Carly Pearce Goes in More Country Direction with “Next Girl”
Well this is welcome, and somewhat unexpected.
Big Machine’s Carly Pearce has always contained the fundamental components to become a modern day neotraditional country star if she wanted, and was allowed to. Born in Taylor Mill, Kentucky, Pearce was playing bluegrass at 11, and dropped out of school at 16 to move to Dolly Parton’s Pigeon Forge. There she landed a job playing bluegrass music six times a day, five days a week. Carly Pearce’s musical acumen was formed deep in the roots of country music.
Some of her singles have been very promising, including her debut track from 2017, “Every Little Thing,” and her recent #1 with Lee Brice, “I Hope You’re Happy Now.” Both weren’t exactly traditional country, yet were much better than what you’re used to hearing from country radio. But her other recent single called “Closer To You” was pure pop, and stalled at #28 on the charts. This left any assessment on Carly’s music as a mixed bag.
Perhaps now they’ve figured out where Carly Pearce’s place is, which is not trying to keep up with the Maren Morris’s of the world, but to be the more traditional-leaning lady of today’s popular country. That’s what you hear from her new single, released somewhat unexpectedly, called “Next Girl.”
According to Carly, the song is the result of the question, “What would Patty Loveless do?” And “Next Girl” is a good answer. Again, it’s not traditional country. But with banjo that is more fundamental to the melody than tokenistic, some true twang to Carly’s vocal delivery, and even the way the music drops out near the end of the chorus, it’s all very indicative of late 80’s and early 90’s country. The writing isn’t exceptional, but it’s solid, while still delivering an appeal you can hear working on today’s radio.
But the strange thing about this new single is that Carly just released a new, self-titled record in mid February. 6 1/2 months is and extremely quick turnaround time for releasing a lead single from an entirely new upcoming project. When you listened to the February record, it was much closer to pop sensibility than country purist, even though a couple of months before the release, Carly was quoted as saying, “I really wanna be a purist. I really wanna be a country artist.”
“Purist” is a strong and loaded term these days, but “Next Girl” definitely comes closer to fulfilling that promise than most of what Carly’s recent album delivered. So who knows, maybe this is the moment when Carly Pearce moves on entirely from the more pop sound, and really announces her presence by letting her country roots unfurl. After all, that is the continuing trend in mainstream country music.
So many of the new women in mainstream country seem to believe that the way to defeat the impasse for support for women in country is to go even more pop, when all that’s done is given into a self-fulfilling prophesy of depreciating success. As men like Luke Combs and Jon Pardi continue to prove, the appetite for more country-style country music is growing. There is a gaping hole for someone like Carly Pearce to step into and succeed.
Carly Pearce was just nominated for a surprising four CMA Awards. Now might be the perfect time for her to really step out, and express herself as a leading lady in today’s mainstream country landscape. “Next Girl” is definitely a step in that direction.
Jake Cutter
September 7, 2020 @ 9:30 am
I was curious if she wrote this “purist” song, by herself. Do you know?
Trigger
September 7, 2020 @ 9:47 am
I didn’t call this a purist song, and I’m not sure anyone is calling it a purist song.
Carly Pearce co-wrote the song with Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne.
Jake Cutter
September 7, 2020 @ 10:02 am
And I didn’t say you did. It was a loose reference and assumption based on her stated intentions, which is why I was curious about that omitted information. Thanks for the info.
Hey Arnold
September 7, 2020 @ 11:42 am
It sounds like she’s channeling her inner Luke Combs on this one.
I figured he was a cowriter too….
Fuzzy Twoshirts
September 7, 2020 @ 9:30 am
Big Machine Records?
Yikes. That’s a big red flag if I’ve ever seen one
OlaR
September 7, 2020 @ 9:54 am
“Purist”…sure…well…nope.
Carly Pearce was featured on the Josh Abbott Band single “Wasn’t That Drunk” in 2016.
The track was a midfield hit on the charts.
“Next Girl” is not bad…for a 2020 mainstream single.
New Stuff:
Missy Armstrong – My Remedy – EP (6 Tracks) – Released (08/27)
Bluegrass. New artist. Her first two singles made my playlist (“My Remedy” & “Broke Down In Arkansas”). Her new single is the current #1 on the Bluegrass Today Weekly Airplay Charts (“Creeping Round My Cabin Door”). Fine debut.
In The Pipeline:
Jamie O’Neal – Sometimes – Album (12 Tracks) – Release Date: 10/16
The albums features Sara Evans, Martina McBride, John Paul White & Lauren Alaina (is there one album without a Lauren Alaina duet?).
With new versions of her hits like “There Is No Arizona” & “Trying To Find Atlantis” (one of my all-time favourite tracks & videos).
Dee Manning
September 7, 2020 @ 9:59 am
Re that quick release time, consider that she might just be really angry at her now ex husband. Who must have done something pretty bad for her to divorce him after only like 7 months.
Nevertheless it’s a great song, I love her. And pissed-off-girl songs tend to do really well (I Hope, Before He Cheats, half of Miranda Lambert’s catalog…😁) So it will probably be a hit for her.
Trigger
September 7, 2020 @ 10:07 am
I’m sure the split from Michael Ray is a factor here. But major labels are generally speaking completely incapable from breaking from their album cycle routines. They couldn’t call an audible to save their lives. That’s why “Tennessee Whiskey” from Chris Stapleton was never released as a single. But hey, if Big Machine and Carly see her future with material like this that has been way more successful for her while the pop stuff fails, more power to them.
Hey Arnold
September 7, 2020 @ 11:47 am
I’m guessing producer busbee was against Carly putting out traditional country music??
It totally makes sense…. You put out something of substance and leaning on traditional country production & you get a hit on the radio.
You go more pop but it stalls in the Top 30….
Carly’s wheelhouse is definitely more on the traditional side. She needs to stay there!!! Let Karen Morris & Kelsea do their pop thing.
David
September 7, 2020 @ 1:42 pm
Once again, she screws up big time by not releasing the best song on her album as a single. With the first album it was “If My Name Was Whiskey”. With the new album it was “It Won’t Always Be Like This”. I haven’t listened to this new song straight through, by the little bit I heard I wasn’t a fan of. I could see “It Won’t Always Be Like This” going to number one had it been released as a single. I don’t see this being a big hit. Guess we’ll see.
And hey, props to her if she felt super creative during quarantine and wants to get new stuff out right away. But she’s letting a great song miss out on the chance it could’ve gotten.
Jimmy
September 7, 2020 @ 3:31 pm
‘She’ hasn’t screwed up ‘big time’ at all. Because ‘she’ doesn’t get to choose her singles. I doubt ‘she’ even has a say. That’s how the machine works, unless you’re a runaway success, and I mean huge numbers, you don’t get much of a say in anything. This is the music business (not to be confused with the artist business)
David
September 7, 2020 @ 6:16 pm
Okay, I just listened to the whole thing. It’s actually pretty catchy.
618creekrat
September 7, 2020 @ 2:53 pm
The pace is a bit frenetic, but it’s not a bad listen. It wouldn’t drive me to changing the station, like a Maren song likely would.
It’s a shame these diamonds in the rough keep going to Nashville only to be processed into industrial diamond dust, rather than cut into things of beauty. The current paradigm is squandering talent, and the labels are apparently too stupid to see it’s also squandering sales.
Di Harris
September 7, 2020 @ 3:58 pm
Pretty profound …
Also, someone needs to remind these ladies, trying to break out as major stars, not to bow down to big industry, to have their lips inflated, ala Lindsey Lohan, looking like they can get a tail pipe in their mouths.
Not necessary.
Carly has the talent, she just needs to put her foot down.
As in, Oh, you that out of control? Go somewhere and take care of business, then we will talk about my singing talent, & what I can bring to the table.
albert
September 8, 2020 @ 7:41 am
this :
”The current paradigm is squandering talent, ”
Corncaster
September 7, 2020 @ 2:58 pm
That’s far enough into the win column for me. It’s got a train beat (we still have trains out here), guitars, nice vocal, and a modern sense of line in the lyric. You can always count on Big Machine to crank out Skittles, but this is okay. “Be who you are” is a good direction for her.
Tyler Wayne
September 7, 2020 @ 5:00 pm
She also recently released a cover of Cowboy Take Me Away which was really good. Rooting for Carly!!
seak
September 7, 2020 @ 5:03 pm
Not saying major labels are good at pivots, but basically most of her last album was about falling in love with Michael Ray. I’ve heard a few potential cuts off of this coming album (radio survey) and they were all about what a dbag he is. So it seems likely that the divorce was the impetuous for junking the album and moving on. And that’s also what Carly has stated.
Dave
September 8, 2020 @ 12:03 pm
I’ve heard of radio surveys allowing us to listen to new music. How do I go about doing one?
Dee Manning
September 11, 2020 @ 7:25 am
https://testallmedia.com/ratethemusic
Eric
September 7, 2020 @ 6:08 pm
The song is quite musically messy and not very melodically interesting. While it is much better than most songs on country radio, it is a far cry from Patty Loveless (to be fair, her voice is nearly impossible to match) or late 80s/early 90s country in general (which, in my opinion, was musically the greatest period in country music history).
wayne
September 7, 2020 @ 6:08 pm
She has potential. Don’t know how good she is “in the real”. By that I mean her performance on the Opry with Lee Brice was glaringly lacking to the trained ear. Might have just been an off night. Or possibly she needs a lot of help in the studio. However, it is better than meaningless Maren. And I am so over Lambert, call it fatigue I guess. So maybe more traditionalist-leaning folks can hitch their wagon to her. Probably the better way to say it is the less pop-leaning folks.
Don’t think I can call her a traditionalist just yet.
Bob Loblaw
September 8, 2020 @ 10:26 am
The stripped down setting of the Opry right now is throwing some performers off a little I think, especially when singing with someone else. I really enjoyed Brad & Carrie Saturday but even they seemed a little off at moments. Maybe our ears are just so used to the big production, full bands, and perfection that normal imperfections seem ‘off’
North Woods Country
September 7, 2020 @ 8:00 pm
Her self-titled album had several great songs on it. I’d have liked to see “Halfway Home” or “Greener Grass” (one of my favorite songs of 2020) released as a substantial, country-leaning single, but this is also really good.
albert
September 8, 2020 @ 7:38 am
Its country . she has a good voice for this stuff .
BUT :
personally , I detest songs where the lyrics come at me so quickly I need to breathe for the singer.
this is a rap trademark , of course , and has quickly become a ‘country’ trademark . TMI too fast and leaves little time for players or interesting musical passages /solos/ instruments .
I’ve lost interest in the narrative 4 lines in . trend is the only reason for this congested approach to lyric writing , IMO , and it is getting very very old , ironically .
secondly , its lightweight lyrically , albeit a clever approach to the hook , but it is yet another song packing yet another punch at a guy who we know nothing about , who can’t defend himself and who seems to be just being a guy . if anything , the singer sounds bitter that she lost him when she lays out all of his ”bad’ behavior to the ‘ next girl ”. more country than other stuff ? sure ..ok .
its wrong on every level lyrically .
and it will be a huge hit
but to my ear this is carrie underwood 2.0 with less substance
Di Harris
September 8, 2020 @ 10:54 am
“but it is yet another song packing yet another punch at a guy who we know nothing about , who can’t defend himself and who seems to be just being a guy .”
A man bashing song, to be sure.
Yet, the girl picks the guy up in a bar (hands him her phone #). Somewhere down the line her dress comes off – a choice she made.
Let’s see if i get this …
Met him in a bar, you know he’s cruisin’, but she decides he is for her, she wants him (we all understand the natural urges here), & is mad when he leaves & doesn’t want the long term relationship.
You met him in a bar honey
Corncaster
September 8, 2020 @ 12:35 pm
Di, you’re talking sense. Therefore, you need to be reported to the authorities for reeducation. Nonsense — it’s for the children!
It is a well-known fact out here in the country that all women who visit bars are proper ladies who will never do anything untoward. We all believe this, and if they by some chance they do end up doing something untoward, it would not be their fault, and we gentlemen would never talk about it.
At least this was the Code status quo ante. Things may have changed. I wouldn’t know.
Di Harris
September 8, 2020 @ 1:07 pm
: D
Uh, they tried that reeducation stuff at UVM.
University of Vermont, Burlington.
Tried Really Really hard to not smile that smile, while being reeducated, informed of the parties position, stance i was supposed to take, on any & all hot button issues.
Leaned into 2 different professor’s after they had exhausted themselves with the Dept. of Education’s propaganda, er policies, and told them i was going to help them out, as in, if i come across a patient who needs any information, to help them make a decision that is The Very Best for their health, then i will be helping them out, in anyway that i can. You can take your abortion issues, your political issues, your personal agendas & shove them.
I went into medicine to actually help people.
The CEO’s & Dr’s of the ranching hospital and community knew that if i was with a patient, everything else would wait, until everything that could be done, had been done, before that pt. left.
Every visit.
And, Oh Boy, were there ever, & continue to be, issues with the Filipino Mafia (Dr’s), that have been trying to buy that hospital for years.
And yep, i am tired of all the man bashing songs.
: D
Daniel Cooper
September 8, 2020 @ 12:19 pm
Perhaps the reason for the rootsier sound has to do with whomever has taken over as her new producer, following the untimely passing of busbee, may he RIP. He may have been a purely pop producer, but still a tragic passing at a young age. Trig, have you been able to flag down who may be Carly’s new producer? Be interesting to see if Maren Morris changes her sound with her new producer.
David
September 10, 2020 @ 10:17 am
I believe Shane McNally and Josh Osbourne produced this song.
Mike Honcho
September 9, 2020 @ 8:15 am
I’d make out with her, but I’ll have to pass on listening to any more of her music.
Dave
September 17, 2020 @ 5:43 pm
Carly played this song for me in a Zoom. Said she wanted to get back to the music she grew up on – 90s country radio. She cut her chops on bluegrass at Dollywood. That will get zero radio play. This will.
Anthony
October 10, 2020 @ 11:00 pm
I was pleasantly surprised by this song. It’s a step in the right direction for her, and for mainstream country.