No one could have predicted what the current decade of country music looks like. With new world records being set, new sounds, and amazing collaborations, we’re taking a closer look at three songs that came out in 2020, which helped influence the entire decade.
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“More Than My Hometown” by Morgan Wallen
When Morgan Wallen released “More Than My Hometown” on his Dangerous: The Double Album, he had no idea how much his career would explode. Already a certified hitmaker, with several multi-platinum hits to his credit, “More Than My Hometown” helped seal Wallen’s superstar status. Five years after releasing “More Than My Hometown”, Wallen is still shattering country music records.
Wallen wrote “More Than My Hometown” with Ernest Keith Smith and Ryan Vojtesak. The song is about a man who isn’t willing to relocate to the city to be with his girlfriend. “More Than My Hometown” says, “I love you more than the feeling when the bass hits the hook /When the guy gets the girl at the end of the book. But, baby, this might be the last time I get to lay you down. ‘Cause I can’t love you more than my hometown.”
“Happy Anywhere” by Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani
When Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani released “Happy Anywhere” in July of 2020, they were still a year away from getting married. The song is also their second consecutive single, after “Nobody But You”, and their second consecutive No. 1 hit.
If “Happy Anywhere” did anything, it proved that Shelton and Stefani are a match made in musical heaven. The song, on Shelton’s Body Language album, is written by Ross Copperman, Josh Osborne, and Matt Jenkins.
“Happy Anywhere” says, “I’m runnin’ wide open / I was born with my feet in motion / But since I met you, I swear / I could be happy anywhere / Any map dot location / You’re always my destination / You’re the only thing that I’m chained to / I could be happy anywhere.”
“Better Together” by Luke Combs
Luke Combs had a five-week run at the top of the charts with “Better Together“. Written by Combs, along with Dan Isbell and Randy Montana, “Better Together” is on Combs’s sophomore What You See Is What You Get record.
The song came out only a couple of months after Combs married his wife, Nicole Hocking. The song’s inspiration is, not surprisingly, their relationship. It also gives a good indication of how personal Combs is willing to go in his music.
“That’s kind of our whole story up to this point in a way,” Combs tells Stage Right Secrets. “You know, I just wanted her to know that I’m always thinking about her, and there’s always inspiration there. This song just happened to be what we came up with that day.”
“Better Together” says, “Some things just go better together / And probably always will / Like a cup of coffee and a sunrise / Sunday drives and time to kill / What’s the point of this old guitar / If it ain’t got no strings / Or pouring your heart into a song / That you ain’t gonna sing? / It’s a match made up in heaven / Like good ole boys and beer / And me, as long as you’re right here.”
Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for CMA
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