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.

WIth a long weekend for many of us, I’m hoping it involves a chance for you to hang with friends in some capacity. I have been slowly sticking my toe back into the world…my new employer is among the most socially responsible companies on the planet and I have followed their lead in trying to keep my head down, but it finally feels like we are getting ready to see a return to some normalcy in Nashville.

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:

“Empty Chair” - Trace Adkins

The best part of my job, is the ability to get involved in things that add some good into the world. As we head toward Memorial Day, I’d like to celebrate all of the people who helped in a campaign that was initially very daunting…although I only have myself to blame: 100,000 Thank Yous.

This campaign to collect Thank You notes for active duty military began several years ago through my show here in Nashville. Our team wanted to do something to support those who defend our country in all branches of the military. My colleague, Kelly, brought up an idea she had implemented in Colorado centered around sending Valentine’s to troops. Before long, we had decided to dramatically raise the stakes, and also get straight to the heart of the matter: We wanted to say thank you. Perfectly timed, as we were closing in on Thanksgiving.

One of our producers said, “How many should we collect? 10,000? 20,000?” …but I really liked the sound of saying “100,000 Thank Yous” - which began a discussion on how badly we wanted to set ourselves up for failure. I adamantly believe in speaking things into existence and remained convinced we should shoot for 100,000. The rest of the group slowly came along on the ride - first saying things like “well, we should set a big goal, and then it gives us a reason to bring it back next year and just keep going until we get there.” and “any letters we get will be a great show of support for the troops.”

Long story short, after a very slow start - I’d taken into account that the first several days would be the first time people heard the message. but I hadn’t considered the aspect of how long it would take people to get their letters to the post office and then the mail to arrive in Nashville - letters began pouring in on our month-long campaign. After a couple weeks, the mailman was bringing in GIANT mail carts of bins filled with letters. Then a day arrived when the post office called to say “you’re gonna have to come down here - there are 5 enormous carts waiting for you” and that continued day after day until we had collected well over 200,000 letters in our first year.

This campaign will forever affect my appreciation for our military, which grew exponentially. Its impossible to explain how much impact your letters had - being the middle man, I got to read the cards sent by children (with incredible honesty and amazing crayon pictures), the notes from family members of those deployed (filled with empathy and gratitude), and from military and ex-military members whose words will never leave me. To not only meet more and more military members through this experience, but to personally open boxes from schools, and giant envelopes filled with a note from each member of a family (one would be beautifully written by a parent, another more concise, the kids’ notes often on construction paper with penmanship that showed each of their ages). It was incredible. When Garth Brooks came by to share the actual 100,000th letter to arrive, he was in tears as he read the note on-air.

Over the following years, I saw more letters each and every Thanksgiving.. unbelievable. Heading into Memorial Day weekend, I’ll just add one more: Thank you.

Having experienced the gratitude for those who sacrifice family time, personal lives, and sometimes their actual lives, I was immediately moved by the concept behind Trace’s new song. In fact, it reminded me specifically of the true, and heartbreaking story that a veteran named Sal Gonzalez shared with me about the moment that inspired his powerful song about returning home when others had not, “Heroes”

Trace shares a story in this song as the practical reality that it unfortunately is. This is real life. These heroes are real. And the memories they have are real. There was no other way to start my FIRST 5, this weekend. This song was beautiful before I’d even realized it was Memorial Day Weekend. Again, and again and again: Thank you.

LISTEN ON APPLE MUSIC: “Empty Chair”

“I Only Date Cowboys” - Kylie Morgan

You probably have a type…I don’t mean to be all judgemental or anything, but I think its generally true. Sometimes that type changes as you reach new stages in life, but I realized at some point that I was a stereotype. I only dated cheerleader/actors. My type is absolutely, hands down the outgoing people who are very comfortable being front and center.

I dated cheerleaders in high school (well, also a couple NOT cheerleaders - like the people I met through work), and then found myself in relationship after relationship with people that were on sports dance teams (cheerleaders is not the wrong word), and I started having to question what that was all about. I think its the irony of being an outgoing introvert.

I don’t naturally place myself in front of crowds and am not really great in unchartered social situations - if I’m hosting, its a different story because people find it easier to approach me and there isn’t that awkward “how do I start a conversation” scenario. Overall, there’s something fascinating and awesome about outgoing people that I am always attracted to. They have a confidence that I don’t naturally possess. We end up being a good match, because I’m adventurous and love to do things that spike adrenaline or make me feel like I’m Living. I noticed that the more outgoing some people are, the less they need that adventure - but I could draw on their energy to encourage them out of their routine & we always had a great dynamic.

Its still happening today - I had no idea that Corri was an actress (I’ve literally seen her on tv ever since I was a child, but didn’t know until after we started dating - more to come), but I loved her energy, and her intelligence and the freedom of her schedule…and fell in love.

Kylie Morgan is absolutely one of my favorite new artists. Her voice is immediately identifiable both for its tone and for her phrasing. She stands out on a playlist, and her lyrics have been the x-factor for me since the first time I saw her perform “Break Things” at a showcase here in Nashville. The specialty in Kylie’s songwriting has been that she teaches us a lot about who she is via each song. Before I even knew her, I felt like I knew her. And that actually became the most-confusing part of this song upon first listen…

I love the Kylie style and immediately dug the song, but I was trying to check the all-important box of authenticity in her storytelling, as I’d come to expect from her…I know her boyfriend, Jay. He’s from Iowa like me. He’s tatted up and looks a little more Jersey Shore than cowboy…but I don’t know him well enough outside his visits to my show. So I had to ask Kylie what was going on here. Suffice that I was SO relieved to learn that Jay is much more of a cowboy than I’d given him credit for. In fact, there is one specific reference in this song that sparked the whole idea (wanna know what, listen to Kylie on The Ty Bentli Show next week). I now know this song ticks every box and is yet another showcase from Kylie Morgan on what it means to find your own voice.

LISTEN ON APPLE MUSIC: “I Only Date Cowboys”

“What The Truck” - The Reklaws & Sacha

Anyone else waiting on something on backorder or stalled out by the pandemic? I’m waiting on a truck.

Now we have to do that whole: ‘what’s your truck?’ thing. Chevys, Hemis, Yotas & Fords… I grew up loving Dodge Ram trucks. They looked badass, they had the ‘hemi’.. but when it came to buying my first truck, my loyalty was established.

I grew up in South Dakota, so my family always had some sort of 4x4 vehicle, but I did’t have a truck until I was well into my 20s and living in Chicago. I went home to visit my parents, and their good friend Dan had a kickers Chevy Silverado (Z71) on his car lot. I had been wanting a truck bad, and we came to an agreement that led to me canceling my flight home & taking that bad boy on a road trip back to the Chi. That truck was the best! Looked amazing, black, tough, but not perfect. It was what I called a ‘trucky’ truck. It had been a little beat up in the bed, had a few tiny dents and dings in well hidden spots, and no leather inside. The kind of truck you were comfortable lending your friends.

A couple years later, I moved to Los Angeles. While there, I lived across from a used car lot - literally across the street…and when my dog, Carter, got lymphoma, I would take him across to that lot for his walks. One day, he and I spotted a wicked cool, lifted, newer Silverado. I kept my eye on it, but didn’t look into it further until after Carter died (ugh. So sad). I ended up turning to that truck - sort of a reminder of those last weeks with him - and dug into the retail therapy. I ended up with the opposite of the type of truck I’d always appreciated and had a very nice, leather interior, perfect exterior, lifted Silverado - added bass and a great sound system, backup camera, side rails… that’s the truck that Corri used to have to leap into when we started dating! I had a hard time letting go of it, and kept it stored in South Dakota for years while we lived in New York City (not truck friendly) before finally selling it just before we decided to move.

Which brings us to today…as I’m waiting on the next truck that may come into my life.

Not a normal truck, and I’m pretty sure a lot of truck people are skeptical that this is as badass as I’m hoping, but I’m happy to admit that I love nerdy science, space, and tech stuff. So I want a Tesla Cybertruck! It seems they’re giving me time to save up…. I’m not sure they’ve started making them yet…so I wait.

This new jam from Canadian sis and bro, Jenna and Stuart/The Reklaws is a song that started as a joke during quarantine. Sort of an exercise in passive aggressive songwriting! With the insane amount of traction (truck reference) it got on TikTok, the duo realized they might want to take the song a bit more seriously. But it wasn’t finished! So they offered up the option to “duet” their Tok & then combed through the incredible submissions from people who’d written their own conclusive verse…. enter the standout: Sacha! This song is for all of us who can appreciate a great dad joke, euphemism or pun… And it brings back my Dodge Ram!

LISTEN ON APPLE MUSIC: “What the Truck”

“Beautiful Outlaw” - Tyler Booth

“It was just a night, but not just a night”

How many of those nights exist? Its just rare, but not non-existent. Those are the nights we remember forever and I’m gonna bet you’ve got at least a dozen. I’ll maybe list some of mine below with as little detail as possible. Might delete later (that’s what people say on TikTok when they know it could stir up trouble)

-the night I used my radio credentials (printed, laminated) to get backstage at a Beastie Boys concert in Austin
-The night I stood under a willow tree next to a lake
-the night I picked up a friend after work to go grab Barbecue in LA
-the night I played Carrie Underwood’s new song on the radio for the first time and saw a Carrie tweet
-the night I walked into Applebee’s with Johnny and a couple friends and sang “you’ve lost that loving feeling”
-the night I stormed out of the house after calling in sick to school but refusing to call in sick to work
-the night Corri and I went to grab dinner with an SVP who floated a potential job idea
-the night I stood in the Chicago Athletic Club & received a phone call
-the night I went running through the snowfall in NYC for the first time
-the night I brought my laptop to Rosa Mexicano so I could finish rendering a video
-the night 100 of my friends met outside the boathouse in Prospect Park
-the night we roasted marshmallows at an airbnb

Tyler Booth comes into this one with that incredible opening line. This song is pure country and in a way that’s timeless. Fits perfectly here and would have been perfect on my clock radio, growing up in the 90s. The lyric is intensely relatable, while it sticks to the point. Even the details are written as perception rather than fact.

Tyler’s baritone brings to mind the Josh Turner/Toby Keith elements, but with something that draws even deeper like some Waylon or Willie? This is a cowboy’s approach to his feelings. You’re gonna love it!

LISTEN ON APPLE MUSIC: “Beautiful Outlaw”

“Tell You Everything” - Robyn Ottolini

II mentioned above that when Corri and I started dating, I had no idea she was an actress. I’d met her through a charity even for Muscular Dystrophy Association, which we were both involved with. She was in a band, who was playing on the national Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon, so I was asked to introduce them at a preview event in California. I learned she was splitting time between Nashville and LA, and that she actually lived near my neighborhood in The Valley…so I thought I’d made a friend and we noted we should hang sometime. It only took six months to actually pull that together, and two hangs later, I realized it should be more than a friendship.

It was super obvious to us both: we fit. And that never dissipated, even after we steamrolled into learning about each other by pulling out a laptop one night, early in our relationship, and started online stalking each other (together). I’d learned she was on a kids news thing I’d watched as a really little kid called Kids Beat, so I looked up an episode that I remembered (about how to make pencils) and there was Corri! Then I found her in movies I’d seen - turns out I’d had a crush on her in Runaway Jury and had seen her in some of my favorite shows like CSI: Miami and NCIS…she showed me the show she’d been filming that month called Holliston. I just wanted to know more about her, and sitting beside her on her very expensive, horrible, lumpy-ass couch was the perfect place to do it. In fact, I still feel weird pulling up movies she’s been in, if she is not there (she probably thinks it is more uncomfortable that I do it when she is in the room).

To be fair, she flipped the script and saw some episodes of tv shows and watched videos of my radio show and interviews I’d done.. but the bottom line was that we couldn’t wait to know more about each other. Honestly, by the time I went home to Atlanta to meet her family for the first time, I probably knew as much about her as any of her lifelong friends (I could name the schools she’d gone to, knew how an ex had accidentally broken her nose, and literally any story that anyone brought up). I’ve never had the desire to know so much so quickly, and it was because I felt I was years behind on meeting her. Since, I’ve realized that I’m willing to share even my worries, insecurities and weaknesses with Corri. I trust her more than anyone I’ve ever met. But even back then, we knew there was plenty of life ahead for us to share moments together, though in that moment we wanted to share all the things that had already happened.

Robyn Ottolini basically speaks that story. I’m not sure that we know for sure how real this spark is… but if my experience teaches us anything, she may have found ‘the one.’ The production takes us into those moments of infatuation in the early stages of a relationship (totally enveloped, heart racing, euphoric)…the lyrics unfold so vulnerably and unabashedly that it seems like a friend should step in and warn her “this might be going too fast.” But I believe differently, and the abrupt ending to this song feels more like a prelude to the rest of the story, rather than a finale.

LISTEN ON APPLE MUSIC: “Tell You Everything”

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 (May 28th)