It will take you less than 15 minutes to check out the best new music that dropped this week. These are the FIRST 5 new releases I think you should hear.

I’ve got a TON happening in the next few weeks regarding some great events that will Live-stream from Nashville, benefitting Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (check here at TyBentli.com for updates). That said, I’m gonna put a quicklist of my favorites and Corri and I will likely be doing some videos about the stories and reasons that I picked these songs, this week!

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

First things first..
These are the FIRST 5 new releases you need to hear:

“Throw It Back” - BRELAND f. Keith Urban

It was August 18, 2020. That’s the day we finally launched Apple Music Country & Breland became my co-worker…and I got to start playing his music on the radio for the first time (I’d been reclusively keeping my secret for 6 months, as we prepared to launch…and terrestrial radio hadn’t caught on to his brilliance before I left). I was such a geeked out fan, that someone sent me a song that was “on the way”…from our Land of the Bre host & my favorite entertainer in country music, Keith Urban!

When I hear a killer song, it literally eats me up until I can SHARE it! I called Corri into the guest room at our house (where our desk is set up and I’d been working until the song showed up). I cranked it and we all danced around…then I did the same thing as I was driving on the highway - never on residential or in stop-and-go traffic cuz I have been literally trained in secrecy and didn’t want someone hearing it too early because of me. But after Corri had heard it, my internal gears started readying to play it on my show so I could share in the way that I get most-excited about - that shared-experience at the exact same moment as people around the world hear it together! …and I waited…and Thanksgiving passed…Christmas came…and 2021…Valentine’s Day… then! THEN! After April fools Day, I got news that the song was going to drop ‘next month’…that didn’t happen. then. THEN! I got news that it was coming out “next Friday!”

**SECRET THING: I don’t actually do my Friday show on Friday…we prerecord it, as it is a specialty show based on our Country Caffeine Playlist - amps you up, and my producers love to get super creative with their mixes and elements of the show that make it sound lit when we pre-produce.

I put the song into that coming Friday’s show! …and Thursday of that week, we found out it was being held, again. So we pulled it, swapped in another…waited. Then, this week, I saw socials goin crazy & when Keith posted, and Breland started sharing bits of the song and BTS video, I felt very very confident that it was really happening. I started jamming it in the house…texting coworkers… getting stoked. And it was confirmed by a notification on my phone last night before bed! It’s here!

Breland is a genius. And on top of that, he’s tenacious and inspired. He works his butt off, creates opportunities, and clearly creates relationships that I believe are based purely on the intention he puts out in the universe. Its the reason that Keith Urban was so intrigued by this newbie and man did it pay off! They’ve worked together more than once at this point, but this one is the jam of the summer (in a summer full of massive bops).

Breland brings in a rad twerk beat, and layers it with classic country elements, like the guitar line that’s looped throughout. Bre sings, raps, and defies octaves with that rumbling-low “have to throw it back” - then you bring in the smooth Keith Urban feature & this track gives you everything but tears. A damn party that you can dance and sing along to - you will want to share this as much as I’ve wanted to! Go be the first one of your friends to be like “hey…have you heard this…?”

LISTEN ON APPLE MUSIC: “Throw It Back”

“For Your Consideration” - Maggie Rose

Its wild that a year during which we experienced a worldwide shutdown via a pandemic was actually harder because of other factors. I’m sure the pandemic angst came into play as the world became more divisive and hate-filled (at least from where I was standing), and I think the strength of the division actually swept me all the way into a near-desperation to nurture love. In a way that continues to speak to my values and beliefs, certainly, but to approach these nearly blind divides with more compassion.

I tend to look for balance and multiple perspectives in all scenarios. Many attribute that to the fact I’m a Libra, but I’m pretty sure there’s more to it - namely, the experiences I’ve gone through. I saw the worst outcome that could come from make someone feel unloved, unwelcome, disrespected and useless. I saw and felt the energy that came from strangers donating toys to ensure that families would have a gift to open at the holidays (as I lived on my “Stuff-A-Bus” in the freezing cold and kids, friends, families donated to the cause). The truth is that not too many people are JUST BAD. Watch a Marvel movie…in a story about heroes and villains, the villains are often indistinguishable because of the depth of backstory.

Maggie Rose has a helluva project on the way for us later this year. I can’t wait for everyone to hear it (much like Breland…its one that I’m getting antsy to share. My legs are literally bouncing right now with anxiety!).

As I was listening to this song, earlier in the week, you may have seen my IG Story about Radley’s reaction. He was sitting next to me at the kitchen table, working on crafts. As this song played, he looked up and said, “Whats the lesson of this song?” When I explained that it was about the way you approach someone with a different viewpoint. I told him that its really helpful to talk about why you feel the way you do, and ask others to explain why they feel the way they do…sometimes you learn that you don’t actually disagree as much as you thought. Maybe you actually agree completely but had been making assumptions. Rad’s reply, “That’s a GOOD LESSON!”
*Not to mention Maggie’s voice

LISTEN ON APPLE MUSIC: “For Your Consideration”

“Under” - Ashley Cooke

As I was going through the relationships in my life, trying to peg the one that had been hardest to get over, I had an ironic revelation. The hardest relationships to get over at the time…are the ones I miss the least now!

One of them was a girl I was pretty sure was cheating on me - no confirmation, but pretty sure that was the true story. I do know we went on ‘a break’ and I’m pretty sure that was just an excuse for her to explore another option. We got back together and I eventually ended it because it was just a really hard bond to recapture after the whole ‘break’ thing. She was the one that ended up really suspicious and made it hard to find solid footing.. Years later, we met back up and are friendly now, but I certainly don’t think it was wrong. During the ‘break’ I do remember lying awake and having those horrible nights where you wonder (and picture) what the other person is up to. Not a lot of sleep - I think I’ve mentioned it before, but it resulted in me watching a LOT of movies all night on the futon couch in my apartment off Chenal Parkway in Little Rock.

The other was a crush that had started in middle school and finally seemed to be heading toward mutual-interest in high school…it was the puppy love that had developed over those years that had me losing sleep. Before we even dated, my family spent a lot summers at Grandma O and Grandpa Jim’s lake house, and while there I just MISSED her. Kids (me) are weird. That I just would lay in that bed thinking I’d lost my chance to ask her out cuz I was miles and miles away…. wondering who she’d started dating, and thinking they were obviously gonna marry and I’d totally missed my shot. (then we dated…for 3 months…and then we broke up and I don’t even really remember missing her after the fact).

This new release from Ashley Cooke is in the list today for all of those who are experiencing heartbreak. That damn pandemic squashed some relationships. Its fun to be flirty and dating someone new…its fun to be together when you’re not at work or traveling or with friends…. But is it still fun when you’re ALWAYS together, with NOTHING else? Not for everyone, and this song will take you right down with the ship.

I’m in the best scenario of my life, and I still felt like lying flat on the floor and just calling it a day. You’re gonna need to hug someone after this.

LISTEN ON APPLE MUSIC: “Under”

“Cover Girl” - Tyler Farr

There have been a few instances where myself and friends have suspected that someone in our lives needed to get OUT of the situation they were in. And this just speaks to how quietly domestic violence exists. The victims often hide what is happening (many reasons). And even close friends can’t quite tell when it is necessary or if it is necessary to barge in.

I know in our cases, we offered help, then emphatically encouraged that the friend take our help. And about that time, the friend(s) would start to go radio silent…

It freaks me out. I don’t quite have the right parts of the story to share, and not feel like I’m speaking out of turn, or misrepresenting. I just wanted to state what you might already know: domestic violence exits. it is an isolating scenario. it is hard to combat. it is essential to combat.

If you experience domestic violence, there are many ways to reach out to people who KNOW how difficult it is to escape. And they are trained to help you quickly and in the safest way possible.
*Sad fact: the website below has a “quick-escape” so that you can hide it immediately, if necessary. you can’t even click “back” to return to the site.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE: 800-799-SAFE
SITE: TheHotline.org

This is songwriting at its most-formidable. And it rolls in like the trouble that it is. Tyler Farr had jotted down the idea for a song entitled “Cover Girl” as he lounged at an airport and was looking at a magazine stand. He didn’t have a concept, just thought it was a cool idea for a song…story to be determined.

Years later, he took it in the room with Blake Bollinger and Ben Stennis and they came out with a song that is powerful, and beautiful as it speaks to something so ugly. Tackling the subject of domestic violence through the story of the victim, this song is an abrupt reminder that as there are hot-button issues every day, we never know exactly what might be happening to people we see or pass every day. My understanding is that escaping these situations can feel impossible - and frankly, can be dangerous. I hope that this song empowers someone to find their exit or help the friend that needs it. Super proud of Tyler for being bold about this. If you commit to a song like this, you’re also making a pledge to your own values.

LISTEN ON APPLE MUSIC: “Cover Girl”

“Kiss An Angel Good Morning” - Jimmie Allen

“Some of them will never learn that its a simple thing” - when Charlie Pride would sing that line, he knew something I didn’t. But I get it now. More importantly I know it.

This was the first song of the week that elicited the question from my 7-year-old, Radley. “Whats this song about, Dad?”

It made my week! Because he was asking about a message that I’d been hearing my whole life. But now I got to tell my son that the message was that if I kissed his mom good morning, and knew she’d be there when I got home from whatever kind of day I was having…happiness exists in my life. I could have a day full of stress, and all I needed to know was that Corri was in my life. And then I got the bonus of 3 morning beautiful people that put a smile on my face in an instant: Rad and his little bro and sis, Sebastian and Teddi.

Radley beamed when I told him how simple it was for me to be happy. And I think he gets how special it is - but I can’t wait until he finds someone to share his life with and hopefully he’ll also get to learn what I know about having kids. Just their simple existence can light up a world.

This song was originally released by Charley Pride in the 70s (shout out to songwriter Ben Peters for the sweet simple truth), and has been covered a lot over the years - George Jones, Conway Twitty, Alan Jackson… - and yet there is something remarkably perfect about Jimmie Allen’s version. He draws upon that similar gravel/huskiness in the voice at the front of the song (much like Charley Pride, especially as he aged) and then the unbelievable pipes of Jimmie Allen just float through the song in a way that draws on the original message but with the added benefit of having had this song engrained in his DNA as he learned the lesson through Charley Pride. We all know the song…we feel it…its an old friend, and that’s how Jimmie delivers it. Amazingly, the camaraderie between this song and us country fans is the same kind of bond that is being celebrated BY the song!

LISTEN ON APPLE MUSIC: “Kiss An Angel Good Morning”

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 (June 4th)