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Jake Worthington: Self-titled Debut Album Review

Jake Worthington’s self-titled debut album with Big Loud Records is out now on all streaming platforms. Listen to the new album below.

With a voice laced with depth, sincerity and traditionalism, Big Loud recording artist Jake Worthington is certainly a standout in the modern landscape. Today, the country newcomer released his debut self-titled album, a thirteen track love letter to country music.

For the Texas native who grew up on the likes of Ray Price, Merle Haggard, and George Jones, traditional country music is in his DNA. “I don’t mind being a dark horse,” he reveals in a statement. “Blame it on my raising, but I think there ought to be room for country in country music. It took me a long time to get here, but I’m ready to go to work.”

For Worthington, who co-wrote all but one of the new tracks, the project cements his place as a standout of the genre. With co-writers including ERNEST, Seth Ennis, Jessi Alexander, David Lee Murphy, and more, the young crooner sounds wise beyond his 27 years.

Maybe best known as the runner up on the sixth season of NBC’s The Voice, Worthington’s debut establishes him as way more than a flash in the pan reality contestant. In fact, throughout the album, Worthington often channels his inner George Strait, and we mean that in a good way. This styling is apparent on the album’s first track, “State You Left Me In,” which hearkens melodically and stylistically back to Strait’s classic “The Chair.” While his lost love is moving on, both literally and figuratively, he’ll be sure to stick around, just in case she ever comes back.

Love lost is a prevalent theme throughout the album, weaving its way through songs like “Without You,” “Ain’t Got You to Hold,” and “She Ain’t You.” While the latter is a stirring ballad, the others are toe-tapping dance floor anthems that are sure to have listeners two-stepping at the dance halls. The lyrics may be dealing with heartbreak, but there’s no lack of happiness within the actual music, providing an interesting juxtaposition for listeners.

“Single at the Same Time” is an immediate standout, a toe-tapping ode to a couple who just can’t seem to get their timing right. “If we’re ever single at the same time // Don’t call me a friend // Just call me sometime,” He muses. “Don’t think I ain’t got the same thing on my mind // If we’re ever single at the same time.”

“Honky Tonk Crowd,” “Night Time is My Time,” and “Next New Thing” are all laden with slide guitars and twangy piano. On each of these tracks,  Worthington knows exactly who he is, what he likes, and where he’s going. “I’m just a good ol’ boy,” He sings, his voice laden with country inflection. “Looking for the next new thing.” 

“Pop Goes the Whiskey” enlists ERNEST as both a co-writer and duet partner, on a song that is remnant of early Brad Paisley. On the love-lost tune, the pair trade verses about trying to move on at the bottom of the bottle. “Oh, and what do you know // Here I go // Back to the bottle again // Between heartache and liquor I’m up to my eyes,” They sing. “And I’m looking // For a tipsy // That’ll fix me for good this time // And it looks like its pop goes the whiskey tonight.”

“Closing Time” is the most appropriate final track, a barstool ballad mixing heartbreak with last call as Worthington compares moving on from a doomed relationship to the end of the night blues. “It just ain’t close enough to closin’ time // For me to leave this bar // And our love behind // I know I’ll close my tab // With you off my mind,” He drawls. “It just ain’t close enough to closin’ time.”

Produced by Joey Moi, Jake Worthington’s self-titled LP is one that is sure to entice traditional country music fans while winning over tons of new ones. It’s a modern way to approach classic country, resulting in one of the genre’s most intriguing and impressive debuts in recent memory.

Jake Worthington Track List:

  1. State You Left Me In (Timothy Baker, Roger Springer, Jake Worthington) 
  2. Single At The Same Time (Robert Arthur, Kim Penz, Jacob Weinschenk (Boyd), Jake Worthington) 
  3. Without You (Jody Booth, Roger Springer, Jake Worthington) 
  4. Pop Goes The Whiskey (feat. ERNEST) (Rocky Block, Kyle Fishman, Seth Ennis, Ernest Keith Smith) 
  5. Ain’t Got You To Hold (Joe Denim, Roger Springer, Jake Worthington) 
  6. She Ain’t You (Jake Doucet, Roger Springer, Jake Worthington) 
  7. Next New Thing (Steve Leslie, Roger Springer, Jake Worthington) 
  8. Honky Tonk Crowd (Clint Daniels, Jeff Hyde, Roger Springer, Jake Worthington)
  9. I Ain’t Goin Anywhere (Wyatt McCubbin, Roger Springer, Jake Worthington) 
  10. Night Time Is My Time (Monty Holmes, Roger Springer, Jake Worthington) 
  11. Only One Way To Find Out (Jessi Alexander, Dave Cohen, David Lee Murphy, Jake Worthington) 
  12. Heaven Can’t Be Found (Will Jones, Kim Penz, Roger Springer, Jake Worthington) 
  13. Closing Time (Nick Walsh, Jake Worthington) 

Country Swag Picks:

  1. “Single at the Same Time”
  2. “State You Left Me In”
  3. “Pop Goes the Whiskey”
Jake-worthington-debut-album

Jake Worthington’s self-titled debut album is officially out now on all streaming platforms.

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

To keep up with the star, follow him on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.

Jake Worthington’s self-titled debut album 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.

who-is-jake-worthington

Who Is Jake Worthington? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

Who is Jake Worthington? The singer-songwriter joined us to chat about his journey to country music. Get to know the rising star here…

who-is-jake-worthington

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Jake Denton Worthington
Birthdate – 3/01/1996
Hometown – La Porte, Texas
Current City – Durant, Oklahoma
Musical Influences – Merle Haggard, George Jones, Keith Whitley, Whitney Shaafer, Tommy Collins, Harley Allen, Wayne Kemp
Label – Big Loud Records
Current Single – “State You Left Me In” (As of article date – 4/03/23)

The Beginning:

Today we are sharing all about singer-songwriter, Jake Worthington’s story behind his journey to country music. The Texas native is a true lover of country music, and it shows in the way he talks about the genre, his songwriting, and of course, his own music.

“Growing up, country music was always around, but my grandpa was a big reason why I love the genre,” began Worthington. At a young age, the singer recalls being infatuated with traditional country artists like Merle Haggard George Jones, and Keith Whitley.

“I come from a background of traditional influence and I’ve always heard it. It was always important to hear these things and to know what comes before you,” he shared, adding later “There’s so many different decades of this stuff that I love. […] As a whole, I think that country music is very, very diverse, and it’s not as one dimensional.”

Barely a teenager, Worthington was already playing music in and around his hometown. “I played in a band there, when I was 13 or 14, that’s when I started at least trying to get into bars and wherever they’d let us make some noise at,” he shared.

“Music is the only thing that ever made sense to me. Nothing else did, and it was always there.”

The Turning Point:

Armed with a true love for country music, Worthington was given the opportunity of a lifetime when he auditioned for the sixth season of the hit show, ‘The Voice.’ “By the time I turned 17 or 18 years old, that was whenever the opportunity to do the TV show came along,” he shared. “That was a great experience and had I not done it, I can’t say I would have evolved into musicality the way I have over the years.”

Worthington auditioned with the iconic song, “Don’t Close Your Eyes.” He was the runner-up of his season, a huge accomplishment that catapulted his young career. “From that point, a lot of doors opened up for a guy,” he began. “I was fortunate enough to have the state of Texas and the independent music scene that we have down there. […] I was able to really get a start going and started writing songs more.”

Worthington spent years honing his craft and songwriting wherever he could, both in Nashville and in Oklahoma. Finally, in 2021, his hard work started to pay off monumentally, as he signed with his label, Big Loud Records.

Today:

Flash forward to present day, Worthington and his fans are awaiting his debut self-titled record, slated for release this Friday, April 7th. The record features 13 original songs, with all but one co-penned by the entertainer. “I’m over the moon, I can’t wait for it to come out. It’s been a long time coming, but right on time I feel like for me,” he shared.

Recently, the singer gave fans a taste of the record, releasing songs, “State You Left Me In” and “Next New Thing.” “We put out them two songs and there’s eleven more coming out on April 7th. We cut the record at Blackbird Studios with Joey Moi. I have not allowed myself to be prideful in a lot of things over the last long while, but I’m pretty dang proud of what we were able to accomplish and do.”

Worthington also shared an appreciation for a song called “Closing Time,” that is featured on the record. Co-written by the singer with Nick Walsh, the song is a true embodiment of the singer’s trajectory as an artist.

“Every song on there brings back a different memory. I can remember writing them, I think “Closing Time” is probably a song that stands out. I had written that song with a buddy of mine, and we been knowing each other for around four or five years. We never wrote together, we just drank whiskey a lot, and I’d always refer to him as my whiskey drinking buddy, and we knew we wanted to do this stuff,” he began. “Once this COVID stuff kind of happened, we wrote a lot over the phone, and that was one of the first songs, if not the first song that we wrote together. I remember that write and I remember how proud we were of that song.”

For Worthington, each and every song on the project speaks to who he is as a person and as an artist. It is a true testament to the last five years or so of his life. “I would hope that the listeners will get to the feeling of the record. This record is genuine to me over the last five years of my life,” he shared. “I think that’s what songs are meant for. I’m incredibly thankful that my kind of singing and my kind of thinking is getting the opportunity to be heard.”

Connect:

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

To keep up with Jake Worthington, follow him on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook.

Jake Worthington’s music 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.

Jake-worthington-debut-album

Jake Worthington Shares Two New Songs Ahead of Debut Album

Jake Worthington shares two new songs “State You Left Me In” and “Next New Thing,” out now, March 17th, on all streaming platforms. Listen to the new tracks below.

Country music’s cowboy, Jake Worthington is gearing up for his self-titled debut album, slated for release on April 7th. While fans anxiously await the record, Worthington is sharing two new songs to please country music fans. Today, the singer-songwriter released “State You Left Me In” and “Next New Thing,” out now.

Both of the new songs were co-written by Worthington. “State You Left Me In” was written by the singer with Timothy Baker and Roger Springer, while “Next New Thing” boasts writing credits for Steve Leslie and Roger Springer. On the former, “State You Left Me In,”  Worthington shows off his vulnerable side. The beautiful song feels heartfelt and relatable, as the singer laments about heartbreak. On the contrary, “Next New Thing” is a mid-tempo jam. The song is a perfect fit for some line dancing. Worthington shows off his range on these two cohesive, yet different tracks.

While country music has evolved over the last several years, it is refreshing to see someone firmly plant their heels in the traditional sound. Worthington is that artist. He creates music that appeals to the traditionalist, while modern country music lovers can still appreciate his talent, emotion, and relatable songwriting. Keep your eyes and ears ready for the singer-songwriter’s debut record!

Jake-worthington-new-songs

Jake Worthington shares two new songs, ahead of debut album.

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

To keep up with Jake Worthington, follow him on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook.

“State You Left Me In” and “Next New Thing” are now available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released music here on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.