Grady, I don’t know if these videos are as successful as you want them to be, but I promise they make the biggest impact! I just added 4 songs to my playlist, and I do this every month when you release your reviews! Thank you!! Please keep doing these!
Love Mockingbird and the Crow, but for me Jack has to be the best Hardy release. Unbelievable amount of depth for a 3 minute song. At first it sounds like a fun drinking party song but after listening more and hearing the journey from trying it to pick up girls etc to literally rock bottom is so interesting. And how Jack always twists it so he’s the ‘good guy’. I think anyone with any vice can relate. So cool
"Hardy is what bro country could have been" is a quote of yours that I use all the time, Grady you pulled me back into country music and keep up the good work. Love you brother.
I think hardy is the connection of my tastes of music. He can have a pop country song and I can enjoy it, he can write a serious country song and I like it, he can write a southern rock song and I like it, he can write a rock or alternative song and I like it. Him by himself is all the different types of music I enjoy and he has shown, and will probably do more, that he can do all of those in a single album. He's very similar to Upchurch in that no matter what the song sounds like it's a great song, regardless of the track behind it
So stoked to see you finally mention Gio and the boys! Seen them live about 5 or 6 times now and they’re just amazing live. They definitely are on the level that Koe was on his early rise as far as their live performances! I would say check out some of their older songs as well, their country influence is a lot more prevalent. Another Time is one of my favorite songs of theirs. Great video Grady!!!!
Waylon was told don't let the industry label you... I think hardy is living that. Some of his songs are just a cash grab but he's got a lot of great tunes that could be played in many different genre's. Mocking bird... is a gem
When I first heard HARDY play jack it was live and I immediately thought it was a darker version of Jon Pardi's Me and Jack. Same type of story telling just from the point of view of Jack. Love HARDY's song writing and super amped for this new album in Jan. Love ya Grady!
For those of you scrolling the comments needing an extra push to go listen to the Popcast Grady did about Zach Bryan, Do it! He was awesome on there and the podcast helped me find a new Zach song I liked in the endless current that is Zach Bryan releases. As for Grady, I'm sure the last thing you need is song suggestions, especially from albums released a year ago, but one song from Scotty McCreery that I keep going back to is The Waiter. I think it has story telling that's perhaps the more revealing side you're looking for from him.
Grady you need to check out Warren Zeiders and his 717 Tapes Album, it’s so good, he’s got millions of listeners but I hadn’t heard of him till he appeared randomly on my Spotify, he has a great voice
Thank you for throwing Emily Ann Roberts in here because I'm now obsessed with her lmfao. What a pure bright human being with an amazing voice, and she's killing the country sound (in the best way).
I like Waking Up Dreaming but I agree that it doesn’t show off her voice in the best way. Imo her 2017 album Now, which I personally loved and was somewhat of a success going #1 on the country and pop charts, had alot of songs like Where Do You Think Your Going where she really shows off her new deeper voice that sounds really good. Hopefully we get more songs like that which better show off her voice. Also loved your Subject To Change reaction🙂
Very excited about the Hardy release. It reminds me a lot of ZBB's Jekyll & Hyde album or Eric Church's Heart & Soul project with the two toned album covers. One song on Jekyll & Hyde, Junkyard, has the same type of vibe where there is that "switch up" and becomes a true rock song. Really love these types of albums because it shows off the incredible talent of these musicians switching from genre to genre. One of my favorite songs that also does the "switch up" is "Band on the Run" by Wings which arguably is 3-4 different sounding songs put together. Thank you again for another great video Grady! Added a bunch of new music to my library.
I hadn't seen his Instagram posts about Hardy, but I was fully prepared for him to just hate/trash him. I was hugely surprised and relieved, because Hardy has been one of my favorite artists since he came out-aside from Rednecker Than You. That couple of years of people trying to 'out country' the next guy got old really friggen quick
GRADY. I love your videos so much because there is no one in my life as invested in the "country" music scene that I can talk to about it who would actually care to hear about my reviews or insight on new music. You are that person for me as I laugh at my screen. THANK YOU for appreciating the mockingbird and the crow. It was my basil ice cream too. Even when I don't really like his songs (like truck bed sounding like Thomas Rhett), I like them still because they're so different, authentic and fitting to him (insert boots reference and guitar switch up @ the end that made me not hate the song). Never stop posting content!!
I have been so fired up about Hardy's new music and can't wait for him to release the full album! It really is exciting when an artist gives us music that goes beyond the normal "cookie cutter country songs"
Grady, you gotta do something on Ashley McBryde's new album "Lindeville". I find it really, really awesome and it would be great to hear your take on it
It was because of you that I discovered Gabe and became an ardent fan, his new album is as good as anything he had done before and I still have it on a daily rotation.
For me the inauthenticity of a song like way down yonder doesn't bother me. If a pop singer had a song and music video set in a gritty western bar, I wouldn't think twice about it, because I don't hold them to the standard of authenticity that we hold country singers to for some reason. I wish we gave country songs more freedom of subject matter. Like, let's be strict about the sound and the instrumentation, but why not have a country song about going to space, or going skiing, or being a chef, or whatever you feel like telling a story about. In pop, and pop adjacent genres, one singer or band could have a song about being in the wild west, and then a song where you're a tough rocker, and then a sappy love song. Not to say that that's always better. Authenticity is great, and I love that we get so much of it in country, but to me it is not a requirement for a good song or even for a country song.
I'll add this is not my defense of the song, it's ok, and the music video could have been cool but it's a little awkward. But it just got me thinking about the general idea of whether authenticity is a defining feature of country. ramble done
Cannot agree more with the Morgan Evans song. I was at a show where it was his 2nd or 3rd time performing it live. He was opening for Brad Paisley here in Melbourne, Australia (we don't get a lot of artists coming over). He played it just he and a piano and it was fantastic. It broke my heart when I heard the production on the release. Sucked most of the life from it.
Morgan drowned the song. I’ve been using drowned as a term for over producing songs with emotion and ruining them ever them since Chris Young did it. I really think it should be used as it happens (sadly) quite often
Thanks for your videos! I love them, because here in Germany it is one of the few ways to stay up to date from Nashville. Unfortunately there is no country radio here in Germany. I'm looking forward to Brett Young, Kane Brown and Luke Combs coming over here soon! Until then, I just keep watching your stories about country music! Keep-haw 😊
I love folklore and evermore, but I do think most of her listeners are tired of her folk indie sound. However, I don’t consider Midnights as a worse version of reputation, I think Midnights is more like a mashup of her past works, production of reputation, lyrics of folklore and evermore and synth from 1989 & Lover. If you really look into her lyrics into the album, especially 3am Edition, “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve”, “Dear Reader”, I think you will like it.
Thanks for posting another one of these videos! I always enjoy your nuanced and kind insight into country music - being able to talk about the industry without trashing certain types of music is a virtue. Have you ever heard of Molly Tuttle, by the way? I heard her new album Crooked Tree and I think it's something you would love. She's a singer and musician who plays a lot of bluegrass/americana, and there's a lot of mandolin and banjo in her songs.
AGREED on the production for Over For You. I was in the audience when he performed it for the first time at CMC Rocks, and it was heartbreaking. The Melbourne live version (the one on Spotify) punches in the same way, but the studio version pulls its punches and buries the raw emotion under some baffling production choices
Have you heard of Jake Worthington? He was a Voice contestant a few years ago and has put out solid country music since then. He recently sang on the Hixtape Vol 2, and Ronnie Dunn’s new album
As someone who does a terrestrial radio show, that is simulcast on the internet, it is frustrating that a lot of great songs can’t be played because of the language. Believe me I would love to play the new Hardy song and Lindeville, but can’t. I can get by with a few words, but never s*** ot f***., the FCC still regulates FM radio. What are your thoughts?
Oh crazy, when you first said Emily Ann Roberts I thought it was an accident and you'd meant to say Emily Scott Robinson. But now I remember, she was on the voice back during the same season as my senior year homecoming date lol
Wait in the truck isn't different than country music. It IS country music, its a throwback, if not the only Merle, Hank, Waylon, Willie, and hell, DAC song we've had in 20 years. Think back at the 90's.
That Taylor album sounded extremely uninspired. But thankfully there’s the live version of Over For You on Spotify, cause that the studio version sucked. Gio and the Hired Guns are literally pop punk while wearing a cowboy hat.
Hi Grady! I´m from Germany and I´ve discovered Hardy just recently. Which is kind of odd. I never got in touch with Country music before and I´ve never met anyone who listens to Country music in my life. All of a sudden Hardy comes along and became one of my favourite new artists of the year. I think it´s because he doesn´t look like your typical Country musician. A look that´s maybe too cringy for us Europeans. This is not meant to be an offense, but I guess you´ll get my point. So I´m really looking forward to his new album and I guess I should check out your videos more often.
Kid rock's cocky album was almost all switch ups. From country to rock or country to rap. The mockingbird and the crow gives off huge kid rock vibes. Not complaining, cocky is one of my favorite albums of all time
Honestly I’ve been really disappointed with Shania Twains music since she came back in 2017 with Now. I know her disease changed her voice a lot, but I heard her in concert last month and she still sounded amazing! For some reason though most of the new stuff she’s producing sound so fake and honestly I think make her voice sound worse than it did live. It’s upsetting because I think she’s a great artist overall, but her new stuff just isn’t where it’s at
Speaking of Giovanny and the Hired Guns, radio is pushing Son of a Sinner by Jelly Roll, who is even more genre bending than most Texas Country artists. It's not all my cup of tea, but it's nice to see that variety is finally becoming profitable.
Hey Grady, I had a question for you. How do you use samples of songs or music videos in your videos? I've been wanting to start a review channel and I wanted to know the way to do it right by RU-vid's standards. Hopefully that's ok to ask. Thanks
Hey Grady, have you noticed that female country artists all sound like soft-spoken Marilyn Monroe borderline porn ewe ah sound? I miss unique female voices.
Saw Emily Ann on her backyard tour, and the show was amazing. So intimate, just playing in this yard overlooking a farm in rural Iowa, it was a night I’ll always remember. I had never heard of her before that, but we were invited by a friend my wife and I talk about it all the time. Defiantly a memory I’ll cherish for a long time.
Is Emily Ann Roberts single? If so, Grady should reach out to her people and ask her out - I mean ask her for an interview. They could listen to Hardy together and have some ice cream.
I'm the last person who would be an apologist for Chase Rice, but if you listen to him on the YNK podcast, you begin to feel a little bad for the guy. He expresses that pop music he is made in the past was never his original direction as he envisioned it. There are some songs on his first album, his EP that are genuinely moving. I don't expect the man to be able to completely break out of the overproduced overwritten songs he has created in the past, but I do have hope that he can begin to make the music that he originally wanted to make.
Yeah Taylor's midnights did sound like reputation part 2. I didn't like the reputation album. Midnights was meh. The songs on on that 3 am editon of midnights were good I liked them. I need to listen to midnights again.
Musically the new Muscadine has been the least captivating since I don’t know when, they were on a good roll but this was just meh. The new Emily Ann song was such a bob, that has made me a new fan
Me and hardy are from. The same town philadelphia mississippi and when I listened to mockingbird and the crow and I heard him referencing our home town I almost lost it definitely my fav song this year.
Love the content as usual but I don’t like the “worst to best” format. I need the anticipation of trying to guess what rating you’ll give it. Otherwise it’s too tempting to skip to best.
