouncy “See You Like I Do,” and “Leave You Alone,” a smooth and soulful ballad that shows Brown’s R&B influences. 

Throughout Different Man, Brown celebrates his influences, stretching himself beyond country music. This is most apparent on songs like “Drunk or Dreaming,” which has hints of Margaritaville, “Grand,” a hip-hop-infused celebration of life, and “Riot,” a darker promise to defend his family at all costs. Speaking to the New York Times, the star revealed that, with “Grand” he leaned into the naysayers. “I released ‘Grand,’ and there are so many comments that are saying, ‘This isn’t country.’ It’s like, ‘No [expletive]. I wasn’t trying to make this country.” 

However, there’s plenty of straight country on Different Man as well, including “Go Around,” “Like I Love Country Music,” “Whiskey Sour,” and “Pop’s Last Name.” The latter is a tribute to his grandfather, while “Go Around” is a radio-ready mid-tempo about approaching a girl in a bar. Likewise, “Whiskey Sour” is another clear highlight, Brown drowning his sorrows over love lost in the drink, recalling the first his ex bought him to the ones he finds himself lost in now.

On Different Man, Brown allows himself the grace to remain absolutely true to himself. “I used to always be nervous about what people were going to think, and I was kind of scared — I didn’t want people to think that I was leaving country music because that’s my heart,” Brown revealed to the New York Times. “But now, it’s just to the point where it’s like, I’m a dad now, two kids; I care what they think. So I’m just not that scared kid anymore.”

Different Man 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.