The best country songs of 2024 so far

We are the The best country albums of 2024 so farnow it’s time to think about the best songs. We’re looking for legitimate contenders for song of the year here. That means we’re not looking for catchy ditties and catchy songs. We’re looking for songs that evoke a deep emotional response. These are songs that can change a life, change the world, or change the way we see it.

This high bar always causes misunderstandings and tends to favor slower and darker songs, but the “singles of the year” will eventually get their due. Some of these song candidates could also be considered single candidates. With songs, the idea of ​​what is “good” is even more subjective than with albums, so if there is a song that you had a very deep emotional connection to that isn’t listed here, be sure to share it below.

But please remember that this exercise is about sharing knowledge about great songs. No one is right or wrong, and this isn’t about confirming what you already believe, but about sharing songs that might have a deep connection to you that you might not otherwise know about.

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Joe Stamm and Allegheny High – “The Storm”

“The Storm” is a gripping story that draws you right into the fate of the characters and makes you feel the racing heartbeat of yearning to return home to be by a loved one’s side while the forces of nature pursue them. But it reaches a whole new level when Joe Stamm tests the highest limits of his vocal range and power, creating moments that most singers don’t have the courage or even the talent to fully achieve.

The song is from Joe Stamm’s four-song EP Allegheny, recorded with members of Charles Wesley Godwin’s backing band, The Allegheny High.

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Zach Top – “Use Me”

The songs from Zach Tops Album Cold beer and country music are not only reminiscent of the country music of the 90s in terms of sound. The lyrics are also typical of this era and of country music in general. The songs are about love and lost love and underline the values ​​and wisdom of country music.

On the album’s ninth track, the heart-wrenching waltz “Use Me,” Zach Top’s distinctive voice, top-notch selection and production, and superb writing combine to create something that will give you the same goosebumps as all the ’90s country gold.

“Use Me” was written by Zach along with Tim Nichols and Carson Chamberlin.

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Cody Jinks – “What You Love”

When the history books are written about the era of country music we are currently living in, Cody Jinks will be much more than just a supporting player. As he describes how independent artists rose from the ranks of obscurity to compete with mainstream country’s biggest stars, how artists began to take back control of their music, and how quality songs that actually sound like country began to regain popularity, Cody Jinks will be one of the main characters in this compelling narrative.

Backed by piano and a lush string arrangement, “What You Love,” co-written with Tennessee Jet, is a heartfelt and full-voiced attempt by Jinks to convey what he’s learned while overcoming adversity and fighting his way to the top. Anyone with young adults in their lives will feel the power and magic of this song. It’s the perfect ending to Cody’s 2024 album. Change the game.

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Laurie Lewis – “Trees”

Laurie Lewis’ legendary career, which has been built over decades, is not appreciated enough. Her fellow musicians know her as a master of folk, bluegrass, traditional country and the intersection of the three disciplines. Songwriting is also one of her strengths and she proves it exquisitely on this a cappella piece that does not deserve to be overlooked.

“The Trees” brings back memories of Ralph Stanley and “O Death,” but it’s the lyrics, which capture the world from a natural history perspective, that make the song so compelling. “The Trees” also features vocalists Hasee Ciacco, George Guthrie, and Tom Rozum.

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Sierra Ferrell – “Wish you all the best”

To call Sierra Ferrell a singer/songwriter seems almost to be a disparagement of her abilities. Her music and performance are much more inventive and indefinable. But her latest album Flower Path explores Sierra’s ability to craft a compelling song from her own personal experiences, as opposed to the more ethereal inspirations she usually draws on.

Where Sierra really shows how good she can write a song is “Wish You Well”. Perhaps the hidden gem of Flower Pathit conveys the truth that the easiest way to overcome heartbreak is not revenge, avoidance, distraction, or even time, but forgiveness. It’s the poetic and compelling ways in which Ferrell conveys this fact that make you actually listen and heed this saying, rather than just hear it.

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Kimmi Bitter – “I can’t stop loving you”

Get ready to get goosebumps running down your arms and back as what sounds like a ghost from the black and white era of country music blares from your speakers, singing the heartbreaking “I Can’t Unlove You.”

You get the feeling that it doesn’t really matter what Kimmi Bitter is singing, she’s singing it with all her heart. Even though her music is very stylistic and imagery, evoking a certain era in a somewhat cheesy way, it’s not a gimmick. At the heart of this music is an incredibly gifted and soulful singer who has chosen to practice her craft in the classic country style, and we are so lucky that she has done so.

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Luke Combs – “My old man was right

Luke Combs has done something truly remarkable with his latest album Fathers & Sons released on Father’s Day. Actually, every single song on the album could be awarded “Song of the Year” as they all have the ability to evoke a deep emotional response or insight. It just depends on which song touches you the most as the album touches on so many different seasons and aspects of fatherhood.

But since we’re talking about songwriting here, it seems only fitting that the track Combs co-wrote with Lori McKenna—a perennial contender for Song of the Year—should be the final one. And even if it hadn’t been written by McKenna, “My Old Man Was Right” might still be the best of the bunch.

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Willi Carlisle – “Money grows on trees”

Similar to Willie Carlisle’s previous albums, but perhaps even more on Animallandthe instrumentation is true to the folk tradition, meaning there are no drums and little electrification. An accomplished multi-instrumentalist himself, Carlisle knows how to use musical accompaniment to take a story to a new level of intensity and poignancy. Willi Carlisle’s greatest gift is his ability to make you lose yourself in a story.

But his new album arguably reaches its narrative high point when he strips away the instrumentation altogether and Carlisle delivers his seven-minute spoken word masterpiece, “The Money Grows On Trees.” Willi may be a dedicated folklorist with an old-fashioned appeal, but he knows how to address issues that are still highly relevant today, particularly drug issues and all the complexities they bring.

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Conrad Fisher – “Cecelia”

Divorce songs play such a significant role in the history of country music. While other genres often avoid the sensitive subject, country music addresses it head-on in some of the most cutting compositions in the genre’s history. Even if you’ve never been involved in a divorce, these songs can make you feel like you have.

Embracing this classic country music trope while showing creative originality is a difficult task for modern songwriters. Conrad Fisher relishes the challenge and contributes a song that could be included in the country music canon alongside all the other classic divorce songs.