Posting daily at 1pm central about all kinds of things. One day it's dating, the next it's TV commercials. I hope you're entertained. Professional photos on SmugMug – https://benwilder.smugmug.com
After the Twin Towers fell in New York City, country icon Alan Jackson released a song that encapsulated so much of the feelings and reactions of middle America. As I remember that song, my brain doesn’t really separate it from the day of terror, as if they happened on back to back days. But it was nearly 2 months after 9/11 that Alan performed the song on stage for America for the first time. There have been plenty of tragedies, national events, heartbreaking moments, since 2001 and another one happened yesterday. At a Donald Trump rally, shots rang out and the former President dove to the ground after a bullet grazed his right ear. Of course the event then flooded everyone’s newsfeeds, TV stations, and radio airwaves. What might take weeks or months to compose for any normal person, Tom MacDonald wrote a song, made the beats, and shot a music video in less than a day. I’m surprised to hear a song so quickly but I’m not surprised at all that it comes from Tom MacDonald.
If there’s ever a song where Tom’s talent and bare-facts insight bursts through, it’s this one. Check it out the poignant message in “You Missed”…
Posts like the one below from mainstream media are why people are seeking news from other sources. You might read this and think it’s some sort of lame joke or satire. But no, the inept goofballs over at MSNBC haven’t taken it down yet.
How can you write, “This may have been a serious attempt…” and not then crawl under your desk, curl up in fetal position, and rethink all of your life choices? I can’t roll my eyes in big enough circles to underline how much I’m embarrassed on behalf of MSNBC. Then you’ve got other news anchors blaming Trump for what happened. I guess the swamp is bigger than anyone ever knew but it’s time for it to be drained once and for all.
I’m thankful yesterday was not so much worse. Had it been, I wonder if America would ever be able to come back from it. But as it is now, maybe what happened can serve as a warning signal that things need to change and Donald Trump being elected President in 2024 is more necessary than I ever thought before.
Country music has such a wide range of styles right now and making her mark in the line-dance-friendly, percussive-heavy category is a young woman named Dasha. She has a string of singles but the first one to take off (thanks to TikTok) was “Austin.” Parlaying her success with that track, she’s got another one that’ll scoot your boots. Boogie down with the new “Didn’t I” video then scroll down for more…
A bunch of talented dancers helped bring the video to life but who is the main love interest starring opposite Dasha? Donning the southern-style wardrobe is accomplished dancer Kyle Ponte. The professional model and dancer has been linked to projects with Lady Gaga, Lana Del Rey, and recently performed on stage as newcomer Benson Boone delighted fans with his big hit “Beautiful Things.”
On Instagram, Kyle Ponte graciously commented on a post from Dasha when this video first came out (see below). You can follow both of them if you watermelon crawl your way over to Instagram: @kystephenn and @DashaMusic.
I love the clips of the young lovebirds riding through the carwash in the back of the pick-up truck. You’d think someone would’ve thought of that by now for a music video but I can’t recall ever seeing it before. Of course, the reality is that those big rubber brushes would’ve knocked them out cold Wipeout-style and yes, I was secretly hoping for that. Cooler heads prevailed, though, because I guess no one wanted a trip to the hospital or you know, to get sued or anything. However tame, those scenes are a good addition to the video. Check out the entire thing then scroll down for more info and thoughts about the new video from Thomas Rhett for his song “Overdrive”…
The video stars Thomas Rhett’s younger brother Tyler Lankford and I appreciate the non-actor vibe throughout the video. A few of the clips really stand out as genuine moments between two normal people instead of a contrived script performed by actors. I especially noticed this when the couple was interacting in the back of the truck. Kudos for using people are aren’t already seasoned actors. The humanness really comes through.
Decades Late. I guess I can get over the fact that Thomas Rhett is 34-year-old singing about a high school Friday night because I’ll assume his upcoming album will have more age-appropriate songs on it, as well. Nothing wrong with a little nostalgia now and then even if high school was half a lifetime ago. The mention of Bacardi is unoriginal… a lot of country music tends to namedrop alcohol brands (Jim Beam, Jack Daniels, Coors, etc) and Bacardi pops up in basically all genres of music. Except maybe Christian music? Hey, it’s hard to make “Going to Heaven I won’t be tardy, even if I don’t finish my Bacardi” sound church-friendly.
4x4s. The video also skids into one of my biggest pet peeves in music. Namedropping a truck (Ford, Chevy, etc) but showing something different in the video. In this song, Thomas sings about a 2004 Ford “F-One Five Oh,” but he’s not driving a ’04 Ford F-150. In fact, he’s not driving an F-150 at all. In the video, it’s a 1975 Ford F-100 (although the F-150 did make its debut in 1975). Because he at least used a Ford truck, I’m giving Thomas a pass on this but with a double side-eye. There’s another Ford from the 70s in Lainey Wilson’s new video “4x4xU” and later model Ford in the Lauren Watkins “Gatlinburg” video… so there must be a new Ford dealership in Nashville sponsoring these songs or something.
I don’t want to be too harsh because I admire anyone who can write, perform in front of thousands, all while being a spouse, parent, and just an all around great person. It seems like Thomas Rhett is all of those things. Like I said before, I’m sure his full album will have lots of music appealing to lots of music fans. But a song written by 4 people shouldn’t be as bland as it is. It’s also 10 years too late. It wreaks of 2010s bro-country instrumentation common to mainstream country music in the previous decade. I’ve been reading a book about the life of Roy Orbison. Among all of his hits there are periods where he’d be writing music to fit whatever trend is going on at the time. These were some of his worst songs (if that even can be said!). Maybe a better way to say it is that the songs where Roy wrote music with the paycheck as the endgame were some of his more forgettable offerings. Like a factory making gadgets that are passing fads. This song from Thomas reminds me of that, except that the bro-country or boyfriend-country fad passed years ago. Because of that, the best anyone can hope for is that “Overdrive” is part of the tour setlist this summer/fall and then it gets shuffled over to the dark and dusty room where songs that aren’t every played again are shelved. There’s no way it turns heads on any Billboard charts and honestly, it might only surprise people by how quickly it disappears without being a song that adds to country music’s legacy in any way.
Part of the reason for I rolled my eyes when I listened to it is the pun title. Thomas sings of putting the truck in overdrive but then also includes, “I’m coming overdrive” as in… I’m coming over… combined with overdrive… get it? So clever. 🥴
Lyrical twists in country music titles and lyrics go way, way back (anyone remember the witty Bellamy Brothers song from the late 70s, “If I Said You Have a Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me”?) but I think its recent popularity in country music peaked in the early 2010s. One of my favorites was (and is) Eric Church’s “Homeboy.” But just like bro country, people were over it (or should I say overdrive it) after a couple of years of market saturation. In other words, this offering from Thomas is out of place in 2024.
Overall, the video is fun and makes the song come to life. It’s just going to be a short life. However, if anyone is talking about this forgettable song a year from now or even a month from now, I’ll gladly post another blog admitting I deserve a big, fat L for today’s post.
Everyone has phrases they’re in the habit of saying so it’s not like President Joe Biden is unique in that way. But because he’s busy campaigning and having to travel all over, we get the pleasure of hearing his catchphrases in every speech, interview, or, as in the case of his “big boy” press conference last night, his Q&As with reporters. Besides giving everyone the run-around (ie. lying) he sure has us all hooked with his gaffes. It’s like sweet pain, isn’t it? But Jill should be so happy… Joe answered every question! What a big boy.
When he campaigned for the 2020 election, two of his go-to phrases were “Let’s be clear…” and “Here’s the deal…” Actually, he still says both but one he added to the repertoire, and he used it about 3,419 times in the recent debate, is: “The idea that…” Well, just wait, it got way worse in the presser. It lasted about an hour and he must’ve said “Anyway…” at least 638 times. Here’s a montage.
You know what, I’ve got it. His new campaign rally song is the 1994 smash hit from Blues Traveler…
I hope John Popper can monetize the phrase “but anyway” the way Haliey Welch parlayed herself into fortune with just two words, not that Popper needs the money or anything.
Lainey Wilson is country music’s golden daughter (move over Kelsea Ballerini, I guess?) and she’s taking full advantage of her newfound status with more music, more music videos, and a big ol’ tour with opener Zach Top, another artist embracing a throwback style that fans seem to be eating up. It’s all happening and Lainey is handling it with graciousness and gratefulness as her new album is set to release in August. OK, that was sappy. But she’s not letting her fame go to her head is all I’m sayin’. Just recently she released 2 music videos almost simultaneously, and the second piggy-backs off the first. Here’s her latest, called “4x4xU” which continues from where “Hang Tight Honey” left off…
The Truck. I know what you’re thinking: “That there’s a nice sawng.” No! That’s not it. And your accent is that strong! Here’s what you’re really thinking: “Nice music and all, but how about that truck!?” Yes! That’s more like it. I’m more of a Chevy guy myself but kudos to Lainey (and Jon Decious, Aaron Raitiere) for not specifically mentioning a truck brand at all. Kind of like Lainey’s style– don’t tell us you’re traditional country in the style of the 1990s, just be it. You don’t have to tell us what kind of truck you’re driving, just drive it… and that’s what she does. Nothing prickles my knickers more than a song with Chevy or Ford in the lyrics but in the music video, they’re driving a Dodge. What gives!? Yes, I’m talking to you Jason Aldean and Lauren Watkins. I’ve rattled on enough without getting to the point of this section of the post, huh? The truck in this video, as best I can tell, is a 1972 Ford F-100. The body style is indicative of the ’67-’72 model but the grill is unique to 1972. It’s a 4-rectangle design, slightly updated from the 6-rectangular grill of 1971. Feel free to change my mind if you know more about old Fords, though. I’m certainly no expert.
In Case You’re Bored. Here’s a quickly-thrown-together behind-the-scenes clip from the music video that basically serves no purpose other than that now they can say they have a behind-the-scenes video. 🥴 If I had my druthers, I’d create an official behind-the-scenes video actually give fans more from the video shoot. Not just a random hodgepodge of clips bundled together for more clicks. Interview the director, Lainey herself, or more about the horses, perhaps.
Here’s part 1 of the story as delivered in “Hang Tight Honey.”
Out of the Wilderness 