Birthday boy Thomas Rhett and his famous friends have teamed up to headline this week’s New Country Friday 5 with ‘Be A Light.’
Also featured is the focus track from Sam Hunt’s new album, new singles from locals Jetty Road and Aaron Jurd, plus a new tune from emerging alternative-country star, Orville Peck.
Here is this week’s New Country Friday 5!
1. THOMAS RHETT – ‘BE A LIGHT’ FEATURING REBA McENTIRE, HILLARY SCOTT, CHRIS TOMLIN & KEITH URBAN
Thomas Rhett has joined forces with country stars Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott (Lady Antebellum), Christian artist Chris Tomlin and Australia’s Keith Urban for the current global delemma-appropriate new tune, ‘Be A Light.’
“I wrote ‘Be A Light’ last year as a way to process negativity and sadness I was seeing in the world,” explains Thomas Rhett.
“Now, as I sit in my home with my family on my 30th Birthday, we are in the middle of a world-wide pandemic affecting every single human on earth, all while our town of Nashville is still healing from devastating tornadoes that destroyed so much of our city less than one month ago.”
“But, among the wreckage, I see us come together in ways I never dreamed possible. I knew in my heart this was the time to share this message with the world and our community.”
“The voices who join me on this track are some of the brightest lights I know. I hope this song serves as a reminder that we are all in this together,” Rhett concludes.
Check out ‘Be A Light’ by Thomas Rhett & Friends
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YuWAZmD0aU
2. SAM HUNT – ‘2016’
‘2016,’ the new focus track from his new album Southside, which is released today.
It details his regrets in a former relationship.
Hunt considers this song to be the most he’s ever recorded.
So honest in fact, that he was hesitant to include it on Southside.
“When I wrote it, I never thought I’d actually put it on the record because it’s a little more vulnerable,” Hunt told Billboard recently.
“A lot of times, songwriters … we’re truthful but only to an extent in our songs,” he said.
“I played it for a few buddies, and they talked me into putting it on the record.”
“It’s more of a Bluebird song than a 3rd & Lindsley song, but we’re going to try it.”
Check out ‘2016’ by Sam Hunt.
3. JETTY ROAD – ‘I DON’T WANNA BE ALONE TONIGHT’
“I want to break the rules… I don’t to be alone tonight,” sing Jetty Road
With the current COID-19 restrictions in place in the interest of saving lives, it’s really important you don’t follow this mantra at all!
However, that shouldn’t stop you from enjoying this terrific new song.
It’s the catchy, upbeat fourth single about taking a chance on love and throwing caution to the wind, from their latest album, Because We Can.
Check out ‘I Don’t Wanna Be Alone Tonight’ by Jetty Road
4. AARON JURD – ‘IF YOU WERE MINE’
Aaron Jurd’s says his catchy new single is deliberately “fun.”
“I just want listeners to have fun with it because it’s one of those feelgood, happy songs,” he says.
“Not every song has to be serious and have a lot of emotion in it.”
The Flood’s Kevin Bennett is one of the co-writers of the song.
“It was awesome to have someone like Kevin Bennett to co-write the song with us because he’s so well-known and well-respected.”
Check out ‘If You Were Mine’ by Aaron Jurd
5. ORVILLE PECK – ‘SUMMERTIME’
‘Summertime’ is the first new music alternative-country Orville Peck has shared since the release of his self-produced debut album Pony in March 2019.
“I wrote this song a long time ago and to me, ‘Summertime’ has a few different meanings,” says Peck.
“‘Summertime’ can be a season, a person, or a memory of a happier time that can be difficult to visit.”
“We also wanted the video to focus around the idea of how we treat nature.”
“Ultimately this is a song about biding your time and staying hopeful – even if it means missing something or someone.”
Check out ‘Summertime’ by Orville Peck
