Song Review – Jake Owen’s “Real Life”
Upon first listen, this new Jake Owen single is a superior candidate for an unabashedly scathing review. What, is he trying to rap again for goodness sakes? And though there may be a message, there’s really no story. At it’s heart, “Real Life” is yet another example of replacing rhythm for melody, and lists for story. So much for all of Jake Owen’s rhetoric about bringing more substance to country music.
And don’t get me wrong, this song is pretty terrible, not particularly country, and plenty full of reasons to label it as paltry. But there’s a little something going on here that makes it slightly more redeemable than your average mainstream single vying for shallow summer listening. Maybe this is more of a commentary on just how far country music has slid as opposed to any true amendable properties included in this tune. But when I hear it, the blood pressure doesn’t go up terribly.
Jake Owen sits in this precarious position as a second tier mainstream country music star in an industry where there’s never been more discrepancy between the have’s and the have not’s. If you’re not a perennial for the CMA and ACM’s Male or Female Vocalist of the Year, then you’re barely receiving any attention these days. Country music has never been so top heavy, and so susceptible to tipping over and crashing down because of it.
Meanwhile here is Jake Owen who’s just able to tip the scales enough to justify playing amphitheaters and even some small arenas, yet his singles always seem to perform slightly under expectation. “Days of Gold” a couple of summers ago sounded like a blockbuster, but it couldn’t crack the Top 10. Only when Owen completely sold out with “Beachin'” did he make it to #1.
But the size of Jake Owen’s reach has also been an asset for him. Known to treat his fans better than most anyone you might hear on the radio, he’ll show up out in the parking lot before shows and party with tailgaters, set up spontaneous rendezvous through social network and have soirees on river banks or at Waffles Houses (like he did to promote this single), personalizing the experience. He recently took traditionalist Tony Martinez out on tour with him on a whim, and even though he sometimes contradicts himself with his music, Owen has been known to speak out. Regardless of what you think about his music or the current length of his hairstyle, Jake Owen at least puts out the effort to keep it real.
And that’s what makes “Real Life” an acceptable offering from Owen, even if it isn’t particularly good. I see him trying to catch a similar vibe to what Kenny Chesney was attempting to go for with his latest album The Big Revival, but failed. “Real Life” seeks out a separate audience from the jar-headed beer and tailgate crowd, without being so heady or preachy the point is lost on the audience. There’s nothing real about the depictions you either hear or see in the vast majority of country music’s blockbuster singles, regardless of what Dallas Davidson and others want to tell you. The women aren’t always super hot, and the trucks aren’t always shiny brand new. People have to work jobs, and have friends who may be dumpy, but are much more cool to hang out with than the waxed chest and bikini-clad crowd.
The most polarizing thing about “Real Life” is the topic of whether Jake Owen is singing or rapping the verses. Either way, the lack of melody is disturbing, but where on “Beachin'” I ruled on the rapping side because of the Ebonic inflections and pentameter of Owen’s words, “Real Life” feels much more laid back; much more natural. The difference between talking in songs (like in Charlie Daniel’s “Devil Went Down to Georgia”) and rapping in songs (like “Dirt Road Anthem”) is one of those “you know it when you hear it” type of judgement calls. And when it comes to “Real Life,” I’ll rule it a talky.
Also where “Beachin'” was unabashedly reliant on electronic sounds (not to keep comparing the two), “Real Life” is mostly (if not all) organic, though admittedly too rhythmic in nature. The megaphone filter on the vocals also adds a little bit of welcomed grit. I wouldn’t have a problem with this song on a pop station, even though it feels a little like 90’s fare. And it’s still most certainly a faux pas to call it country. But we have much bigger problems than Jake Owen releasing some silly, lighthearted summer single where he talks instead of sings about real people.
Unfortunately though, it’s still not very good.
1 1/2 of 2 Guns Down.
Gena R.
June 17, 2015 @ 9:55 am
Oof. He goes from “What We Ain’t Got” to this? o_O
Still, I agree with you on the talking-vs.-rapping thing; Jake’s delivery here on the spoken parts reminds me a bit of Todd Snider’s “Talkin’ Seattle Grunge-Rock Blues,” which I liked a whole lot.
scott
June 17, 2015 @ 10:15 am
Had forgotten about that Snider nugget. So right, Gena, that’s a killer song. Gonna have to listen to Jake’s song when I get home. Oh, and I really enjoyed the review, Trig, pretty insightful.
Shastacatfish
June 17, 2015 @ 10:07 am
This is awesome! My 20 year high school reunion is coming up and Better Than Ezra has a new single out! Who would have thought they would still be on the radio after all these years!?
Trigger
June 17, 2015 @ 10:13 am
Yes, country’s take on “evolution” still appears to be time warping back 20 years on the pop dial.
Gena R.
June 17, 2015 @ 11:04 am
Hehe! 😀
You know, besides having a rather annoying chorus, this song bugged the heck out of me as to what it reminded me of — I knew it couldn’t be Smash Mouth, Sugar Ray, 3rd Eye Blind… I’d say the Better Than Ezra (“Good”) comparison is pretty spot-on.
Harrison
June 17, 2015 @ 10:12 am
Well what do you expect him to do. He actually released a fantastic song in “what we ain’t got” and country radio wouldn’t play the song enough for it to go higher than #14 on AirPlay.
If we want artists to create songs that are good, it has to pay off for them.
So why, then, would jake Owen take a shot for a song that might be a stellar song artistically when he can sing something that teenage girls will absolutely love and purchase in order to send it to number one and so he can make money.
Im not sure how I could blame an artist like jake Owen. I mean it’s a catchy song, and I’m sure it’ll be a top 10 hit, and I know it’s selling decently.
Basically what I’m saying is, radio is training the artists to make certain songs by rewarding them in a similar way to training a dog to piss in the yard..
Trigger
June 17, 2015 @ 10:30 am
Jake Owen is going to feel even more pressure to release big radio singles because he’s right on the precipice of becoming a top tier star, which could see his income triple in the current country environment. I thought this song took a more progressive approach to this dilemma than “Beachin'” did.
Noah Eaton
June 17, 2015 @ 10:14 am
I’m sorry, but this isn’t even getting an iota of a pass from me among “country” releases just because I heartily agree that Jake Owen strikes me as a most friendly and generous-hearted guy that gives back to his fans beyond what most A and B-list entertainers do.
*
Everclear is actually what first popped in my head while listening this. Not only does “Real Life” sound like “AM Radio” or something that would have fitted on “Sparkle and Fade” and you wouldn”™t tell the difference, but Owen”™s vocals sound like they are impersonating Art Alexakis in how he enunciates more like he”™s chanting a monologue than singing a song. Much like he was blatantly channeling Shawn Mullins of “Lullaby” fame with “Beachin’”.
And here”™s the thing: I enjoyed “Sparkle and Fade” growing up. I was a child of that era. And I also found more to like than dislike with “So Much for the Afterglow”, but then found everything after uninspired and just tuned Everclear out from there. Still, Art Alexkais produced his share of catchy, jangly songs from that era with a summery vibe but mostly depressing subject matter, and I wouldn”™t mind hearing current artists tap into that era for inspiration”¦”¦”¦”¦”¦..
”¦”¦”¦”¦”¦..just not on country airwaves! -__-
*
Much like I wouldn”™t mind Kelsea Ballerini if her music had been marketed to Mainstream Top 40 and Adult Top 40 radio in the first place in that, as a pop album, “The First Time” is actually decent”¦”¦”¦”¦”¦.Jake Owen”™s “Real Life” at least musically sounds decent enough as an Adult Top 40 song. It admittedly has an infectious earworm of a chorus, a blue-skied production and a buoyancy to the rhythm that makes me tap my foot.
*
Unfortunately, this leads to my biggest gripe about this song and what ultimately undoes it regardless of genre: its lyrics.
“Real Life” actually reminds me of “American Kids” in how it tries to purport itself as an anthem that talks about something different than the current bro-country and metro-bro trends”¦”¦”¦”¦”¦..but relies on the exact same stream-of-consciousness Rhythmic form of delivery and checklist formula, albeit with different word choices and proper nouns. In other words, its mostly the same recipe”¦”¦”¦”¦except perhaps using egg replacer instead of egg and cashew butter instead of margarine. Yet it”™s the same flour, same yeast, same sugar, same canola oil, same pan, same kneading process, same oven temperature.
And much like “American Kids”, the lyricism is just painfully shallow. So, let’s dissect this to reveal what Owen says “real life” is about:
*
1) The prom queen wearing a plastic crown (as opposed to”¦”¦”¦”¦..y”™know”¦”¦”¦”¦.a “real” one! 😉 )
2) Drinking Royal Crown cola instead of Coca-Cola
3) Rolling your own smokes
4) Driving around because there was no”¦”¦”¦”¦”¦.stuff”¦”¦”¦”¦”¦to do (good luck with that now in this economy where gas prices are much higher than Coca-Cola! 😉 )
5) Using a neighbor”™s pool
6) Having green grass
7) Having two trees
8) Not talking to models (uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh”¦”¦you do realize many models HARDLY lead the Vogue and Pars Fashion Week lifestyle, myself included, right Owen? 😉 )
9) Getting “real high” in addition to getting “real low” (I”™m not sure I WANT you to elaborate there! 😉 )
10) Having a dive bar with a band that plays too loud and is quite bad.
11) Dancing at the said dive bar”™s terrible band anyway
12) Staying out and up very late.
13) Dining at the Waffle House.
14) Having a rude waitress at the Waffle House.
15) Tipping the said rude waitress at the Waffle House.
16) Pray to God.
*
So, by Owen”™s logic, you”™re not being “real” if you: wear a crown made of any material besides plastic, drink Coca-Cola (because then you”™re just a spoiled 1% type! 😉 ), buy conventional cigarettes by the pack, walk, bike or skateboard around town instead of drive by automobile, having your own pool, having imperfect grass, having more or fewer than two trees, talking to models, choosing not to indulge in “homegrown”, Fireball, meth or whatever they mean when they refer to getting real high, going to dive bars where the music is set at a reasonable volume and actually features respectable to downright great performers, choosing to make a concerted effort to go to bed earlier at least once in a while, dining at the neighborhood family diner or Subway instead of Waffle House, tipping friendly waitresses and either leading a secular lifestyle or adhering to another faith.
”¦”¦”¦”¦”¦”¦.good to know, Owen! Good to know! Thanks for keeping it real (See what I did there? 😉 )
*
Much like “American Kids”, its lyrics are just a bunch of random little observations that were just papier-mached together without providing anything substantial in their declaration, while nuance is largely tossed out the window. For instance, what does drinking Coca-Cola have anything to do with not being broke? Or having more than two trees? Or having a pool? Have the song”™s writers NEVER seen plastic pools like those sold at Wal-Mart? Trust me: if you can afford to drive around town for no reason at all these days, you CAN afford to drink Coca-Cola! 😉
*
But what do I know? I”™m not “real”, according to Owen and the song”™s writers, so that instantaneously disqualifies my opinion here! 😉
As an Adult Top 40 song, this at least sounds infectious and summery and the production is agreeable as well. But it”™s undermined by poor lyricism, and automatically disqualifies itself in that it’s trying to purport itself as a “country single”.
Two Thumbs Way Down here, but perhaps 1 1/2 Guns Down if this was released to Adult Top 40 in the first place.
Trigger
June 17, 2015 @ 10:28 am
I didn’t take away the same sense of judgement against others that you did from this song. I thought the approach was more self-deprecating.
And this is a weird review where I spend most of the ink in defense of what in the end is a pretty bad song.
Noah Eaton
June 17, 2015 @ 11:07 am
I was mostly joshing when I was calling Owen and his co-writers out on the real/unreal talk; mostly because “real” is such a loaded and interchangeable term as is to the extent that when you make a laundry-list formatted song about what “real” meant to them growing up, you can’t resist lampooning it! 😉
And I get that “Real Life” is reflecting nostalgically on a youthful time and, instead of taking the overtly sentimental Kenny Chesney-esque much-more-mature-version-of-himself-reflecting-on-his-youthful-days approach, instead just says “This is how it was!” without speaking from a more mature or sentimentally-charged space. On the surface, that would seem like a saving grace for that type of song in that it isn’t trying to pass itself off as anything deeper than a youthful recollection.
That still doesn’t change the fact these lyrics provide no reason as to why any of the rest of us should care. It’s good that what he mentions is real and meaningful to his experience, but not only do the lyrics fail to explain what makes having two trees or using his neighbor’s pool endearing to him; they also try way too hard for populist swell but is offset by relying too heavily on a binary as to what was real and, in effect, what was not to them specifically.
Art Alexais wrote many of his lyrics in a rattled-off form as well, and sometimes they were clumsy and ham-fisted, but at least he understood the importance of providing some sort of context. “AM Radio”, for instance, would have just come across as another dime-a-dozen VH1 flashback put to music if he didn’t apply some of his own milestone moments surrounding his musical journey being raised on the radio. But here with “Real Life”, this just feels completely empty and anonymous in the end because it smacks as though they were playing Mad Libs with lyrical composition and just settled on the first draft also being the last draft.
GregN
June 17, 2015 @ 3:09 pm
Yep. Was surprised to see the “down” after the 1 1/2.
But I’m glad you took the time.
Thanks.
Cool Lester Smooth
June 17, 2015 @ 10:52 am
9-14 are pretty damn “real” for a lot of us, haha.
CountryKnight
June 17, 2015 @ 7:32 pm
To Jake Owen, this is what he considers “real life.” I have no problem with him mentioning praying to God or the Waffle House. What, did Denny’s get offended?
Good grief, it is a singer expressing his beliefs. He doesn’t need to cover every other viewpoint.
That being said, it is not a great song, but this faux concern over his selection is hilarious. As you said, real carries many different meanings.
Dan H
June 18, 2015 @ 8:01 am
From what I know about jake, or at least think I know, he was damn near a professional golfer and wakeboarder. I guess those country club memberships and Malibu Wakesetters are what caused his family to drink RC cola. I’m not saying doing those two things make his any less homegrown or down to earth, I’m just saying maybe he coulda threw those subjects about his life in the song.
Unknown Shredder
June 17, 2015 @ 10:33 am
As far as a pop song goes, it’s catchy & doesn’t totally offend me …first time I heard it I thought “Everclear” , maybe that’s why I don’t mind it.
But, to call this a country song??? LMAO,… Come on man!!!!
Kale
June 17, 2015 @ 10:51 am
Looks like he went to Sam Hunt’s barber. Now that country has gone all metro, everybody thinks they have to look like edm club hoppers; city boys with no attempt to even look country. Sam Hunt doesn’t look country or sing country music at all, and it’s looking like Jake Owen and others are going that way just to make more money. I still can’t understand how anybody on the planet can possibly believe this metro facade is country when all these funky hairdos, urban jargon, and fake electronic crap are the EXACT OPPOSITE OF COUNTRY.
TopJimmy
June 17, 2015 @ 10:56 am
Awful.
Noah Eaton
June 17, 2015 @ 11:12 am
Don’t get me wrong. Sometimes terrible live acts are absolutely entertaining and have a hypnotic appeal you can’t help but be drawn to! 😉
Yet, some other nights, wouldn’t you much rather just leave that dive bar and find another one that actually has legitimate talent? I highly doubt Jamey Johnson and Sturgill Simpson would be anywhere remotely where are they now if they didn’t leave a glowing impression in those exact same environments in the earlier stages of their careers.
Coaltrain
June 17, 2015 @ 11:29 am
I’m sorry but I can’t defend this song at all. It’s plain horrible. I’ve always liked the way Jake Owen does things but not this time. Just when we buy in that he had a good country hit with “What We Ain’t Got,” he goes and sells out even more than the past with this. If I want to listen to 90s music, I’ll listen to that. Not this.
Ryan
June 17, 2015 @ 11:33 am
ummm….how does this get 1/2 gun? Two guns WAY down. Made it thru 30 seconds. Rubbish.
BwareDWare94
June 17, 2015 @ 11:56 am
If I wanted to hear a Sugar Ray song, I’d…
Wait, I never, ever, ever want to hear Sugar Ray song. Well played, Jake Owen. Now, kindly fuck off with this nonsense. You’re better than this.
Trainwreck92
June 17, 2015 @ 12:30 pm
You know what, I actually kind of like it. It’s not even remotely country, but it’s a pretty decent pop/rock song. Like some other commenters said, it does remind me a bit of Everclear, if only because Jake sounds a bit like Everclear’s singer in this song. While it doesn’t belong on country radio, I think it’s actually better than most songs on country radio right now.
Jim
June 17, 2015 @ 12:41 pm
“The women aren”™t always super hot, and the trucks aren”™t always shiny brand new.”
That’s funny, since wasn’t one of the lyrics in “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” about “the girls are always hot and the beer is ice cold”?
Still, you’re right. It could be worse!
Albert
June 17, 2015 @ 12:46 pm
” But we have much bigger problems than Jake Owen releasing some silly, lighthearted summer single where he talks instead of sings about real people.”
Yup …we sure do ……solid review Trigger .
This is a boring ,go-nowhere, cliche-riddled dated-sounding piece of shit trying to be all things to all people ….we got the rap , the chant , the drum loops , the megaphone ( borrowed from Reba ? ) the forgettable ” melody ” . Slow it down to a cut -time groove like EVERY OTHER SONG ON RADIO and its a Kruise Kids special .
These guys blow me away when they sing about ” real things “and ” real life ” in a ” real small town” with ” real jobs” cuz they aren’t living that life . They’re on big stages , big tour buses , big airplanes , holed up in recording studios or writing sessions or label/mgmt/press meetings with people waiting on them. They aren’t living REAL lives at all .
Who told Jake to cut the mane and go with a bro-do ?
Did I mention this song is a piece of shit ?
Sam Jimenez
June 17, 2015 @ 1:13 pm
The thing I love about this site is being introduced to music I would otherwise not have ever been exposed to.
The thing I hate about this site is being introduced to music I would otherwise not have ever been exposed to.
Hell, I’d never even heard the names Jake Owen, or Luke Bryant before finding this place less than a year ago, but I forgive you…
Anthony
June 17, 2015 @ 1:17 pm
I think this song, unlike Kick The Dust Up, attempts to show some leadership. Attempt being the key word because obviously Luke holds the keys. But Jake is trying. He’s strayed away from his pocket and I believe Jake when he says he wants to move into a more real direction thats reflective of the more mature stage of life he’s in. Ya its a little poppy n fun but I think that vibe is just who he is.
Kale
June 17, 2015 @ 2:00 pm
Here’s a song about real life:
(Acoustic guitar intro)
Got my start in a small town bar singin’ Willie and Waylon’s songs
Record man saw me playin’ one night, so he gave me deal
Worked my way to the top of the ladder thinkin’ I’ll be a legend and it won’t take long
Til the record man told me “times are changin’ boy, and ya gotta change with em”
So to get the number one hits I wanted so bad I had to drop steel guitars for drum loops
I guess ya can’t make it in country now ‘less ya sell your soul to pop
(Chorus, Steel guitar throughout:)
*How did it get so bad?
Where did it go so wrong?
All I ever wanted was to sing country music
And now every “country’ song
Ain’t even country
What happened to country?
It’s all EDM and drum machines
And mixed drinks at the club scene
Oh God, what have I done?
This ain’t who I am
I don’t wanna be a rapper, don’t wanna be a rocker, I wanna sing country
But damn… You can’t be a star singin’ real country
So I guess I won’t…
(Long steel guitar solo)
(Next verse with electric guitar throughout:)
I know this ain’t me
I know this ain’t right
But absolute power corrupts absolutely
And I’ll lose my fame if I fight
(Same chorus, with steel guitar louder:)
*How did…
I’m no professional songwriter, but there’s a song about some people’s real lives.
Taylor
June 17, 2015 @ 2:30 pm
Great lyrics!! I really like it! Good job!
Fuzzy TwoShirts
June 22, 2015 @ 6:52 am
Korean war vet across the counter from me, God I’m thankful for him and this land of the free. Mandolin case tucked under the bed, but the music’s all gone now that George Jones is dead.
And every Sunday night, when the summer moon is rising, sit out in my hammock, with my old mandolin, and cry a couple sad tears, for the way things used to be.
And if God would grant the power, to relive my childhood hours, I’d trade this world away, to go back just one day, and watch that old man play the mandolin, beneath the old clock tower.
When I was a kid I’d see him there, scars on his face and gray in his hair, sitting like he didn’t have a care, playing some song he learned who knows where.
And if God would grant the power, to relive my childhood hours, I’d trade this world away, to go back just one day, and watch that old man play the mandolin, beneath the old clock tower.
(Insert mandolin solos where necessary)
Shawn Bailey
June 17, 2015 @ 2:13 pm
Trigger, off subject…but I never saw an album review of Tyler Farr’s new album.
Was looking forward to reading that lol. Hope it’s coming.
pete marshall
June 17, 2015 @ 4:22 pm
I was waiting for you to review this and I would give this song 2 guns way down. This song is worse than “Beachin”. I also say the same to Randy Houser “We Went”, Luke Bryan “Kicking the dust up”, and Keith Urban “John song”.
Jason
June 17, 2015 @ 4:50 pm
I remember saying this was the 5th worst song or something along those lines before, but honestly the lyrics are pretty decent. The song is still terrible, but honestly it’s not top 5 worst songs horrible. Really, I think that going from “What We Ain’t Got” to this, coupled with the fact that he said country needed substance, just makes this song worse by comparison. The horrible screeching after the chorus, the extra emphasis and reliance on the beat, Jake Owen being drowned out on the chorus, and the pitch-shifting on the chorus don’t help.
One thing that puts Jake Owen well above most other mainstream artists (and that helps this song immensely) is that he has bucket loads of charisma. He can take a song like “Beachin'” and make it much more listenable because of it.
Honestly, I think that the song isn’t horrible, but it’s still not good, and the fact that Jake Owen said that country music needs more substance makes this even more insulting.
Courtney
June 17, 2015 @ 6:07 pm
Jake, either choose to make your own music and potentially drop off the face of the music row established country world and all the comforts it provides, or just sell out already. You can’t have it both ways and this trying to pander to both sides thing makes for awful music.
Summer Jam
June 17, 2015 @ 9:57 pm
Great review, Trigger. IMO, this is your best review to date. It’s great knowing that a guy like you who is so hardcore about keeping country music country likes a dude like Jake Owen. He is indeed a great guy, I have never seen any major label artist interact with his fans the way he does. I also love the way he has spoken out about keeping country elements in country music as well as getting more depth to the lyrics, while not completely selling out like the Zac Brown Band did.
“Real Life” took me by total surprise. I was expecting “Summer Jam” with Florida Georgia Line to be his next single….everyone knows that would have been a quick #1…and I’m flabbergasted over the fact that Jake decided to not release it…or even “Ghost Town” for that matter, which was definitely single material as well. I loved Real Life from the 1st second I heard it. Sure, it’s not much of a country song, but it’s not something you’d expect to be playing on Top 40 pop radio either. I think it’s a very likeable song, country or not, the music is very catchy and memorable, and the lyrics, while not shallow but not deep either (just there in the in-between), are relate-able (especially for me) and real, not some fake made up relationship story like many of these country artists these days have. I grew up just driving around cuz there wasn’t shit to do, hell I still do that. I drank cheap store brand soda 12 packs cuz back in my teens I couldn’t afford Coke or Pepsi. And the girls I have dated and still date werent all exactly model material, some are but some werent, but i prefer to be with ones that arent on the model-side because they are much more real. So this song for me was like something I wrote with my own hands. I’d have to give Real Life 1 1/2 guns up, it’s a good song but as other people have said I think he needs to at least have a few real country songs like Startin With Me. He’s way better than Real Life, he has a great deal of talent, but I love how he makes songs that hes likely forced to do by his record label still sound good and make you have respect for him.
Keith Urban
June 18, 2015 @ 10:57 am
Before I heard the song, and only the cover art and song title were available, I had high hopes for this song.
Unfortunately, it sounds horrible.
Stooping almost as low as my new single.
Aim higher, Jake, boy.
The Ghost of Buckshot Jones
June 18, 2015 @ 11:06 am
Sorry. Couldn’t do it. Made it about 45 seconds and I had to shut it off.
This is just dreadful. It’s worse than Keith Urban’s latest laundry list thing. Seriously, who the hell is the demo a song like this is playing to? I wouldn’t crank this out of a truck, you can’t get a 20something in cutoffs to dance stupid to it, there’s no story, there’s no hook, what’s the point? Noah said it best up above, it’s a worse knockoff of “AM Radio”. “Hey, we do stuff”. Okay? It’s not even a tongue in cheek Toby Keith type vibe. This isn’t even a case of “how is this country”, but more “how is this a song”? It’s just written by committee inoffensive pablum, the sort you’d expect to find in a Walmart commercial.
FAKE OWENS
June 18, 2015 @ 12:16 pm
Is this a coca cola commercial? DRINK THE REAL THING. corporate bullocks
The Original WTF Guy
June 19, 2015 @ 6:51 am
Here’s the thing – this is awful in any context. It’s particularly awful as a “country” song, but it would be awful if one considered it a “pop” song or a “rap” song or even what it probably is closest to being which is a “novelty” song. It’s just horrible. I caught his performance on whatever country music award show was on last week and had to wonder how embarrassed he was to be doing what he was doing, and if he wasn’t embarrassed had to wonder why the hell not. Seriously, how could a person do what he did, singing the song he did, on a show that is supposed to be honoring a musical genre that brought us so many people who wrote and sung songs that truly were inspired by “real life” not see feel some sort of embarrassment?
Deaner
June 19, 2015 @ 1:25 pm
1 and 1/2 guns down? More like 3 guns down. I don’t think I have heard a song as bad as this, regardless of genre.
JB
June 19, 2015 @ 10:28 pm
Surprised Trigger was merciful enough to conceal that last 1/2 gun. Jake Owen has earned a paltry measure of my respect for spreading the word about Sturgill, but beyond “What We Ain’t Got” (which I find Iess listenable than noteworthily thoughtful), he’s as creatively void as the rest of these goons passing off as country singers.
This is the kind of song that makes me stop and wonder whether I’d retch at the current complexion of this whole genre if he didn’t have a twang to his voice. Christian rock? 90s alternative? Scrub off that shallow country veneer and I’d ignore this guy entirely. At least he prompts reflection, I suppose.
Not that my two cents are worth a wooden nickel, and not that he cares about my taste and its exchange rate, but shit.
CamieJo
June 21, 2015 @ 11:18 am
He looks so much better without that long hair. 🙂
justin casey
August 2, 2016 @ 9:09 pm
hey trigger any plans to review american love (jake owen’s new album)
Trigger
August 2, 2016 @ 9:27 pm
We’ll see. It’s definitely on the radar.