Maddie & Tae - "Girl In A Country Song"

[sabre14]

Artist: Maddie & Tae
Single: "Girl In A Country Song"
Writers: Maddie Marlow, (Tae) Lynn Elizabeth Dye, Aaron Scherz
Label: Dot Records
Add Date: July 21st, 2014
Source: Daily Play MPE



Listen here: All Access


 Chart Run: 53* - 48*  40* - 33* - 29* - 27* - 25* - 23* - 20* - 19* - 16* - 15* - 12* - 12* - 10* - 7* - 6* - 5* - 3* - 2* - 1* - 6 (Mediabase)

[McCreerian]

This is the God's honest truth being told! I love it!! Genius!

[vamp111]

I like it! I can do without some of the production, but I hope the song does well. It would be nice to see a female duo do well.

[sabre14]

It's still odd that they are under the BMLG umbrella which has been the leaders of bro-country, but some of these lyrics really put a smile on my face.

"Cause I got a name and to you it ain't pretty little thing, honey or baby. It's driving me red, red, red, red, red, red, redneck crazy".

[bigfan101]

musicrow might be on to something...as I said in the single section. Hero or zero. Either country radio will play this, they will be huge and bro country might start tailing off or country radio boycotts it and no one plays them or their follow-up

[Kat5Kind]

Where do we listen to this? Yay, new female singers!

[sabre14]

Jun 30, 2014 15:36:41 GMT -5 Kat5Kind said:

Where do we listen to this? Yay, new female singers!

It's up on All Access which I put a link to when the thread was started. If you don't have an account, it's free and doesn't take long to sign up. :)

[carriekins]

Jun 30, 2014 15:36:41 GMT -5 Kat5Kind said:

Where do we listen to this? Yay, new female singers!

There's a link in the first post. :)

To summarize my thoughts from the Upcoming Singles thread:

This song is fantastic. I love the lyrics and I have a ton of respect for these girls having the tenacity to release this as their first single. I agree that it's pretty much a sink or swim scenario for them.

I hope it changes minds. I hope it's a wake-up call. Most of all, I hope some of these young women who have been running around getting ideas that they need to shake their moneymakers and be nearly naked and essentially lose all their self-respect for these bros see that all these songs have been doing are objectifying and disrespecting women. There are other ways to get a guy. Unfortunately, I don't think that's going to happen, but I can hope. /soapbox

I hope this becomes an anthem and I hope some of these brotesque songwriters feel a little bit of shame. Hmph.

As Windmills said on Twitter - Godspeed, song.

[Kat5Kind]

Jun 30, 2014 15:38:15 GMT -5 sabre14 said:

Jun 30, 2014 15:36:41 GMT -5 Kat5Kind said:

Where do we listen to this? Yay, new female singers!

It's up on All Access which I put a link to when the thread was started. If you don't have an account, it's free and doesn't take long to sign up. :)

Okay, thanks!

[Markus Meyer]

This is fantastic. Very risky move for a debut single. I agree with others who say it's a boom or bust situation.

[blueguitar]

There was an EPK for them in Country Aircheck weekly. Looks like they put a lot into the production of this. Nice background info. I don't think BMLG is going to let this fail. This is the first single from Dot Records. No way they let this fail....

www.maddieandtae.com/epk/

[jdbowman]

So I probably missed several, but I wanted to get the list started - these are songs I hear referenced in the lyrics. What else? I only listened once and thought of doing this right at the end when I heard "tan-legged juliet." I hope this does well; they seem to be confident in not only this but the rest of their material.

"Boys Round Here" Blake Shelton
"Redneck Crazy" Tyler Farr
"My Kinda Party" Jason Aldean

[mus1cr0w]

Aww Naww- chris young
every song - FGL
Get me some of that - Thomas Rhett
almost every recent song - Luke Bryan

Mus1cr0w

[carriekins]

Jun 30, 2014 21:05:15 GMT -5 jdbowman said:

So I probably missed several, but I wanted to get the list started - these are songs I hear referenced in the lyrics. What else? I only listened once and thought of doing this right at the end when I heard "tan-legged juliet." I hope this does well; they seem to be confident in not only this but the rest of their material.

"Boys Round Here" Blake Shelton
"Redneck Crazy" Tyler Farr
"My Kinda Party" Jason Aldean

Jason lists them at the bottom of this review. :) Here!

[14887fan]

This song is so shady and I love it.

[matty005]

Jun 30, 2014 21:05:15 GMT -5 jdbowman said:

So I probably missed several, but I wanted to get the list started - these are songs I hear referenced in the lyrics. What else? I only listened once and thought of doing this right at the end when I heard "tan-legged juliet." I hope this does well; they seem to be confident in not only this but the rest of their material.

"Boys Round Here" Blake Shelton
"Redneck Crazy" Tyler Farr
"My Kinda Party" Jason Aldean

I think "Red" too, by Swift. The red red red red redneck part I am guessing is about it.

[carriekins]

Jun 30, 2014 21:27:22 GMT -5 matty005 said:

Jun 30, 2014 21:05:15 GMT -5 jdbowman said:

So I probably missed several, but I wanted to get the list started - these are songs I hear referenced in the lyrics. What else? I only listened once and thought of doing this right at the end when I heard "tan-legged juliet." I hope this does well; they seem to be confident in not only this but the rest of their material.

"Boys Round Here" Blake Shelton
"Redneck Crazy" Tyler Farr
"My Kinda Party" Jason Aldean

I think "Red" too, by Swift. The red red red red redneck part I am guessing is about it.

That's Boys Round Here.

Also - "Hey Girl" by Billy Currington.

(The only thing I take issue with is the production. Dann Huff. No surprise there.)

[bigfan101]

Where It's At - Dustin Lynch is also "featured"

As I said, this is officially the ballsiest debut single I have seen. Can't believe it is by two 18 year old girls

[dragontattoo]

I'm cheering for them - hope it makes some think twice about what is played on country radio - I'm not optimistic though.

[43dudleyvillas]

Well, this is fun!

Maddie & Tae come with a welcome, overdue message here about the degree to which the beer/party/truck/hottie parade at country radio over the past year and a half demeans women, and good for them. I especially like that they do so with twists on signature lines, hooks and production accents of well-known "bro country" songs like Blake Shelton's "Boys Round Here," Chris Young's "Aw Naw," Thomas Rhett's "Get Me Some of That," and more.

Jun 30, 2014 15:43:38 GMT -5 carriekins said:

I hope it changes minds. I hope it's a wake-up call. Most of all, I hope some of these young women who have been running around getting ideas that they need to shake their moneymakers and be nearly naked and essentially lose all their self-respect for these bros see that all these songs have been doing are objectifying and disrespecting women. There are other ways to get a guy. Unfortunately, I don't think that's going to happen, but I can hope. /soapbox

I hope this becomes an anthem and I hope some of these brotesque songwriters feel a little bit of shame. Hmph.

Well put. "Brotesque" is an especially nice touch. The mainstream media and the industry are full of dissenters to what has dominated radio for the past eighteen months, and it's nice to have a cheeky song to rally around now.

Is this a game-changer? I would love for it to be, not least because I predicted a game-changer in July or August of this year and I like nothing better than being right I like the idea of the change being driven by a couple of young females. But I'm going to start with what may work against this song as a single, aside from the obvious (the fact that they are female). I think its reliance on "bro country" tropes, melody and production effects isn't the best showcase of Maddie & Tae's voices or their phrasing. I believe the record (including their vocal performances) sounds artificial and forced on purpose, as a commentary on the songs and trend it is criticizing. But it loses some general appeal as a result. The melody isn't too engaging to me either, and while the song is reasonably catchy, it feels like it would wear on me pretty fast if not for its message.

On the other hand, I do think the fact that this song comes from two eighteen year olds as opposed to a someone in her thirties will alleviate the risk of programmers processing the song as a "scold" from an old soul or prude. Moreover, the country blogosphere thrives on tabloid-esque coverage of possible controversy, and this song will play well into that dynamic (I am prepared to be annoyed by the excuses from the artists/songwriters responsible for the songs targeted should they get asked about this tune). I can even imagine some mainstream media pick-up, and the fact that Maddie & Tae are signed to a Scott Borchetta label will make it easy for the media to make the lazy Taylor Swift comparison (I say lazy because it seems clear that these two are country stylists as singers with a strong country influence in their songwriting). There also appears to be an increased perception at radio that "bro country" has reached its saturation point, with gatekeepers at radio and at the labels looking for the next trend to push. The current sales success of Lady Antebellum's "Bartender" and the attention and sales generated Miranda & Carrie's "Somethin' Bad" (and its video) suggest that female listeners are ready to embrace empowering songs in which they are protagonists instead of passengers.

Whether or not this single becomes an airplay hit, I think that "Girl in a Country Song" is the right choice to introduce Maddie & Tae. In contrast to the males (for the most part), the females who have really cut through in the country market in recent years have been ones who have separated themselves somehow, often by having something to say (most recently, Kacey Musgraves comes to mind). With Miranda Lambert maturing into a more mainstream softness and cheek, there is perhaps an opening for a "loose cannon" female artist or act who isn't afraid to call people out. If Maddie & Tae seek to fill that role, this is the right way to start.

[matty005]

Jun 30, 2014 21:28:42 GMT -5 carriekins said:

Jun 30, 2014 21:27:22 GMT -5 matty005 said:

I think "Red" too, by Swift. The red red red red redneck part I am guessing is about it.

That's Boys Round Here.

Also - "Hey Girl" by Billy Currington.

(The only thing I take issue with is the production. Dann Huff. No surprise there.)

Oh you're totally right! Duh! Thanks!

[jdbowman]

Jun 30, 2014 21:13:21 GMT -5 carriekins said:

Jun 30, 2014 21:05:15 GMT -5 jdbowman said:

So I probably missed several, but I wanted to get the list started - these are songs I hear referenced in the lyrics. What else? I only listened once and thought of doing this right at the end when I heard "tan-legged juliet." I hope this does well; they seem to be confident in not only this but the rest of their material.

"Boys Round Here" Blake Shelton
"Redneck Crazy" Tyler Farr
"My Kinda Party" Jason Aldean

Jason lists them at the bottom of this review. :) Here!

Freaking awesome.

[Deleted]

Quoting carriekins from the upcoming singles thread...

That being said, while I agree that they'll garner plenty of attention for the song, and I'm sure the artists they shade will pay attention in some part, the people who should be paying attention - the women these songs are objectifying - will not. I am hoping I am wrong, but I just don't see the girls out there who are swooning over Chase Rice, Thomas Rhett, Jason Aldean, and Luke Bryan waking up after hearing this song and being like 'OMG! I've been disrespected and objectified THIS WHOLE TIME! Why am I at a country concert wearing nothing but a bikini top and booty shorts? What is wrong with me?!?" I just don't see it having as much of an impact on the listening public, other than the male bro fans thinking these girls are just whiny haters.

Yes. This. Absolutely. I was trying to say this exact same thing the other day but couldn't come up with the right way to say it and I ended up deleting my post as a result. The 'culture' of this new generation of country music fans is almost completely different than what it used to be. That's the big reason behind my criticism of bro-country...I think most of their lyrics are simply terrible in regards to how they portray women.

[countrygirl918]

This is so, so fantastic. I love that it has an extremely catchy melody and production, because perhaps that will help give it a chance to succeed.

I have no idea if this will be embraced by the industry or not, but I really hope it is. I have so much respect for these two for making this their country music debut - at 18, they're braver than a lot of other older artists out there. Even if radio and the artists called out in the song don't embrace it, this will help give Maddie & Tae the mainstream attention that a brand new duo needs in the beginning.

And hey, they at least have one guaranteed album sale thanks to this song. ;)

[Kurt]

Everything on that EPK sounds great, which only elevates my hopes that this does well. Between BMLG's backing and the fact that it's the inaugural single of the Dot Records re-launch, I'm inclined to agree with blueguitar's sentiment on the chances of it getting a solid push.

[14887fan]

This is BMLG-backed?! lol, the same group that spawned the biggest culprits of this plague, Florida-Georgia Line, are releasing & supporting a song that is completely trashing one of their biggest star signees.

I can't wait to see what this does. Nonetheless, here's hoping it does something!

[blueguitar]

Jun 30, 2014 23:37:27 GMT -5 14887fan said:

This is BMLG-backed?! lol, the same group that spawned the biggest culprits of this plague, Florida-Georgia Line, are releasing & supporting a song that is completely trashing one of their biggest star signees.

I can't wait to see what this does. Nonetheless, here's hoping it does something!

I know right? I betting the label mates will end up behind this new direction with some some kind of tongue in cheek statement. Seems manufactured (shock) but can't say I don't mind a new direction. All this being said I loved the outro of the EPK. Sounded like a great song. I really miss the female harmonies of the Dixie Chicks so I'm stoked to see what these young ladies can put together for their first era!!!

[Deleted]

I really like the lyrics, and the production is pretty good...until it gets to the wall-of-sound chorus. Yikes. Other over-produced songs have become favorites of mine over time though (after many listens on the radio) so perhaps this will too, but I just hate that I have to try so hard to decipher what they are singing in the chorus. They have great, great voices too, so it's a bit frustrating that they're buried behind a wall of sound at times.

But overall I still give this a solid A. I just need more time to digest the lyrics.

[blueguitar]

Call me crazy. Or not. But my very first impression irregardless of the lyrical context was that it might be too country for radio right now. I know there are the little stutter beats or whatever you call them but it's pretty country sounding. For country radio. Thoughts?

I welcome as much country as radio will accept but it's more out there than anything else we are hearing and I love it.

[Deleted]

Jun 30, 2014 23:29:15 GMT -5 Kurt said:

Everything on that EPK sounds great, which only elevates my hopes that this does well. Between BMLG's backing and the fact that it's the inaugural single of the Dot Records re-launch, I'm inclined to agree with blueguitar's sentiment on the chances of it getting a solid push.

I saw from the link to the EPK that Maddie & Tae RT'ed you on Twitter tonight, how cool!

ETA: Speaking about the EPK, there were 2 things said in there that I didn't like. Around the 3:47 mark, the girls start talking about "Girl In A Country Song" and how it came about after they were talking about all the songs on the radio today that they loved. Now maybe they do like the bro-country songs, but I don't really think so, or at least the lyrics to "Girl In A Country Song" would suggest that they aren't fans of bro-country. Yes, the song pokes fun at bro-country, but I think lines like "how in the world did it all go wrong" imply that, despite the song's lighthearted nature, it is a serious message that they believe in. I guess I just have a hunch that the label was trying to gloss over any controversy that might arise from the song's lyrics. I mean, obviously I didn't expect Maddie & Tae to sit there and say "I hate FGL and Thomas Rhett" etc, but having them say they 'love' those bro-country songs, when the lyrics to GIACS take obvious issues with bro-country 'culture', just made it seem like someone was trying to smooth out any hurt feelings that might arise.

The second thing came from Scott Borchetta. Around the 4:15 mark he states his belief that females will love the song, and that all the men they've played it for have laughed. I'm sure that's true, but that would suggest that the men just think it's a silly song and not meant to be taken seriously at all, and if that's indeed how they do feel, they are missing the whole point of the song, in my opinion.