Released: May 6, 2022
Link
Official music video: https://youtu.be/ELZNClmKX1E
TL;DR: I sure hope you didn't make the mistake of writing Kane Brown off like I did, because this is a banger of a love song.
Kane Brown has always been unfairly targeted in mainstream country music by "traditionalists" who seemed to think he was the reason Nashville radio sounded indistinguishable from Hollywood. While he certainly was swept up by trends as most new artists are, when taken in context, even his most boring releases stack up well to his competition. And if there was any doubt left that he's a bona fide country superstar, he erases it with this track.
The production on this track deserves an article on its own, but let's just say this is far and away Nashville's finest work in matching a sound with a singer and a subject. From the rollicking stabs of fiddle opening the track, to the quiet synthetic drums giving way to a thunderous and joyful chorus, to the phenomenal instrumental breakdown at the end, this is a masterpiece of songcraft. This is how to make a love song actually, well, SOUND like a love song, which Nashville seriously struggles with.
Kane Brown is probably the best successful pure vocalist in Nashville right now, and it really isn't that close. From the lower range he displays to great effect on the verses to the ecstatic belting on the choruses, you believe every word he's saying. Laugh at Brown all you want, but when he professes his love here, it's really, really easy to eat up every word.
The songwriting is a classic example of how a song does not have to be deep to be well-written. In fact, the Alan Jackson anecdote is a great way to illustrate the longevity and strength of the narrator's feelings. If he loves his significant other like country music, then why not compare that love to his affinity for an artist that he professes to be a lifetime fan of? And the sheer self-awareness of the lyrics makes it even easier to enjoy the track.
Kane Brown ain't Texas, because he's "back" on form and back with a vengeance to take Nashville's crown.
Rating: 9/10 (instant classic)