Mark Wills, Almost Doesn’t Count | COVERS

In the 36^th edition of COVERS (2025), Mark Wills delivers a compelling rendition of “Almost Doesn’t Count,” originally performed by Brandy.

Ah, it’s time to get cozy and cover up! In COVERS, we highlight a musician or band covering songs by another musician (likely a popular musician). COVERS focuses solely on the musician who covers.  It is open to established musicians and musicians who may not be as well-known. In the 36^th  edition of COVERS (2025), Mark Wills delivers a compelling rendition of “Almost Doesn’t Count”, originally performed by Brandy.

Can country music and R&B coexist? While both genres seem worlds apart, that is not always the case. R&B musicians have covered country songs, while country musicians have covered R&B songs.  A prime example comes from country musician Mark Wills (b. 1973). In 2000, he covered a Brandy gem, “Almost Doesn’t Count”, on his album, Permanently. Written by Shelly Peiken and Guy Roche, “Almost” originally appeared on Brandy’s ultra-successful 1998 album, Never Say Never, and reached the top 20 of the pop charts as a single the following year. Wills had big shoes to fill.  He proves he was up to the arduous musical task on this top 20 country song!

From the beginning, Mark Wills makes wise musical choices. How so? Instantly, in his hands, “Almost Doesn’t Count” earns a distinct country music treatment with the prominence of an acoustic guitar.  For the first half of the first verse, the arrangement is stripped, and no trace of teen-pop or R&B is found! Further cementing the distinction of Wills’ take, he brings the ‘T’ word: TWANG! To reiterate, these are wise musical decisions that allow this cover to differentiate from the original. By the second half of the first verse, the sound grows fuller. When the golden chorus comes along, the full instrumentation is in place. Wills cooks during the centerpiece, impressing with his big, countrified vocals:

“I can’t keep on loving you one foot outside the door

I hear a funny hesitation of a heart that’s never really sure

Can’t keep on tryin’ if you’re looking for more

Than all that I could give you, than what you came here for.”

After the big-time chorus, Wills brings things back down a bit during the second verse.  That said, it’s never as restrained as the first verse, and he gradually builds things back up. Adding to the gloriousness of the sound, the piano enters the mix, always a win in my book! A big drum riff and soaring pedal steel ushers in the second chorus, keeping the almost doesn’t count glory lofty! All told, Mark Wills maintains the sanctity of Brandy’s original, while making his rendition of “Almost Doesn’t Count” truly his own. This well-written song works marvelously as a country song.

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Mark Wills » Permanently » Mercury » 2000

Mark Wills, Almost Doesn’t Count: Covers No. 36 (2025) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Mercury; Alan Cordero, Flávia Vicentini from Pexels; AcatXIo, OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay]

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