Country | 5ive Songs

On the 95^th edition of 5ive Songs (2021), we select five songs that are associated with COUNTRY in some form or fashion.

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elcome to 5ive Songs, where we keep things short and sweet – no extra calories or needless fluff! There’s a theme/topic, five songs, and a short blurb.  Yes, it’s a playlist, but it’s a miniature playlist that shouldn’t take much time to consume.  On the 95^th  edition of 5ive Songs (2021), we select five songs that are associated with COUNTRY in some form or fashion.  Okay, let’s get into it!

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1. Thomas Rhett, “Country Again”

💿 Country Again (Side A) • 🏷 Big Machine • 📅 2021

🎵 “Country Again,” has a strong case as the sincerest ballad on 💿 Country Again (Side A), the fifth studio album by 🏆 Grammy-nominated country artist, 🎙 Thomas Rhett. On this particular album, Rhett, previously known for his multi-genre experiments fused with country, returns to his country music roots. “Country Again” is a song that really finds Rhett reclaiming those roots – musically and personally – after shedding them.  No, not merely shedding a crossover approach to country music, but based on the songwriting, his actual life and how he’d moved away from what he was/his roots to some extent.

Now, as Rhett has become older, he’s returned to being ‘country again’ even if certain things have totally changed.  “But last night, we cracked some cold beers and craned Eric Church to ten,” he sings, as he recalls of a meeting with his “back home buddies.” He ultimately reflects in that instance, and throughout the record, “‘Man, it feels good to be country again.’”

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 15 Songs Featuring Music Genres in their Title
🔗 🎧 Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy: May 2021

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2. Morgan Wallen, “Country A$$ Shit”

💿 Dangerous: The Double Album • 🏷 Big Loud / Republic • 📅 2021

🎙 Morgan Wallen has experienced a ‘come up’ becoming of country’s biggest names.  His ascent set up a sophomore album, 💿 Dangerous: The Double Album, that was tremendously successful in 2021 with ample selling points.  The problem, however, is Wallen got in his own way when he drunkenly utterly racial slurs. It didn’t hurt his sales but did eliminate him for contention for awards he likely would’ve won including 🏆 Grammys.  Blackballed? Seems that way. Focusing on the country-ness at hand, Wallen bestowed some real 🎵 “Country A$$ Shit” on us!

“Country A$$ Shit” finally comes along on the second disc of Dangerous: The Doulble Album. Ultimately, it’s funny – and unapologetically country – as anticipated. Wallen sounds incredibly loose here and fittingly, he doesn’t give a SugarHoneyIcedTea! He says it best:

“I just wanna do country-ass shit
... But wait a minute, the whole world can kiss it
‘Cause me and my country ass gone fishin’.”

Sigh, there’s really nothing more you can say about that… “Shit.”

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3. Paul Cauthen, “Country as Fuck”

💿 Country Coming Down • 🏷 Velvet Rose / Thirty Tigers • 🗓 2022

“Call it country / Country as fuck.” Well, that’s an on-the-nose lyric, 🎙 Paul Cauthen. The Americana/country singer/songwriter clearly didn’t get the memo that country musicians can’t release songs with f-bombs! Obviously, he doesn’t give a F considering he clearly wants the world to know how country he is on 🎵 “Country as Fuck”, the opener from the Texan’s 2022 album, 💿 Country Coming Down.

How serious do we take Mr. Cauthen? “Country as Fuck” is it has its pros.  One pro is the groove, which incites the body to M-O-V-E.  Another plus is the approach by Cauthen, who quasi-sings and quasi-raps rhythmically, often in an undertone.  Making himself pop culturally relevant, he references Lil Nas X and Tim McGraw (“Call me Lil Nas / Call me Tim McGraw / Not a moment too soon / I had horses in the stall”).  He also manages to shade Kenny Chesney asserting, “I was driving tractors before it got sexy / Real cowboys don’t rock to Kenny Chesney.” Besides colorful pop cultural references, Paul spends plenty of time confirming his country status, including trips to Piggly Wiggly, hunting, and of course, FISHING.  Did we mention that this man is country as fuccckkk on this novelty record that you should take with a ‘grain of salt’?

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4. Lana Del Rey, “Chemtrails Over the Country Club”

💿 Chemtrails Over the Country Club • 🏷 Interscope • 🗓 2021

“I’m on the run with you, my sweet love / There’s nothing wrong contemplating God / Under the chemtrails over the country club.” In January 2021, 🎙 Lana Del Rey dropped the fabulous 🎵 “Chemtrails Over the Country Club”, the title track from her 2021 album, 💿 Chemtrails Over the Country Club. For our intents in purposes, “Chemtrails Over the Country Club” provides a contrast to 🎧 Country: 5ive Songs stylistically and thematically. Like many Del Rey songs, “Chemtrails” doesn’t spare length, running four-and-a-half minutes.  The good news is that this a well-rounded, enjoyable record that’s clearly worth the time. It was penned by Del Rey and 🎼 ✍ Jack Antonoff with both producing.  From a songwriting perspective, the results are quite intriguing – poetically-penned with numerous allusions.  Of course, the best moment arrives from the jump, with Lana singing in her signature vocal style on the chorus (excerpted above).

“Chemtrails…” is certainly a vibe. The cool energy served up is nothing short of awesome.  The same can be said of the vocal production, which is spot-on.  Initially, accompanied only by piano, more instruments enter the gradually, including guitar and drums, filling things out nicely. After singing initially in her lower register on the chorus, Del Rey ascends into her gorgeous, rich upper register, showing her vocal versatility. Interestingly, the jam-packed “Chemtrails Over the Country Club” concludes with just a drum groove for an expanded period.  All in all, a fine record.

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy: January 2021

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5. Thomas Rhett, “What’s Your Country Song”

💿 Country Again (Side A) • 🏷 Big Machine • 📅 2021

“Did you grow up on a tractor? / Did your daddy let you drive? / Are you whiskey bent and hell bound?”  While the answers to the questions that 🎙 Thomas Rhett asks are a NO on my end, people who are from ‘the country’ most likely will answer, yes. 🎵 “What’s Your Country Song” keeps things relatively simple, but it’s also quite enjoyable, even if you’re not a country boy/gal.

Like the two songs preceding it on 💿 Country Again (Side A), “Your Country Song” retains a more traditional country sound – in a contemporary country sort of way.  The production is heavy on guitar, certainly checking off a country box. Like the excerpted from the first verse, Rhett asks about country experiences throughout to others who have similar experiences.  Given that, he concludes, everyone with such experiences has their own country song, captured perfectly on the chorus.

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 15 Songs Featuring Music Genres in their Title

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Country: 5ive Songs No. 95 (2021) [📷: Atlantic, Big Machine, Brent Faulkner, Clovis Cheminot, Cottonbro, The Musical Hype, OpenClipart-Vectors, Pexels, Pixabay, Thirty Tigers,Velvet Rose]

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