I Grew up on Country Radio—Here Are 3 Things Today’s Hits Still Get Right

If you’re anything like me, you grew up listening to The Chicks, Miranda Lambert, and probably a little bit of Rascal Flatts. People always like to say that country music isn’t what it used to be, but I disagree. Here are three things I think today’s hits do pretty well, and maybe for some, a little better than the classics.

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They Know How To Land a Hook

When it comes to hitting the nail on the head in this department, a modern song that comes to mind for me is “One Thing At A Time” by Morgan Wallen. Say what you want about this controversial country star, but his ability to set up a chorus is super impressive. In this song, Wallen sings about managing bad habits, eventually admitting to a girl that he can only quit so many things at once. In the chorus, Wallen sings:

“I can either burn the bar down

Or I can take your number out my phone

I can give you up right now

And never want you back long as I’m half-stoned

If you want me to quit you, want me to get you

Outta my heart and, baby, off my mind

I hate to tell you, girl, but I’m only quittin’ one thing at a time.”

Sure, it’s no “The House That Built Me”, but hook-wise, Wallen kills it with this one.

They Can Still Tell a Pretty Good Story

If you told me you wanted a good storytelling song, I’d probably point you toward Kris Kristofferson or George Strait. But if you’re looking for someone that’s on the charts right now, look no further than Ms. Megan Moroney.

Moroney’s fans love her because she spares no detail in her music, but she does so with a certain wit and charm that not everyone has. One of my favorite examples of this is the way that Megan Moroney tells the story in her song, “Hair Salon”.

In “Hair Salon,” Moroney details a trip she takes to get her hair done. She sets the tone in the first verse, singing:

“I called up Bernadette, she had a 10 a.m.

Thank God, she had the time to squeeze me in

My blonde was gettin’ brassy, my roots were comin’ in

I let her do the talkin’, let her spill the tea

I pay for the color, but the drama’s free.”

In the chorus, Moroney’s hair appointment gets ruined when she hears “from three chairs down” that her ex has moved on to a new girl. What I love about this one is, in the place you’d probably expect a story to be told the least, Moroney keeps her audience totally captivated.

They Know How To Keep Us on Our Toes

When I think of surprising country songs, “Two Black Cadillacs” by Carrie Underwood hits every time. But if you’re searching for a new songwriter with a clever approach to her titles, I’ve got you all covered with Ashley Cooke.

In this recent Ashley Cooke song, the singer-songwriter catches everyone by surprise with the way she wraps up the chorus. At the beginning of her song “xs”, Ashley sings about infidelity in a relationship. No big deal, plenty of songs start out that way. Then, in chorus, she says what’s been said probably thousand times before, in the most clever way possible.

“Whiskey nights, wandering eyes make messes

Hiding phones, “I don’t knows” make questions

Towns talk and the truth starts spreading

And don’t you know crossing lines makes xs?”

I mean, come on. There’s no denying that’s genius songwriting.

Photo by: Michael Buckner/Billboard via Getty Images