There is no doubt that when country singer Chris Young starts to sing, he’s all country, but with albums of late sounding a bit streamlined with Pop and R&B influences, some may have wondered if he was staying true to his country roots. Well listen no further as the country crooner’s newly released single puts any doubts to rest that he was, is, and proud to be “Raised On Country.“
Released at midnight on January 4th, “Raised On Country” is co-written by Young, Corey Crowder and Cary Barlowe. Young teased fans a snippet of the track in late 2018 (something he never does), making it the first single off a future, unnamed album and follow up to his latest number one hits “Losing Sleep” and “Hangin’ On.”
Through touting iconic country singers like Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson and Joe Diffie, Young creatively details on the who, what, and why he’s country. A killer bass guitar intro gives the song a country rock feel that flows easily into lyrics detailing all things associated with country music lovin’ such as “Got a little southern drawl in my talk / Little pickup truck on my highway / Got a little boot stomp in my walk” and “It’s the only reason that I survived / Every break up and every party / It’s the soundtrack to my life/It runs deep in my DNA.”
With Young’s southern baritone drawl and a steady high energy chorus (I was raised on Merle, raised on Willie / Got my Honky Tonk attitude from Joe Diffie / Daddy did too, it’s family tradition / If someone cranks it up, you can’t help but listen / My upbringing sounds like George Strait singing / And I gotta give props to the radio, ‘cause if you know me / I was raised on country) the song is musically, lyrically, and sonically a country anthem that will have fans kicking up the dirt, raising their fists in tribal fashion, touting that they too, were raised on country.
From songwriting standpoint, the use of country greats magnifies what country music is and how it makes one feel while the use of just the right instruments allows the track to create this image of open road, laid back living.
The tune has already amassed a first day earning of Top 5 on iTunes and billboards advertising new music from Spotify in New York City and Toronto.
Young also released a lyric video on YouTube. Check it out below:
“Raised On Country” is available on all music download and streaming sites.
For information on the future album, tours and merchandising, visit Chris Young’s website at www.chrisyoungcountry.com.