From Country newcomers to Pop standouts, we have compiled a list of the top tracks for August 2021 based on our review readership.
At the top of the list, we have Tarrah, a Country music startup whose single “What I’m Missing” is solidifying her as one to watch. Scotty McCreery, David Archuleta, Lauren Alaina, Scarypoolparty, Caleb Lee Hutchinson, Danielle Bradbery, Wild Story and David Tribble also make the list for their new releases.
Country music newcomer Tarrah is proving her potential with new single, “What I’m Missing.” The North Carolina native’s debut release is a simple, break-up ballad that showcases Tarrah’s crystal clear vocals and undeniable tone. The track allows Tarrah’s talents to shine and sets the stage for what is to come from this young country hopeful.
Listen to “What I’m Missing” below.
Scotty McCreery – “Same Truck”
Scotty McCreery course-corrects with the title track to his forthcoming record. “Same Truck” oozes that red-dirt spirit; the radio-blasting feel-goodness that’s ripe for late summer, as fall peers over the horizon. “We’re all in the same truck, heading down a different two-lane / Kicking up the same dust / And praying for the same rain,” he sings, drawing the song into a universal story about living the good life.
Listen to “Same Truck” below.
David Archuleta pours it on a little hot and heavy (not gonna lie, we’re totally here for it). “Movin’” is a much flirtier affair than he usually tackles, yet slides into the side-pocket R&B groove with considerable ease. “I’m not like the others, honey, let me change your mind,” he sings over clinks of synths and percussion. His voice is seductive and will surely raise your body temperature.
Listen to “Movin’” below.
Lauren Alaina doesn’t play (when has she ever, though?). With a new song “It Was Me,” wrapped only with acoustic guitar, her sun-harvested voice, and little else, she rips her heart from her chest and reveals her misery to the world. “If I’m being honest, boy, I wasn’t being that honest, boy,” she crows over sweet lap steel. Despite already proving herself, it’s a performance of a lifetime.
Listen to “It Was Me” below.
Acoustic guitar pricks his fingertips, soon leading into a lush fabric of strings swelling in the background. Alejandro Aranda, known onstage as Scarypoolparty, rose to prominence on “American Idol” and continues to impress with his post-show catalog. “Poison” crinkles with its fragile and somehow elegant arrangement, allowing his voice a perfect nest in which to settle.
Listen to “Poison” below.
Caleb Lee Hutchinson – “Slot Machine Syndrome”
Caleb Lee Hutchinson possesses a vocal timbre worthy of the thunder. As you’ll hear with “Slot Machine Syndrome,” the title track to his forthcoming EP, he swings from rafters with both subtlety and power. “He’s got slot machine syndrome / It’ll get you every time,” he sings over a true Randy Travis-style melody. Guitar pounces along the piano keys, while his voice just chills to the bone.
Listen to “Slot Machine Syndrome” below.
Danielle Bradbery – “Stop Draggin’ Your Boots”
“There’s plenty more boys at the bar,” Danielle Bradbery dismisses. On her bluesy new pop-country turn, “Stop Draggin’ Your Boots,” she calls out a suitor for, well, not really doing what he needs to be doing in the relationship. “Either love me or not, just stop / Stop draggin’ your boots,” she sings, giving him the ultimate ultimatum. You know, nobody likes games when clearly no one’s gonna win.
Listen to “Stop Draggin’ Your Boots” below.
If being “different” looks and sounds as cool as Wild Story, please sign us up. The duo, comprised of Viv Parker and Katie Hargrove, just released an anthemic new tune about embracing your true self. On “Different” the talented pop duo combine their strengths to create the new theme song for anyone who doesn’t quite feel like they fit in with societal norms. Sonically, the track is commercial, catchy and Hargrove’s powerful vocals soar.
Listen to “Different” below.
David Tribble – “Rope & A Gun”
David Tribble takes us to the Wild West on new single, “Rope & A Gun.” The acoustically driven track features Tribble’s raspy and coy vocals as he steadily delivers the free and easy tune. Equal parts Americana and Country, David Tribble has an informal Chris Stapleton feel to him and we are here for it.
Listen to “Rope & A Gun” below.