New Country Music You Need To Hear This Week From Hudson Westbrook, Ashley Cooke, Kaitlin Butts, Mack Geiger & More
- All Country News
- Aug 14
- 7 min read
Hudson Westrbook - Made You Look
Hudson Westbrook might have just dropped his next No. 1. With “Made You Look,” Westbrook leans all the way into the kind of fast-moving, flirtatious country song built for rolled-down windows, packed bars and a crowd screaming every word back at him. It’s playful without trying too hard, confident without losing its charm, and powered by an energy that feels tailor-made for the stage. Then there’s the fiddle. Calling it the cherry on top almost doesn’t do it justice. The fiddle cuts through the track with just enough fire to give “Made You Look” an old-school country heartbeat underneath its modern polish. It’s the kind of production choice that instantly gives the song personality, and makes hitting replay feel less like an option and more like an inevitability. Westbrook sounds completely at home in the middle of it all. There’s a natural swagger in his delivery as he turns a simple flirtation into an infectious hook, especially when he lands on the line, “Girl, I made you look.” It’s cheeky, catchy and dangerously easy to remember, exactly the kind of phrase that could quickly become one of those signature live-show moments. And yes, country fans may already have another “Made You Look” floating around in their heads, but Westbrook makes a convincing case that there’s room for two. If this one catches fire the way it should, don’t be surprised if Hudson Westbrook is eventually looking back at “Made You Look” from the top of the charts.
Ashley Cooke - ashley cooke
There are stories here we haven’t heard a hundred times before. There are clever turns of phrase, messy emotions and moments of genuine self-awareness. Cooke understands that growing up doesn’t mean suddenly having everything figured out; sometimes it means recognizing your patterns, laughing at yourself and trying again anyway. That honesty is exactly what makes her so easy to root for. Fifteen songs. Fifteen more reasons to love Ashley Cooke. And perhaps most importantly, fifteen reminders that she isn’t simply one of country music’s most exciting rising artists anymore. She sounds like a star standing right on the edge of superstardom.
Kaitlin Butts - I Wanna Be Bad
Kaitlin Butts has never sounded interested in playing by country music’s rules, and on “I Wanna Be Bad,” that rebellious streak feels less like an introduction and more like a victory lap. The latest glimpse into the world of Hello, Honky Tonk finds Butts fully embracing the colorful characters, sharp attitude and theatrical swagger that have become central to her sound. There’s a mischievous spark running through the song, the kind of wink-and-a-smile confidence that makes traditional country feel dangerous, playful and completely alive again. Butts could have easily played things safe. Instead, she keeps pushing deeper into her own universe. “I Wanna Be Bad” feels larger than life without losing the grit, humor and personality that have made her such a compelling artist in the first place. That might be Butts’ greatest strength: she understands that honoring country music doesn’t mean treating it like a museum piece. She can bring the honky-tonk theatrics, the twang and the storytelling while still making everything feel fresh, fearless and distinctly hers. Modern country could use more of that, a little tradition, a little theater and a whole lot of personality. Butts has been doing the work for years, building a catalog and creative identity too singular to ignore. Now, it finally feels like the spotlight is catching up. If “I Wanna Be Bad” is any indication, Kaitlin Butts isn’t simply knocking on superstardom’s door anymore. She’s kicking it open in cowboy boots.
Mack Geiger - Pouring
Modern Country neotraditionalism doesn’t get much better than this. On “Pouring,” Geiger sounds like an artist built for much bigger things, delivering the kind of towering Country ballad that feels ripped straight from the late ’90s or early 2000s without ever sounding stuck there. Produced by Jared Adlam, “Pouring” leans into everything that made that era of Country music so powerful: huge emotion, vivid imagery, a soaring melody, and heartbreak that feels genuinely lived-in. Rain, lightning, and dark clouds become more than scenery here, they mirror the storm that rolls in when memories of someone you’ve lost suddenly come flooding back. It’s classic Country storytelling, but Geiger delivers it with enough youthful edge and modern polish to make it feel completely his own. The production gives the song plenty of atmosphere without overpowering its emotional core, allowing Geiger’s vocal to carry the weight of every line. There’s a sense of drama to “Pouring,” but it never feels manufactured. Instead, it builds like the storm at the center of the song, turning a familiar Country metaphor into something cinematic, vulnerable, and undeniably powerful. And then there’s the guitar solo, because who doesn’t love a great guitar solo? It adds another burst of old-school Country fire to the track, giving the song that extra punch and reminding you just how good a big, unapologetic Country ballad can feel when every piece is firing. If you’ve been waiting for the sweeping heartbreak ballads of ’90s and early-2000s Country to make a full-force comeback, “Pouring” is exactly the kind of song you want to hear. It’s traditional where it counts, fresh where it needs to be, and another sign that Geiger isn’t simply chasing the neo-traditional Country revival, he has the potential to become one of the artists leading it. This kid is destined for big, big things, and “Pouring” sounds like the beginning of something special.
Zach John King - "Way To Go (feat. Brooks & Dunn)
Zach John King teaming up with Brooks & Dunn feels like the perfect collision of 1997 country songwriting and 2026 country production. This thing genuinely sounds like it could have come straight from a Brooks & Dunn writing session nearly three decades ago. It has that same sharp, conversational wit, a little swagger, a little humor and the kind of hook that feels instantly familiar. King takes the spirit of Brooks & Dunn’s “No Way to Go,” flips the idea on its head and turns it into something that feels fresh without losing the charm of classic country songwriting. The biggest compliment you can give the song is simple: the lyrics sound like something Brooks & Dunn could have cut in 1997, while the record itself sounds completely at home in 2026. The production is big, polished and punchy, with modern drums, muscular guitars and a chorus built to come flying out of the speakers. It has all the size of current country radio while still leaving plenty of room for the personality in the writing to shine. Brooks & Dunn fit into the song effortlessly, too. Their presence never feels like a nostalgia-driven feature or a name dropped onto the track for attention. Instead, they sound completely at home, bringing decades of unmistakable chemistry to a song that already feels tailor-made for them. And King more than holds his own. Sharing a record with one of country music’s most iconic duos could easily become intimidating, but he sounds confident, comfortable and fully in command of the moment. That balance is what makes the whole thing work. The bones are classic Brooks & Dunn. The muscle is modern country. Most importantly, this song is just ridiculously fun. It is clever, loud, infectious and built for repeat listens, the kind of record that feels destined for windows-down drives, packed bars and massive live singalongs. King manages to tap into everything that made Brooks & Dunn’s songwriting so memorable without simply recreating the past. Instead, he takes that classic wit and personality, gives it a modern-country engine and creates something that feels both nostalgic and completely current. Zach John King and Brooks & Dunn may have just delivered the most fun duet of the year, and it has massive hit written all over it.
Elizabeth Nichols - Does Your Girlfriend Know We Kissed
Where the hell did Elizabeth Nichols come from? Because between the razor-sharp writing, undeniable personality and the kind of natural star power that can’t be manufactured in a studio, it increasingly feels like country music has a superstar on its hands. “Does Your Girlfriend Know We Kissed?” doesn’t just make a cheating man squirm. It makes Elizabeth Nichols impossible to ignore.
Emily Anne Roberts - Laundry
Country music has been missing that sassy, full-of-personality leading lady who can deliver a cutting line with a wink and a smile. Emily Ann Roberts is more than happy to fill that void. Her latest is a masterclass in turning everyday frustration into sharp, clever country storytelling. The knockout line, “You’ve been doing her right and doing me dirty / while I’ve been doing laundry,” is country songwriting at its finest. It’s funny, painfully specific and just bitter enough to sting without ever losing its playful edge. That’s where Roberts shines. She doesn’t need to scream or throw punches to get even. She lets the lyric do the dirty work. While he’s been out chasing his dreams, and apparently someone else, she’s been stuck handling the ordinary realities of a life they were supposed to be building together. Turning something as mundane as laundry into the song’s ultimate punchline is exactly the kind of clever, conversational writing country music was built on. The track settles into a slow, toe-tapping groove that gives every lyric room to land. It struts rather than sprints, carrying itself with the confidence of someone who already knows she has the best line in the argument. Roberts brings sass, charm and plenty of personality, reminding listeners that heartbreak songs don’t always have to cry into their beer. Sometimes, the best revenge is a killer country hook, a perfectly timed smile and airing out the dirty laundry for everyone to hear.
Alex Hall - Keep Livin'
There’s nothing overly complicated about the philosophy behind the song, and that’s exactly why it works. “Keep Livin’” doesn’t offer a shortcut around pain. It offers a reminder that pain doesn’t get the final word. Seasons change. Hard days end. Progress can happen slowly, quietly and one step at a time. For Alex Hall, those steps have led to sobriety, a renewed relationship with songwriting and a deeply personal song that now has the chance to meet someone else exactly where they are. Sometimes, the next step doesn’t have to be big. You just have to keep livin’.
Check Out Our Interview With Alex
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