Jelly Roll, Alexandra Kay, Joe Nichols and more

Gilbert Flores for Penske Media

This week’s new music selection includes Jelly Roll collaborating with Alexandra Kay for a song featured on the soundtrack Twisters: The AlbumMeanwhile, Joe Nichols brings a cheery new tune, Old Dominion’s Brad Tursi offers some top-notch lyrics on a solo outing, and Caylee Hammack teams up with Foy Vance for a soulful collaboration.

Check out all this and more in BillboardBelow is a roundup of the best country songs of the week.

Jelly Roll feat. Alexandra Kay, “Leave the light on”

Jelly Roll contributed a few songs to Twisters: The Albumthe soundtrack to the recently released sequel to the film Twisters. Backed by a choir, Jelly leans a little more towards the blues than his rocking radio hits as he sings about finally finding a love that feels peaceful after sabotaging many of his past relationships. He welcomes “Best Worst Ex” singer Alexandra Kay, whose feather-light voice offers a contrast to his powerful, angsty tones. The interweaving of angry guitar, a gospel-tinged choir in the background, and their voices gives this track plenty of momentum. Jelly Roll wrote the track with Hillary Lindsey, Jesse Frasure, Blake Pendergrass, and Jessie Jo Dillon. Kay is also joining Jelly on his Beautifully Broken tour, which kicks off in August.

Joe Nichols, “Bottle It Up”

In a society that often feels chaotic on many fronts, including political and economic, one of country music’s staunchest exponents of neo-traditionalism offers a lighthearted moment of calm. Written by Josh Kear, Dan Isbell and Paul Sykes, and produced by Mickey Jack Cones and Derek George, this song focuses on capturing American scenes of small-town life, with images of children catching fireflies in a backyard while adults visit family members and prepare for a dinner of chicken and pecan pie. “Bottle It Up” is the perfect song for a summer soundtrack and is included on Nichols’ upcoming 11th studio album and his second project for Quartz Hill Records.

Denitia, “Gettin’ Over”

This Texas-born singer, a member of CMT’s Next Women of Country class of 2024, also worked in the Brooklyn music scene for a decade before moving to Nashville. Denitia’s latest is an anthem for anyone overworked, underpaid, and worried about paying bills and dues. Packed with steel guitar, muted percussion, and a gutsy melody that recalls a bygone era of country music—an era of homespun, unvarnished songs meant to express the worries and hopes of the working class—the song is imbued with Denitia’s relaxed vocal delivery, which amplifies powerful lyrics about work-weary escapism. Denitia’s new album, Sunset cruisewill be released on September 6th.

Caylee Hammack with Foy Vance, “The Hill”

Throughout her career, the Georgia native and “Small Town Hypocrite” singer Hammack has consistently demonstrated a depth of creativity and unbridled musical exploration that is rare in Music Row circles. In Northern Irish singer-songwriter Vance, she finds a singer who matches her free-spirited passion. Together, they bring a new dimension to this song, which is about someone who knows the ropes of romantic relationships, someone who knows that winning the battle for lasting love sometimes means giving up in a temporary struggle. “The Hill” weaves Celtic and bluegrass influences with fiddle and stomping rhythms, highlighting Hammack’s ceiling-scratching, soulful warble with Vance’s gruff, powerful voice. Hammack co-wrote the song with Tenille Townes and Logan Wall, and it was produced by John Osborne of the Brothers Osborne.

Brad Tursi, “Church Bells and Train Whistles”

Former Dominion member Tursi makes his first solo appearance in the new project Parallel Love. Several songs on this concise album, which draws from a decade of writing and recording, are solo compositions by Tursi, in addition to tracks where he collaborated with other songwriters such as Stephen Wilson Jr., Dan Isbell and Jessi Alexander. Highlights include the sincere, softly delivered “Church Bells and Train Whistles,” in which Tursi tenderly muses on longing for the comforts of home while also feeling drawn to the freedoms and wanderlust of the road. Tursi has always been an integral part of OD’s success, and the group has won Vocal Group of the Year honors at every Country Music Association awards since 2018. But with his new project, he’s in full control.

Jade Eagleson feat. Jake Worthington, “Do It Anyway”

Canadian-born Eagleson and Texan-born Worthington may have grown up more than 2,000 miles apart, but musically their inspirations come from the same fertile soil. This collaboration proves their remarkable country quality right from the start, while their swaggering, twangy voices further cement their reputation as traditional country flag bearers. “They said this sound ain’t coming back/ They said don’t wear that cowboy hat,” Eagleson and Worthington sing, before making it clear that no Music Row gatekeeper will stop them from making music their way.