First Country: New Music From Maren Morris, Morgan Wade, Walker Hayes & More

First Country is a compilation of the best new country songs, videos & albums that dropped this week.

Maren Morris, “Circles Around This Town”

In 2019, Morris earned her third Billboard Country Airplay leader with “The Bones.” With her latest release, Morris catalogs her career journey from her first days in Nashville, filled with co-writes, dreams and rejections. “I drove circles around this town trying to write circles around this town/ Trying to say something with meaning, something worth singing about,” Morris sings. She references breaking through with her songs “My Church” and “’80s Mercedes” with a pointed reminder that she was a writer on the songs that first brought her radio success.

Now, after adding additional hits such as “Girl” and “The Bones,” and earning Grammy and CMA Awards honors (she’s nominated for two additional Grammy accolades this year), Morris makes it clear her mission hasn’t changed, and as she gears up for her third major label album, she notes the work ethic doesn’t slow down with success, and she’s just as ambitious as any upstart — or as she puts it, “I still got the pedal down.” “Circles” marks one of Morris’ most autobiographical songs to date, and she penned the track with her husband and fellow singer-songwriter Ryan Hurd, as well as Julia Michaels and Jimmy Robbins.

Morgan Wade, “Run”

Wade’s single “Wilder Days” and debut album Reckless landed on numerous music publications’ 2021 “Best Of” lists (including Billboard‘s), a testament to the album’s blend of stark songwriting that veers from the list of typical mainstream country music subjects in favor of unflinching takes on mental health, substance abuse and more. “Run,” which Wade co-wrote with the album’s producer, Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit guitarist Sadler Vaden, finds Wade dreaming of escape from a town filled with reminders of a dysfunctional relationship.

“All I see in every street is where he made me numb/ There’s gotta be somewhere we can run,” she sings, her intimate, raspy vocal simmering with anxious longing for a fresh start and exhilarating experiences. Wade will release a deluxe version of Reckless, featuring six additional songs, on Jan. 28.

Lady A, “What a Song Can Do”

The title track from their 2021 album, this glossy song combines the trio’s signature well-honed harmonies with a dedication to the power of music—from inspiring moments of courage, salvaging a broken heart or serving as an excellent soundtrack on a Sunday drive. Much like the rest of the album, here the trio adheres to their familiar sleek, pop-country sound, driven by the complementary vocals of band members Hillary Scott and Charles Kelley. This timely, uplifting message serves as a soulful followup to their punchy top 20 Billboard Country Airplay chart hit “Like a Lady.” Kelley wrote “What a Song Can Do” with Ryan Hurd, Sam Ellis and Laura Veltz.

Walker Hayes, “Drinking Songs”

With his now-Grammy-nominated smash hit “Fancy Like” still topping Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart and his single “AA” included on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart, Hayes takes on a slightly darker tone in his latest track, “Drinking Songs.” This track keeps the infectious grooves, but this time he needs something stronger than an Oreo shake. He’s hell-bent on drowning his sorrows with “bourbon and Bocephus,” a jukebox and a barstool. As with “Fancy Like” and “AA,” the new track will be included on his upcoming project Country Stuff The Album, set for release Jan. 21.

Eli Young Band, “Love Talking”

He “can’t blame a liquor buzz” for the long-held confession of love he uttered the night before, but he can’t deny the power and authenticity of his feelings, either. This ultra-romantic new release from the group swirls with an irresistible melody and propulsive rhythm.

EYB lead singer Mike Eli wrote “Love Talking” with Jeffrey East and Eric Arjes (who produced the track with Jimmy Robbins). Along with “Lucky For Me,” the track previews the band’s upcoming album slated for later this year.

Sean Stemaly, “Product of a Small Town”

Stemaly draws from his Indiana roots on this track, which he co-wrote with David Bliek, Gary Garris, Andrew Marik and Noah West. Vocally, he’s perfected the blend of warm, amiable Southern phrasing Luke Bryan is known for and this churning, polished single sounds perfectly at home with the nostalgic lyrical vignettes overflowing on country radio in recent years. “Product of a Small Town” will serve as the title track for Stemaly’s upcoming debut album, out Feb. 18.

Maddie & Tae, “Strangers”

Though the duo broke through with the industry-skewering “Girl in a Country Song,” they have long since shown their range of abilities as vocalists and writers, from the intimate, mournful “Die From a Broken Heart” to the quirky, confident anthem “Woman You Got.” In this new piano ballad, duo Madison Font and Taylor Kerr wonder at the emotional closeness of their relationships with their significant others. “How were we ever strangers?/ Seems crazy to me now/ Haven’t I known you forever?” they sing, with their sugary vocals trading off on the verses and intertwining in the chorus.

Font and Kerr wrote the track with Jimmy Robbins and Adam Hambrick, and will include the track on their upcoming EP Through the Madness Vol. 1.

Caitlyn Smith, “The Card You Gamble”

Smith, known for songs such as “This Town Is Killing Me” and her current collaboration with Old Dominion, lends her lush vocals to the theme song for the FOX Entertainment country music drama Monarch. The track, written by ace songwriting collective The Love Junkies (Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna and Liz Rose) and produced by series executive producer Adam Anders and co-produced by Peer Åström, plays up the drama to the hilt, with Smith infusing her vocal delivery with hints of mystery and danger.

“Sometimes you get diamonds, sometimes you get coal/ There ain’t no way of knowing which way it’s gonna go,” she sings in a nod to the numerous calculated risks — personal and professional — that are sure to pop up throughout the Monarch series. Monarch, featuring Susan Sarandon and Trace Adkins, will premiere Jan. 30.