Jon Langston’s ‘Dance Tonight’ + 10 More New Songs You Need to Hear
A wide variety of country artists released new music this week. Read on to get all caught up, and get acquainted with your new favorite jams!
Jon Langston, "Dance Tonight":
Jon Langston is laying the romance on thick in his latest song, “Dance Tonight.” In the track, Langston lets it be known that, although he is not perfect -- in this case, he’s not the greatest dancer -- he will always try to make the person he loves happy. Langston paints a dreamy image of their picturesque evening, singing, “If you wanna dance tonight / I ain't the best, but, baby, I can try / Light some candles ‘round the wraparound porch / Bare feet glidin' 'cross them hardwood floors.” -- CC
Aaron Lewis, "It Keeps on Workin'":
Aaron Lewis isn’t holding back in his latest single, “It Keeps on Workin’.” In the song, Lewis lays out all of the troubles he sees with today’s country music, and questions why people are buying it -- and in typical Lewis fashion, he’s not afraid to offend anyone, either. “Just when I think it's over / Another one comes along / Fresh new face in his sister's jeans / Singing the same damn song,” Lewis sings. “But it keeps on workin' / Tell me why, why, why does it keep on workin'?” "It Keeps on Working" is off of Lewis' 2019 release, State I'm In. -- CC
Mumford & Sons, "Beloved":
The second single off of Mumford & Sons' latest album, Delta, "Beloved" is a tender, anthemic ballad about loving someone -- and then letting them go. The group filmed an acoustic live video of the song at the World's End pub in London, inviting fans to sit in a circle around the musicians in an intimate performance that matches the track's soft, intimate message perfectly. Mumford & Sons are currently out on an 63-stop, worldwide arena tour in support of their new project. The run is the group's most extensive touring undertaking to date. -- CL
Patty Griffin, "Hourglass":
Off of her upcoming, self-titled new album, Americana heavyweight Patty Griffin has shared a brand new song, "Hourglass." Backed by a swinging, serpentine melody, the track takes a light-hearted approach to life's inexplicable twists and turns.
"When I sing it, it feels like fun," Griffin explains to Garden & Gun, who premiered the track. "It brings humor to the fact that all we do is start over, over and over again -- try stuff out, get lost and start all over. The older I get, the more I appreciate the clueless, curious and adventurous dreamer inside me. It's gotten me here, and that's pretty good." Patty Griffin is slotted for release on March 8. -- CL
Rita Wilson, "Throw Me a Party":
Rita Wilson's "Throw Me a Party" is a deeply personal track about wanting to celebrate life rather than mourn it. In the song, Wilson tells her friends and family what they should do when she dies: Instead of hosting a somber affair, she urges them to share their stories, laugh, dance … and throw her one heck of a party.
“When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I had so many different thoughts. You’re scared, anxious, you think about your own mortality. So I had a serious discussion with my husband that if anything happens, what I’d like is a party, a celebration,” Wilson shares in a press release. “Out of that story, I wrote “Throw Me a Party” with Liz Rose and Kristian Bush -- it was very personal, and it really defined a lot of the album.” "Throw Me a Party" will appear on Wilson's upcoming Halfway to Home album, which is expected later this spring. -- CC
Aaron Goodvin, "Bars & Churches":
Aaron Goodvin's debut single, "Bar & Churches," is all about finding a place of comfort. Goodvin draws thoughtful and creative parallels between the two titular places, singing “Yeah, there's one on every corner / You ain't gotta look too hard / And those doors'll swing wide open / No matter who you are / It's where Jesus knows to go / To find the sinners and the saints / It's where you hit your knees / Say a prayer and take a drink / ‘Cause we're all hurtin' / And we're all searchin' / In bars and churches.” “Bars & Churches” will head to country radio on April 1. -- CC
Melissa Etheridge, "Faded by Design":
Melissa Etheridge is ready to share the first single off of her upcoming album, The Medicine Show. "Faded By Design" is a heavy-hitting country-rock song about Etheridge taking her well-being into her own hands rather than relying on traditional Western medicine. Etheridge powerfully sings her message: “Don't call the doctor / The cure is in my mind.”
“The sound of the song and the whole record is purposefully aimed at that ‘90s rock sound -- when rock was moody and fierce,” Etheridge explains in a press release. ““Faded” is spot-on a Melissa Etheridge song. You know it from the first few notes. I wrote it on my 12-string and kept it true to that sound.” -- CC
Jim Lauderdale, "For Keeps":
Jim Lauderdale is adding another classic country love song to his impressive catalog with "For Keeps." He co-wrote the touching track with The Boot 2019 Artist to Watch Logan Ledger and Melba Montgomery, who is well-known in part because of her duets with George Jones.
“Logan and I are both huge fans of Melba, and I’ve been lucky enough to write with her over the years. When we all got together for the first time, the magic just flowed,” Lauderdale shares in a press release. “Melba was talking about her late husband, Jack, and how when she met him, they had this special thing and she just knew that is was for keeps. When she said that, I instantly knew it was a great hook for a real traditional country love song. I wanted to write a song that we could’ve pitched to George Jones. I really want to keep that real country sound alive.” -- CC
Stephanie Quayle, "If I Was a Cowboy":
In her latest single, “If I Was a Cowboy,” Stephanie Quayle is aching from heartbreak, thinking about how the stereotypical cowboy could simply get up, walk away and pretend like it never happened. Quayle seems to envy the rough-and-tumble, detached lifestyle, passionately singing, “Cowboys don’t cry / Cowboys can lie to themselves / And to everyone else when it’s over / Cowboys ain’t fragile / They’re back in the saddle / Don’t wait for their heart to unbreak / They just ride away...” -- CC
Shenandoah, "Little Bit of Livin'":
Shenandoah are ready to return to country radio with their new single, “Little Bit of Livin’.” The song is country to the core, as the band sings about trying to see the positives in everyday life. "The first time I heard the song “Little Bit of Livin’,” it made me think of our hit song “Next to You, Next to Me,”” Shenandoah frontman Marty Raybon says in a press release. "It's got that fun, bouncy lyric and melody that has folks already singing and clapping along. We've been trying it out a few places, and it seems to be working just fine!" "Little Bit of Livin'" appears on the group’s latest release, Reloaded. -- CC
Logan Brill, "Walk of Shame":
In her latest single, “Walk of Shame,” Logan Brill is calling out double standards and embracing her own sexuality. “I hope listeners feel empowered by this song,” Brill says in a press release. “There’s something really powerful about being vulnerable and real about your decisions. I think sometimes women are made to feel ashamed of their sexuality, but to me “Walk of Shame” says it’s okay to own it. It also says, remember, it takes two.” “Walk of Shame” was written by Brill alongside Nathan Chapman and Chad Carlson. -- CC