These are the FIRST 5 new releases of the week that I think you should hear. Rather than wasting the weekend listening to every new song trying to weed out the bad ones like its your job…I did. Cuz it is my job.

Most weeks I pick out a varied selection so that you’ve got options on what mood your in or what rabbit hole you want to dive down. This week, I kept it pretty fun (one exception) all the way through with a bunch of artists that are hot right now. I did want to throw a note here that some guys I grew up listening to - Trace Adkins, Gary LeVox and Alan Jackson - each have new music out, that is absolutely incredible and that I’m playlisting on The Ty Bentli Show page on Apple Music.

All the stuff I’m listening to is on my official playlist TY BENTLI’S DAILY SOUNDTRACK

First things first..
Here are the FIRST 5 new releases you should hear:

“Put It on Ice” - Thomas Rhett f. Hardy

Drop everything! The first thing you should do today is listen to the new TR album Country Again (Side A)

This year - for a guy who prioritizes his wife and daughters like he does - clearly impacted Thomas, as he has been releasing music showing that the slowdown has allowed him to re-appreciate his country roots.

I have started to freak out a little that the world may forget the value of the time we’ve had with our families and even just ourselves, throughout a pandemic. The reason for it and the loss of people we loved also created a space where we have been able to focus more energy on appreciating the things we could lose. I’m hoping to hold onto that perspective and I’m afraid that ‘the world’ may dive into things too quickly -almost like playing “catch up” for time lost.

It was almost impossible to narrow this down to a track for my FIRST 5. If you’re a TR fan you are going to LOVE this whole thing. We’ve had a few weeks to hear how great “What’s Your Country Song” and (especially) “Country Again” are. I fell in love with “Heaven Right Now” before digging in to learn about the personal connection (TR and Lauren lost a very close friend, Hunter, to a terrible accident). The song has an uplifting charm to it and keeps Hunter’s spirit alive as if he were still just calling to check in. As a new girl-dad myself, I leaned in for “To the Guys That Date My Girls” and tried to picture TR as the guy on a porch chair with a shotgun (couldn’t do it…and I’m not that guy, so I think this song fits everyone). “More Time Fishin’” is a song that preaches to the sentiment I wrote above - about not letting go of the slower pace we’ve been allowed to appreciate again. And “Ya Heard” is an almost-hilarious approach to a conversation with God that it just left me smiling as the record wrapped.

One of the best parts of this record is how amazingly it allows Thomas Rhett’s vocals to shine through. The production is still fun, but wrapped around slides and simplicity. This song in particular is the party on the album (which I often do love best). What’s amazing is how the arrangement so perfectly paints a Mayberry backdrop and even on a collar with Hardy, it stays simple - aside from the challenge of well-articulated repetition of a lyric like “Put It On Ice, Put it On Ice, Put it On Ice”

LISTEN ON APPLE MUSIC: “Put it On Ice”

“My Thang” - Tigirlily

This song helped determine my FIRST 5, and also made a huge impression on my approach to the Ty Bentli’s Daily Soundtrack playlist, this week. The message is all about staying true to you. I always build music based on my belief in the integrity and strength of the song…but this week I put more faith than usual in programming the playlist that I want to hear - hoping that would connect with the mood everyone is in this week. What that mostly means is that I built it off a bit more discovery than you might find on the Today’s or Top Country playlists - I love a bunch of new stuff, and I tend to sway between SUPER country, bluegrass, and almost pop. So…I did my thang - because I really believe you’ll love it!

Sidenote: I was stoked about this song, because I’m a huge fan of these North Dakota sisters and their cowriter, Walker Hayes. It is one of my favorite songs out there right now, because I’m also a massive Sugarland fan. You’ll hear why this trifecta nails it for me!

There is sooooo much I love about this song. From a production standing, its the restraint that was shown that really gives this strength - “Okay!” …Kendra and Krista could’ve hit this high-voice harmony on successive lines, but they let it live alone. The energy is infectious, but look sharp on those lyrics!

The sis’s told me about the write - sitting with Walker who started plucking on the guitar…then the wacky lines started getting throw around the room. Krista tossed out “swiping on Bumble” (which was tweaked to ‘tinder’ to fit the song), Walker threw out the “yeah I want kids, but I’m good with nieces” line. If you think about that as a random line tossed into a room its pretty wild. And that’s why this song is so fun! They built off of that authenticity mixed with clever delivery to create a song that reps everyone. One line is the then-single Krista, the next refers to newlywed Kendra. Its a blast and should very well be the song that allows them to infiltrate every musical outlet (from Apple Music Radio to hometown stations).

LISTEN ON APPLE MUSIC: “My Thang”

“To Us it Did” - Mitchell Tenpenny

Its almost hilarious to look back at the way that we (or maybe it was just how I) interpreted life as kids! The present that stands out the most to me of all the presents was a giant styrofoam glider plane that I got from the Easter Bunny every year. I assumed it was something you could only get from that bunny, and I looked forward to it year after year. I still feel the heartbreak on that last throw where a wing would break in half, finally and I had to retire the toy.

I’ve had a lot of cars in my life - coming by it honest, as my dad is so impulsive when passing a dealership or lot that cars come and go between my visits. In high school, I probably had 7 different daily drivers…but the one that stood out above most was not the used 90s mustang. It was a teal, sleek, manual-transmission basically-racecar called a Plymouth Laser.

The truth is that my dream car in high school, for some reason, was a Mitsubishi Eclipse…and the Laser was very very similar (to me). Revving up the gears every chance I got. Roadtrips across South Dakota to see friends who lived in the smaller cities outside Sioux Falls. I literally thought that car was the equivalent of a Bugatti in Beverly Hills. It was a sports car in my teenage mind. I was so proud of it and it was exciting! A memory that haunts me as it was a very very impressionable lesson that I hope my kids never learn (because it could’ve gone sooo badly for me) was the night that my friend, Ben, and I took that thing out on the highway and let her rip - I’m sure we hit 60mph within less than 9 seconds ;c) But I just laid it out to see how fast it could go on the straight away we were on - assuming statutes of limitations, I’ll admit that we were well over 100mph at the point that Ben spotted a car NO a COP CAR ahead of us…I hit the brakes: TERRRRRRIIIIIBBBBLLLEEE way to slow a car going that fast. I was lucky enough to realize how just the smallest shift in velocity would affect the trajectory of the car and realized I’d have to eat the ticket if I wanted to live, so I let off the pedal and used gears and a little brake pressure to slow us down to a less insane speed as we passed the …mall security car. Phew. But I literally cringe every time I think of the mistakes my kids will make thinking they are invisible and viewing life through the dynamic filter of young eyes!

The nostalgia of that feeling is captured so fully by M10 on this one. The music picking up as if it is the literal adrenaline that fires through your veins amidst the exciting milestones. Mitchell’s got one of my favorite voices in this business right now. Its easy to just go, “yeah he’s cool” - nope, he’s nailing it and he knows what he’s doing and his instincts are so organic and seamless that it can go accidentally under appreciated. He can emote unlike almost anyone else out there and this will take you back so thoroughly that you may be inspired to track down a hard drive that is saving your High School Senior photos against that old car you wrote about in your music release post. (that’s above…I’m talking about me)

LISTEN ON APPLE MUSIC: “To Us It Did”

“Sad Girls Do Sad Things” - Priscilla Block

I was laying in bed watching The Goldbergs last night on Hulu and catching up on the fact that Erica and Geoff broke up! What the!

Anyway, I was busted up about it from a viewer stance, but as I was watching my bud Hailey Orrantia (who also has an incredible voice - click her name and dig into her music) acting out the emotions of disbelief that can come with a broken heart, I thought… “oh, weird! I’ve gone through that before. I’ve thought the world was over and couldn’t see how it was possible that the person who I was no longer with wouldn’t be in my future.” And the next thought was about how distant that seems. Like the pain and toil that I went through seems so trivial, inconsequential and dramatic now. Cuz basically, it was all gonna turn out ok. And I can’t imagine literally anyone else being beside me in the bed. Corri’s it.

But I guess we all go through it.

For everyone who needed to feel less alone as you’re feeling all alone after a breakup, here comes Priscilla Block! Her EP is officially here, btw… so you get to go on the full journey out of a breakup. It starts with my favorite song on the EP, released early as an instant grat track: “Wish You Were The Whiskey” and it ends with her showing everyone that you’ll pull out of that low and that lonely & the ex might even be the one feelin’ the hurt now that you’re free (“I Bet You Wanna Know”).

*Plus, I heard Trace Adkins wanted a “Heartbreak Song” and its smart to keep him happy…

LISTEN ON APPLE MUSIC: “Sad Girls Do Sad Things”

“Boom In the Boondocks” - Shy Carter

Did I mention this above - I tend to gravitate toward jams! Like 808 style, big fun. Its the reason I now also host Country Caffeine Radio on Apple Music. Its built off the amped Country Caffeine playlist and is a great reason to just get lit on a Friday (and then it plays over the weekend on Apple Music Country radio, too).

Its an insanely beautiful day in Nashville today. Even with the grey cloud of Aaron Rodgers apparently wanting to leave my Green Bay Packers, I am in the mood to be in a good mood & this extra energy is exactly what I was looking for!

In my mind I’m trapped somewhere between my entire career under the constraints of terrestrial radio and my new life broadcasting to 165 countries on a music lovers digital radio station. I listened to this song from Shy - who I’m a huge fan of from his songwriting days to the music he’s featured on and now with the releases he’s been putting out - and I was like “oh man…can we get away with playing this? Will country accept this?” and then I literally laughed out loud at myself - the whole point of music discovery is that when I personally love a song I get to share it with more than just a couple friends riding in my car. My apprehension evaporated and now I’m just excited to hear what you think of this track!

I’ve got a lot of musical influences and I use music to either enhance my current mood (whatever emotion it is) or to set my mood. Shy Carter has a history of success in the creative process of multiple types of music, and all those years of experiences and influences are blended together here. We’ve seen artists deliver in this way before; what I love most about “Boom in the Boondocks” is how the lyric and music reflect each other, delivering the same message! So fun!

LISTEN ON APPLE MUSIC: “Boom in the Boondocks”

Its Not Over

There is more 🔥 new music to share. New releases alongside my favorite tunes to play on The Ty Bentli Show. A playlist built to showcase every avenue and you’ll love it start to finish:

TY BENTLI’S DAILY SOUNDTRACK is on my homepage on Apple Music.

FIRST 5 - Start With These New Releases 4/30