5 Must-Hear New Country Songs: Zach Top, Hailey Whitters & More

Shortly after debuting his new song “Good Times & Tan Lines” on the main stage at Nissan Stadium on Sunday night, Zach Top released the new song as a glimpse into his upcoming August release Ain’t In It For My Health.

The song tops a slate of new releases this week, including Hailey Whitters’ romantic, retro sound on “White Limousine.” Meanwhile, Old Dominion, LouieTheSinger and Lanie Gardner also offer up fresh new tracks. Check out all of those below.

Zach Top, “Good Times & Tan Lines”

Zach Top, the ACM’s reigning new artist vocalist of the year, just might have released what will be one of this summer’s top country anthems, with its strongly Alan Jackson-coded, twangy guitar intro and piles of fiddle, as he wraps his distinct twang around lyrics that look back lovingly on a time when summer meant a more laid-back time of friendship, chilled beverages and ample time on a beach or lake. Top reunites with two co-writers who played essential roles in his debut album, Cold Beer and Country Music, teaming again with Carson Chamberlain and Wyatt McCubbin.

Hailey Whitters, “White Limousine”

From her new album Corn Queen, Whitters issues this dreamy, 1970s haze-wrapped romantic ode. “I want to paint the town with the sunroof down,” Whitters sings, her twangy voice taking on a sultry smooth tone, as the song’s cinematic lyrics etch a story of a couple who know they only need each other to have a glamorous, romantic night out. This track leans slightly more gloss-pop than the twangier country tunes she’s known for, but she puts for this track with finesse. Whitters wrote the song with Jessie Jo Dillon and Jesse Frasure.

Louie TheSinger (feat. Chris Perez), “If I Die Tomorrow”

Louie TheSinger just dropped his major label debut album One For the Hometown (which released June 6), issuing a project that celebrates his Mexican-American heritage while also honoring his love of a range of sounds, including country, Tejano, hip-hop and more. Among the songs on this project is this heartfelt collaboration with Chris Pérez (Pérez also sings on the album’s title track). Over an underpinning of country-rock instrumentation, Pérez and Louie TheSinger center this new track on family connection, making an unfiltered, stark imagining of the messages they most hope their loved ones keep close if either of them should pass away unexpectedly.

Old Dominion, “Water My Flowers”

 Eight-time ACM group of the year winners Old Dominion is known for its sunny pop-country tunes, but on their latest, the group gets more personal and introspective than ever — wrapping somber musings of finding a love who will be there in their final moments, mourn them and take care of the things they leave behind. Lead singer Matthew Ramsey turns in a powerful vocal, bolstered by hazy meldings of soulful pop, rock and country, and with a slightly retro vibe and insistent rhythm underpinning the heartbreak as Ramsey ponders, “Who’s gonna cry my name/ When they lay me down in the cold hard ground.” “Water My Flowers” previews the band’s upcoming album Barbara, due Aug. 22.

Lanie Gardner, “Takin’ the Slow Ride”

Gardner’s “Buzzkill” gained traction earlier this year, and on her newly released EP Polaroids, she builds on that momentum with this breezy summer jam that relishes time spent in a sweet car with her feet on the dashboard and her lover in the driver’s seat. Her sinewy voice lends the song an effortlessly cool vibe, one perfect for the warm days ahead. Gardner wrote the song with Matt Jenkins, Jesse Frasure and Old Dominion’s Brad Tursi.