Nine Country Music Songs You Need To Hear This Week Featuring Chase McDaniel, Kameron Marlowe, Lauren Watkins, Chris Young & More
- All Country News
- Sep 22
- 8 min read
Chase McDaniel - Lost Ones
Rising country voice Chase McDaniel releases Lost Ones, a debut album as brave as it is beautifully bruised. Out now via Big Machine Records, the Kentucky-born singer-songwriter bares every scar in a record that refuses to flinch from its most vulnerable truths. Intentionally unveiled during National Suicide Prevention Month, Lost Ones is more than a collection of songs, it’s a lifeline. McDaniel digs deep into his own battles with depression and suicidal ideation, weaving them into 11 tracks that double as confession and catharsis. His father’s death from addiction shadows the album, but so does the hope McDaniel has clawed his way toward, proving survival can sound like salvation. By co-writing every song, he stripped away the gloss, choosing raw honesty over radio polish. The result? A debut that hits harder precisely because it doesn’t hold back. Vocally, McDaniel is at his sharpest yet, aching on “Burned Down Heaven,” determined on “Die Trying,” and hauntingly tender on “Risk It All,” a hypnotic meditation on falling for someone just out of reach. On “My Side of the Family,” he wrestles generational trauma with striking precision, his voice breaking like a man lifting the weight of an entire lineage. Together, the tracks form a body of work that feels otherworldly in its cohesion, each song a chapter in a story that demands to be heard in full. The title track, released earlier this summer, not only anchors the record but also gave name to a community initiative McDaniel founded to support those living with mental illness. It’s a testament to his vision of country music as more than entertainment an artform with the power to save lives. Lost Ones isn’t just Chase McDaniel’s first album. It’s his truth, his battle cry, and his offering to anyone searching for strength in the silence. In a genre built on storytelling, he’s delivered one of the year’s most essential stories and one that could matter far beyond country music’s borders.
Kameron Marlowe - Let The Lonely
Kameron Marlowe doesn’t just sing a song, he sets it ablaze. The Columbia Nashville powerhouse unleashes “Let The Lonely”, a stadium-ready storm of heartbreak, temptation, and grit that just might be his most jaw-dropping vocal performance to date. Penned alongside frequent collaborators Joybeth Taylor and Austin Goodloe (who also takes the helm as producer), the track finds Marlowe wrestling with the toxic magnetism of a relationship that refuses to burn out. His booming, mountainous baritone stretches across the verses like a canyon wind, haunting, commanding, impossible to ignore. At its core, “Let The Lonely” is a study in contradictions: venom and desire, regret and longing, hellfire and hope. Lines like “We’re spitting venom like serpents / So here we are / Accidentally on purpose / At the same damn bar” capture the unshakable cycle of two people drawn back together, even when they know better. It’s messy, human, and achingly familiar. The production matches the lyrical tug-of-war with arena-sized guitars and thunderous percussion, wrapping Marlowe’s voice in a soundscape built to rattle rafters. Yet beneath the bombast, there’s a tenderness, a plea for connection in the face of inevitable heartbreak. This is not just another heartbreak ballad; it’s a full-bodied cry from the gut, the kind of performance that reminds you why country music thrives on emotional extremes. Marlowe doesn’t just tell you about desperation, he makes you feel every jagged edge of it. With “Let The Lonely,” Kameron Marlowe cements himself as one of country music’s most soulful and commanding voices. If there were ever doubts about his ability to carry an arena on pure vocal power alone, consider them shattered. Lonely has rarely sounded this good.
Lauren Watkins Feat. John Morgan - Slippery Slope
Nashville’s rising stars Lauren Watkins and John Morgan prove that sometimes the most dangerous chemistry makes for the best country music. Their new duet, “Slippery Slope” is a late-night stumble back into the arms of the one you swore off, told through two voices that sound almost too perfect together. The longtime friends walk a razor-thin line between temptation and regret on the smoky track, which leans into the familiar pull of an on-again, off-again flame. Written by Watkins alongside Will Bundy, Mark Trussell, and Lydia Vaughan, the song feels drenched in neon haze and last-call confessions, the kind of place where one more drink is never really just one more. Watkins’ rich, velvet tone and Morgan’s gravel-edged delivery intertwine like two people who know they should leave but can’t help staying. Their harmonies don’t just blend; they smolder, capturing the tension of falling back into old patterns with full awareness of the fallout ahead. It’s the sound of a dangerous comfort, wrapped in a melody that feels as lived-in as a worn barstool. With “Slippery Slope,” Watkins and Morgan don’t just sing about heartbreak, they inhabit it. The result is a country confessional that feels achingly real, a reminder that some lessons are destined to be relearned, one night at a time.
Chase Rice - ELDORA
Chase Rice has never been afraid of reinvention. From his early days fueling the bro-country boom to now carving out a lane all his own, Rice has always chased instinct over expectation. With his new album ELDORA, that instinct takes him far from the neon-lit Nashville mainstream and straight into the rugged, untamed wilderness of the American West. If his breakout years were about setting fire to arenas, ELDORA is about finding peace by the campfire. Across 12 tracks, every one of them bearing Rice’s pen, the project plays less like a record and more like a series of journal entries from a man who’s stopped running from himself. It’s raw, unpredictable, and maybe his most vulnerable offering to date. The journey begins with “Cowboy Goodbye,” a stripped-down ballad that feels like both a farewell letter and a reintroduction. With nothing but campfire warmth and the heart of a modern drifter, Rice makes it clear he’s done chasing the ghost of who he used to be. The rest of the album follows that lead, layer by layer, story by story, marking the quiet evolution of an artist who’s learned the beauty of restraint. But make no mistake, Rice hasn’t lost his grit. “Two Tone Trippin’ (feat. Wyatt McCubbin)” barrels down blacktop highways with a roots-rock swagger, while “Cottonmouth” turns woozy rebellion into a kind of country-punk haze. Then there’s “Tall Grass” with Kashus Culpepper and Elvie Shane, a blistering roots-gospel moment where snakes in the grass become metaphors for power-hungry predators. It’s Rice at his most consciously political, wielding his gravelly conviction like a lantern in the dark. The result is an album that doesn’t sound like it’s chasing radio, trends, or approval. It sounds like Chase Rice, finally, fully. ELDORA is both a departure and a homecoming, proof that sometimes stepping off the well-worn trail is the only way forward.
And maybe, just maybe, indie Chase is the best Chase yet.
Jason Scott & The High Heat - Too Good, Too Bad
If Jason Scott & The High Heat aren’t already on your radar, now’s the perfect time to tune in. The Okie-bred outfit is cranking the volume on country’s next wave with their rollicking new single, “Too Good, Too Bad.” Penned by frontman Jason Scott alongside Taylor Johnson, the track is a banjo-tinged barn burner built on equal parts grit and groove. It’s a full-bodied reminder of what happens when real instruments meet real stories, country music in its raw, unvarnished form. With a chorus designed for wide-open singalongs and a lyric that wrestles with life’s push-and-pull, “Too Good, Too Bad” feels both timeless and fresh. The High Heat’s sound, steeped in authenticity and powered by musicianship, positions them firmly among the leaders of country’s new generation of bands refusing to compromise heart for gloss. At its core, the single is more than just a toe-tapper, it’s a declaration. Jason Scott & The High Heat aren’t just making songs; they’re carving out a movement where country’s roots and modern energy collide in all the right ways. So if you’ve been looking for a band to believe in, consider this your sign. Jason Scott & The High Heat are turning up the flame, and “Too Good, Too Bad” proves it’s only going to burn brighter from here.
Corey Kent Feat. Max McNown - Measure
In a genre built on truth-telling and timeless stories, Corey Kent has quickly earned a reputation for cutting straight to the heart. His latest release, “Measure,” a collaboration with rising voice Max McNown, proves once again that some of country music’s most powerful moments come from the simplest truths. The song takes on a story as old as time, the pursuit of what really counts. Money, possessions, and accolades may fill space, but Kent and McNown remind us they’ll never fill the soul. “Measure” shines a light on the priceless things that can’t be bought: love, connection, faith, and the fleeting beauty of simply being alive. Kent, known for his raw ability to thread real-life stories into song, delivers one of his most heartfelt performances yet. His gravel-tinged vocal carries the weight of experience, while McNown’s addition is more than just harmony, it’s a grounding force that elevates the track, giving it a glow that lingers long after the final note. Together, the pair create a song that feels both classic and fresh. It’s a reminder that in a world chasing numbers, charts, and headlines, the only true measure of a life well-lived comes in the intangible, the memories made, the hands held, and the love given freely. With “Measure,” Corey Kent not only proves why he’s one of the genre’s fastest rising stars, but also why songs like this will always stand the test of time.
Chris Young - Break Lights
Country powerhouse Chris Young is no stranger to songs that stop you in your tracks, but with his latest release, “Brake Lights,” the Tennessee native proves he’s still got plenty of horsepower left in the tank. The track, lifted from his upcoming tenth studio album and his first under Black River Entertainment, signals both a new chapter and a continuation of the timeless Young sound that’s fueled his career. At just 3 minutes and 28 seconds, “Brake Lights” manages to feel both massive and intimate. Written alongside country hitmakers Hillary Lindsey, Ty Graham, and Jesse Frasure, the ballad is equal parts bruised confession and stadium-ready anthem. With thundering drums, and scorching guitar riffs, the production feels designed for the biggest arenas in country music, yet the story at its core is as vulnerable as a handwritten letter left on the kitchen table. The lyrics find Young pleading for a love he’s pushed away but desperately hopes isn’t gone for good. “Give me that look back in the rearview, like you know you just can’t say goodbye,” he sings, his velvet baritone carrying both regret and resolve. It’s classic Chris Young: heartache draped in melody, longing dressed up with power and polish. As Young gears up to drop the full 14-song project, an album that features 11 co-writes and marks a major milestone in his career “Brake Lights” sets the tone. It’s proof that even ten albums in, he’s not coasting. Instead, he’s flooring it toward country’s future while keeping one hand firmly on the wheel of tradition.
Josh Ross - Later Tonight
Country music has no shortage of rising stars, but few are delivering with the conviction and the consistency that Ross brings to Later Tonight. With its anthems, heartbreakers, and boundary-pushing collabs, the album doesn’t just introduce Josh Ross to the world. It plants his flag firmly in the ground: one of the strongest new voices in country has truly arrived.
Dee White Feat. Elizabeth Cook - Til Snow Falls in Malibu
White calls the recording process “fun and seamless,” crediting an “all-pro crew” for helping capture the magic. But really, the magic lies in the chemistry between two artists who approach country music with reverence and daring in equal measure.
Because when Dee White and Elizabeth Cook promise love everlasting, they don’t just say it, they make you believe it. And until snow actually falls in Malibu, this duet is bound to keep hearts warm everywhere it plays.
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