Jordan Rager (with Jason Aldean) - "Southern Boy"

[sabre14]

Artist: Jordan Rager
Single: "Southern Boy"
Writers: Luke Laird, Barry Dean, Jeremy Stover
Label: Broken Bow Records
Add Date: February 15, 2015



Jordan Rager is a singer/songwriter from Georgia who was signed to Broken Bow Music Group (later assigned to Broken Bow Records) last fall. His debut single will be a song called "Feels Like One Of Them" "Southern Boy". Jordan's been on his radio tour the past couple weeks and WBEE had the song up as thier 'Music Meeting Song of the Day' two weeks ago. Jordan was a contestant on The Voice in 2012.

Jordan's style and influence is Jason Aldean. He's currently working on his debut album and will have a duet with Aldean on the project called "Southern Boy."

[Deleted]

The single has been changed from "Feels Like One Of Them" to a song called "Southern Boy", and the adds date is February 15.

www.musicrow.com/calendars-2/single-releases/

I had a hunch that something like this would happen -- there were no ads for "Feels Like One Of Them" last week, and I think only 1 station added it. Furthermore, it was no longer listed as "going for adds" by either Billboard or Country Aircheck.

Apparently "Southern Boy" is a song that features Jason Aldean.

[rsmatto]

Jan 25, 2016 13:18:40 GMT -5 jhomes87 said:

The single has been changed from "Feels Like One Of Them" to a song called "Southern Boy", and the adds date is February 15.

www.musicrow.com/calendars-2/single-releases/

I had a hunch that something like this would happen -- there were no ads for "Feels Like One Of Them" last week, and I think only 1 station added it. Furthermore, it was no longer listed as "going for adds" by either Billboard or Country Aircheck.

Apparently "Southern Boy" is a song that features Jason Aldean.

Smart choice. "Feels" was a bit bland and too "me too" though I suppose this could be too...

[sabre14]

Jan 25, 2016 13:18:40 GMT -5 jhomes87 said:

The single has been changed from "Feels Like One Of Them" to a song called "Southern Boy", and the adds date is February 15.

www.musicrow.com/calendars-2/single-releases/

I had a hunch that something like this would happen -- there were no ads for "Feels Like One Of Them" last week, and I think only 1 station added it. Furthermore, it was no longer listed as "going for adds" by either Billboard or Country Aircheck.

Apparently "Southern Boy" is a song that features Jason Aldean.

I saw the thread title change and was like "I started that thread?" lol

Jordan said in some interview that they were going to release "Southern Boy" to radio in the future but I guess they decided to switch it up now rather than wait until later.

I get why they're doing this but I'm not really a fan of someone's debut single featuring a superstar hoping for a better chance of airplay. From what I'm hearing, this is typical Southern-style lyrics so not surprised that Aldean is singing with Jordan on it, especially since Jordan recites Jason as a huge influence. If people think "Feels Like One Of Them" was bland then "Southern Boy" is too in terms of lyrics -- I do think the production and melody will be better...it better be to change things up. rsmatto this is a mid-tempo song. What I think happened was radio likely hinting to Broken Bow that this is the song they wanted and since Jason is taking a short break at radio, it makes sense.

[.indulgecountry]

Haven't heard this but I'm getting Cole Swindell vibes from this release (like he'll be an inferior clone of Aldean the way Swindell is Luke Bryan but even worse). I'm already not really looking forward to hearing this.

[sabre14]

"Southern Boy" already got at least 7 Mediabase adds this week, three weeks before the official impact date.

Live audio:

[rsmatto]

Jan 25, 2016 15:37:18 GMT -5 sabre14 said:

Jan 25, 2016 13:18:40 GMT -5 jhomes87 said:

The single has been changed from "Feels Like One Of Them" to a song called "Southern Boy", and the adds date is February 15.

www.musicrow.com/calendars-2/single-releases/

I had a hunch that something like this would happen -- there were no ads for "Feels Like One Of Them" last week, and I think only 1 station added it. Furthermore, it was no longer listed as "going for adds" by either Billboard or Country Aircheck.

Apparently "Southern Boy" is a song that features Jason Aldean.

I saw the thread title change and was like "I started that thread?" lol

Jordan said in some interview that they were going to release "Southern Boy" to radio in the future but I guess they decided to switch it up now rather than wait until later.

I get why they're doing this but I'm not really a fan of someone's debut single featuring a superstar hoping for a better chance of airplay. From what I'm hearing, this is typical Southern-style lyrics so not surprised that Aldean is singing with Jordan on it, especially since Jordan recites Jason as a huge influence. If people think "Feels Like One Of Them" was bland then "Southern Boy" is too in terms of lyrics -- I do think the production and melody will be better...it better be to change things up. rsmatto this is a mid-tempo song. What I think happened was radio likely hinting to Broken Bow that this is the song they wanted and since Jason is taking a short break at radio, it makes sense.

Yes, that crossed my mind. This could be a way to grease the skids for Jordan to make inroads with radio with the gap for new Aldean stuff being filled by this one.

[Deleted]

Yeah, this was most likely released because Jason is probably done releasing singles from Old Boots, New Dirt. Like sabre14 , I think BBR needs to be careful, though. Having Jason on this one might help in the short-term, but it could actually hurt Jordan when it comes to single #2 and beyond, when he won't be able to rely on Jason's name to help him up the charts.

A YouTube search comes up with a bunch of live videos of Justin Moore bringing Jordan out on stage to sing this song, so I wonder if Justin originally had it on hold?

Here's a video from January 2014:



This is how the the person who uploaded it to YouTube described the song:

Justin talked before bringing Jordan out to sing this song. His producer wrote this song in memory of a teenage boy named Cameron who lost his battle with cancer recently. His mom came to the show so they decided to sing this song for her. It was a beautiful moment when the crowd start chanting "Cameron" after the song was over, wish I had kept recording. Knoxville, TN January 2014

"Southern Boy" was written by Jeremy Stover (Justin's producer). Jaron Boyer may have also had a hand in writing it (according to some old articles), although I'm much less sure about that.

[sabre14]

Jordan's twitter page has a couple tweets saying this was written with Luke Laird, Barry Dean and Jeremy Stover.

[LBTrocks]

jhomes87 , when a single gets changed like this, would it be possible to just start a new thread and lock/move the original one to the Non-Radio Singles & Album tracks section? There's just something about the thread now being about "Southern Boy" but the responses afterwards being about "Feels Like One of Them" that is driving me bonkers  . If no one else is bothered by this though and you'd rather just do it this way, feel free to ignore this.

[Deleted]

Jan 26, 2016 13:42:39 GMT -5 LBTrocks said:

jhomes87 , when a single gets changed like this, would it be possible to just start a new thread and lock/move the original one to the Non-Radio Singles & Album tracks section? There's just something about the thread now being about "Southern Boy" but the responses afterwards being about "Feels Like One of Them" that is driving me bonkers  . If no one else is bothered by this though and you'd rather just do it this way, feel free to ignore this.

I agree this has been bugging the crap out of me. 

[sabre14]

I think it helps keeping in mind that they changed the single and perhaps comparing the songs to one another (was it the right choice, why did they do this, etc.). It's not like labels switching out debut singles just before the add date is normal -- it rarely happens. It doesn't bother me but I guess that's just because I ignore the first half-dozen posts, lol.

I'm assuming the new posts would need to be transferred to a new thread and it would be a pain to create the new one to begin with -- then move this one (what remains of it) to the Non-Singles thread. I guess it all depends on if jhomes87 thinks it's a pain in the butt for her to do, lol. I personally think we're fine keeping it this way. :)

Edit: Squeaky wheel gets the grease I guess, LBTrocks lol

[Deleted]

Jan 26, 2016 13:42:39 GMT -5 LBTrocks said:

jhomes87 , when a single gets changed like this, would it be possible to just start a new thread and lock/move the original one to the Non-Radio Singles & Album tracks section? There's just something about the thread now being about "Southern Boy" but the responses afterwards being about "Feels Like One of Them" that is driving me bonkers  . If no one else is bothered by this though and you'd rather just do it this way, feel free to ignore this.

I fixed it! :)

Jan 26, 2016 14:14:01 GMT -5 sabre14 said:

I'm assuming the new posts would need to be transferred to a new thread and it would be a pain to create the new one to begin with -- then move this one (what remains of it) to the Non-Singles thread. I guess it all depends on if jhomes87 thinks it's a pain in the butt for her to do, lol. I personally think we're fine keeping it this way. :)

And it took me all of 20 seconds to do

All the "Feels Like One Of Them"-related posts have been moved to a new thread in the Non-Radio Singles & Album Tracks forum.

:)

[LBTrocks]

Jan 26, 2016 14:14:01 GMT -5 sabre14 said:

Edit: Squeaky wheel gets the grease I guess, LBTrocks lol

Jan 26, 2016 14:27:12 GMT -5 jhomes87 said:

Jan 26, 2016 13:42:39 GMT -5 LBTrocks said:

jhomes87 , when a single gets changed like this, would it be possible to just start a new thread and lock/move the original one to the Non-Radio Singles & Album tracks section? There's just something about the thread now being about "Southern Boy" but the responses afterwards being about "Feels Like One of Them" that is driving me bonkers  . If no one else is bothered by this though and you'd rather just do it this way, feel free to ignore this.

I fixed it! :)

In all seriousness though, thank you! You're too good to us. :)

[sabre14]

Sent to radio this afternoon through Play MPe.



The song's total length is 3 minutes and 49 seconds.

[rsmatto]

This song is so much better than "Feels Like One Of Them."

[sabre14]

"Southern Boy" goes to iTunes this Friday (1/29).

Jordan did an interview with Jason Scott who writes for The Rowdy:

Rager's yet-untitled debut LP was originally slated to launch with "Feels Like One of Them," but the buzz building behind "Boy" was undeniable. "I'm sure it's true for folks everywhere, but from what I know and have seen growing up in the South, Southerners are tough," he tells The Rowdy. "Whatever comes their way, whatever knocks them down, they're always going to push through. They'll always lace their boots up, stand up and keep on trucking. It's true for just about everybody. You have to carry on."

He continues, "This song is inspired by losing somebody and you’re not sure how to get through it. You keep carrying on. You stay strong through it. God always has a plan, and He’ll get you through it. I’ve always heard my entire life that God gives battles to the strongest soldiers."

On how the song landed in his lap, he explains, "Jeremy brought that song to me very early in the [album] process. I loved it immediately. When we started working with Broken Bow, there was vague talk about Jason and I doing a duet, but nobody knew what song to look at or if it was even a serious thing. Somehow, Jason heard that song and fell in love with it just like I did. I’m really excited for everybody to hear that one."

"One of the songs I remember listening to as a kid is Luke Bryan’s ‘We Rode in Trucks.’ From the first time I heard it, I went ‘I should have written that.’ That song depicts my hometown and the way I was raised," he says. "Even to this day, in my mind, I go back to that. All my buddies and I had pickup trucks as our first car. We were always trying to get a girl in the passenger seat. That one has always stuck with me."

"‘The Chair’ by George Strait was always one of my favorites, too. The writing in that one is incredible. It floored me when I first heard it," he says.

Do you get frustrated when people dismiss your music as 'bro-country'?

I get frustrated with the whole argument of bro-country. I’m trying not to cut anybody down when I say this but everybody says, ‘well, it all sounds the same.’ Well, each generation of music has sounded the same at some point. I’m a huge fan of the 1990s. Well, in the ‘90s, it was all cowboys and drinking songs. They were all great songs and we loved them. Nowadays, it happens to be all trucks and parties and getting off work at 5. It’s all real-life stuff. People really do get off work at 5 and want to crack open a beer and hang out with their girl or guy. That really happens. I have buddies that do that. It’s not an argument I usually pay any mind to. I’m like, ‘you know what? I like that stuff.’ I like Luke Bryan. I like Jason Aldean. I like Florida Georgia Line. If you’re going to put me in the same category with the guys that are making the most money in country music, then I will absolutely take that.

Did you land any cuts on Jason Aldean's upcoming album?

It’s a funny story. When he made that comment [“I like what Jordan is doing so much. It looks like I’ll have a couple of songs he wrote on my new album”], I actually had three or four songs on his new record. I’m now down to one. Fingers crossed! Jason’s been a big supporter of mine since day one. He’s been a big brother figure through this whole process. Obviously, I’ve never been through a radio tour or phone interviews or label meetings. He has. Anytime I have a question about something, Jason has made himself available to me just to talk. I would love to have a couple songs on his record. I hope he sticks with this last one.

[sabre14]

Just heard this on KTI Country. It's much better than the ultra bland "Feels Like One Of Them." I didn't love it but it's a mid-tempo that was pretty solid in terms of melody. I heard a lot of Jason's vocals so this is definitely a risky move imo, having an A-lister help you out with a debut single since it might hinder the subsequent releases.

[sabre14]

Sorry for the string of consecutive posts but "Southern Boy" is available on iTunes.

[dm2081]

This is really good. I'd be surprised if this wasn't a hit. The lyrics weren't as generic as I was expecting, and Jason sounds really good on this one. I'm a big fan of midtempo songs, and this certainly fits the bill.

[hosssulpizio]

There should be many more songs like this one. It has great lyrics and it has a great song production, plus it has raw emotion, something Country music definitely needs now. I am so glad he picked this song over "Feels Like One of Them" because that song was super generic. Now I hope he realizes that it's very important to have these type of somewhat slower songs because that's what will keep his career going. I'm hoping that his debut album has lots of good songs.

[rbundy1987]

[.indulgecountry]

This ain't half bad but there's a lot more Jason Aldean on this than I expected. I don't think that's a smart move for a debut single. This almost feels like a Jason Aldean single to me more than one from a debut artist and even if this is a success (probably will because omg Jason Aldean!!1!?1!), I can't see it being an effective way to establish Jordan Rager as a new artist, as sabre14 pointed out.

[Deleted]

This is a pretty good song, but I don't see how this is supposed to benefit Jordan Rager and set up his career. This song is pretty much 50-50 Jordan and Jason...and that's a problem, because it relies way too much on Jason Aldean's starpower, and Jordan won't be able to rely on Jason for his next single.

"Southern Boy" will probably be a hit, but I think there's a chance that its success could hurt Jordan when it comes time to release single #2.

[sabre14]

This song is pretty good (way better than the bland "Feels Like One Of Them"). I like the melody, production and vocals....but why in the world did they even need Jason on this? I understand that Aldean is a huge star and Jordan is his disciple but this song is plenty good enough to warrant Jordan in his own. I mean, at some point Jordan will be releasing solo singles himself so they might as well make his introduction to radio a solo song, too. This could cause radio stations to not be enamored with his second and third singles since the guaranteed pull of Aldean for their respective listeners won't be there for those singles. Not a smart, forward-thinking move to me.

I do think this one will be a hit though. I'm expecting this to get around 60 first week stations by the impact date.

[bigfan101]

Jan 29, 2016 14:11:36 GMT -5 jhomes87 said:

This is a pretty good song, but I don't see how this is supposed to benefit Jordan Rager and set up his career. This song is pretty much 50-50 Jordan and Jason...and that's a problem, because it relies way too much on Jason Aldean's starpower, and Jordan won't be able to rely on Jason for his next single.

"Southern Boy" will probably be a hit, but I think there's a chance that its success could hurt Jordan when it comes time to release single #2.

Amen, and Jason definitely overpowers Jordan in my eyes.

[dm2081]

This is exactly the type of song I want Jason to be recording lol. I hope this will help steer Jason in a more mature direction like this one...

[Deleted]

Jan 29, 2016 16:07:14 GMT -5 dm2081 said:

This is exactly the type of song I want Jason to be recording lol. I hope this will help steer Jason in a more mature direction like this one...

I was thinking the same thing. This is a better effort for Jason than some of his stuff. I'm hoping his new album will be more reflective/traditional.

This song sounds like it would go well on a Jason Aldean CD. I like how the production is NOT overpowering. Let the music do the talking.  :)

[Markus Meyer]

Based on the title and Aldean inclusion, I thought this would be a an obnoxious, clichéd, small town pride anthem that would make me want to punch myself in the face.

But I REALLY like this. It's not the most original thing ever, but the writing's way better than I anticipated, and the rest of the elements (production, melody, vocals) are absolutely fantastic. Definitely count me in on this, and I have a good feeling this will be a hit (and I'm glad).

[sabre14]

"Southern Boy" debuts at #57 on Billboard Airplay this week.