New Songs You Need To Hear Right Now: David J, Caylee Hammack, Josh Ross & More

Country Now is offering a look into some of the hottest new releases. We have selected a list of stand-out tracks that will freshen up your country music playlist and maybe even introduce you to a new crop of artists as they continue rising to the top of their game.

This set of new tunes is updated weekly to provide the latest selection of heart-breaking ballads, windows-down party anthems, steady love stories and more.  

Here are eight new country songs you need to hear right now.

David J – “Once”

In his new song, “Once,” David J depicts the power of love and its ability to flip this life upside down. While the relationship that inspired this track may be a part of his past now, the memories of what it felt like to fall so hard for that special person will always remain. Written by the rising artist with Dylan Brady and Michael Whitworth, “Once” re-introduces listeners to David J’s polished vocals and heartfelt storytelling. 

“I wrote this song about the first time I met a girl I dated, but I wrote it after the relationship was over. I was feeling pensive but also positive about how strongly I felt for her when we were together,” David J revealed in a press release. “The moment it ended was bittersweet, but I wanted to put all the sweet into this song. I hope this song connects with everyone listening, but hopefully they don’t break up like we did!”

Stream the track HERE.

Drew Baldridge – “Big Prayers” 

Drew Baldridge is counting his blessings as he recounts real-life stories that have required plenty of hope and “Big Prayers” to get him through. The day Baldridge sat down to write the new song with Sam Bergeson and GRAMMY-award winner Tim Nichols, he found inspiration in a disheartening story that resulted in a happy ending. This allowed him to reflect on his own rollercoaster of life and use his angelic vocals to explain how his faith has been a saving grace during some of the hardest moments. 

“I got the idea for ‘Big Prayers’ the day we all sat down to write. The wife of my old drummer who I played with in my high school cover band got diagnosed with cancer a few years back,” said Baldridge. “I was reading their daughter’s post on Facebook the morning of our writing session and she said something like, ‘My mom just got word that the surgery worked, and they removed all the cancer. The doctors are now about to do another screening today to make sure the cancer didn’t spread to any other parts of her body. We need big prayers.’”

“As soon as I read the words ‘big prayers’ it just kind of hit me. I had to write this. There are so many times in our lives when we throw up big prayers and hope that someone is listening,” he continued. “I just wanted to write this song as a powerful message to never give up hope ‘cause someone is always listening. Always throw up the big prayers no matter how much the cards are stacked against you because miracles do still happen!”

Stream the track HERE.

MaRynn Taylor – “Make You Mine”

MaRynn Taylor, a 2023 CMT Next Women of Country, returns with a fresh pop-country tune about new love. Out now, “Make You Mine,” finds Taylor sharing her excitement over the possibilities of a young romance. 

“Make me wanna melt in your hands/ Make me wanna change all my plans/ Make me wanna take all night/ Make me wanna make you mine/ Make me wanna drive too fast/ Make me wanna never look back/ When I look into your eyes, Make me wanna make you mine,” she confidently sings on the chorus. 

Taylor co-wrote the track with Dan Wilson and GRAMMY winner Josh Kerr, who also produced the song.

Stream the track HERE.

The Cadillac Three – “This Town Is A Ghost”

The Cadillac Three’s frontman, Jaren Johnston, unloads his personal journey of grief as he mourns the passing of his father through the band’s new song, “This Town Is A Ghost.” The sentimental tune marks a special release as the vulnerable lyrics and hazy melody display the emotional turmoil that remains from the band member’s loss of 2022. Throughout the mesmerizing guitar riffs, the message remains universal for anyone who has experienced losing someone close to them. Johnston’s father is the late Jerry Ray Johnston, who also spent his life pursuing music. He worked as a drummer for the Grand Ole Opry and country music band Bandana, which is also the name of The Cadillac Three’s current tour. 

“I put off writing about my dad’s passing for about as long as I could,” Johnston explained in a press statement. “One day, I was writing with my good friend, Ross Copperman, and I had the title, but I wasn’t sure it would be about Dad. I mentioned the idea of going there with it and Ross loved it. He helped me sculpt a story I knew I could sing with the band. I went more personal than usual. It was three of the hardest hours of my life. Telling that story of pain to a sweet melody was brutal. Let’s just say I cried a lot that day. Thank you, Ross, for going there with me. I hope the song is a little therapy for anyone that has gone through what I did.”

Stream the track HERE.

Elvie Shane – “Forgotten Man” 

Elvie Shane is kickstarting a new musical chapter with “Forgotten Man,” his first release since 2021’s Backslider album debut. The BBR Music Group/Wheelhouse Records singer/songwriter penned the American dream anthem with Dan Couch, Luke Preston, and Oscar Charles as a way to honor the hard-working men and women who have “callous cracked hands” as they try to keep up with the struggling times. Shane stands up for what he believes as he embeds his hearty grit into the uptempo rock/country sound. 

“There’s been a lot of attempts to recognize that group of people in country music, but sometimes it feels like it’s not a very honest representation of the angst that’s involved,” Shane explained. “It doesn’t ever really touch on how pissed off you can be, just trying to find the American dream.” 

“I’m wearing that patch, too,” he added. “I’m out here trying to give an honest account of who I am and put an honest effort into what I do. I actually do give a shit, and I will place my bet on those people I’m singing about in this song against all odds.”

Stream the track HERE.

Josh Ross – “Red Flags”

For his second taste of music in 2023, Josh Ross has unleashed his new song, “Red Flags.” In this emotional track, the rising singer/songwriter finds himself assessing whether or not to stay in a relationship with someone, knowing that it’s likely to end poorly for both parties. Ross took an honest approach as he sat down to pen the lyrics alongside Chris Sligh, Mason Thornley and Matt Geroux. Along with the back-and-forth storyline, the full production features a slew of acoustic progressions, which adds to the hard-hitting tempo. 

“What if I’m bad for you? / What if you’re worse for me? / How many times do we have to go back and forth for one of us to see / That nobody’s right in this,” he sings in the chorus. “We both got shit / We both brought our own baggage / What if we’re both, what if we’re both, red flags?”

Stream the track HERE.

Neon Union – “American Dirt”

Neon Union has dropped their latest release, “American Dirt,” which marks the first glimpse into their upcoming EP titled, Double Wide Castle Sessions, available July 21. The Red Street Records country duo comprised of Andrew Millsaps and Leo Brooks teamed up with Brandon Hood and Bob DiPiero to pen the brand-new single, with production by GRAMMY-nominated, ACM and CMA-winner Dann Huff. As their powerhouse vocals blend throughout the twang of the prideful lyrics and soulful melody, the duo showcases a true appreciation for the small-town lifestyle that raised them. 

“For me, this is about being a first-generation American fighting for the dream my parents worked so hard for,” Brooks shares on his inspiration behind the song. “They fought for a better life by bringing us to the United States from Roatan, Honduras in hopes of achieving the ‘American Dream’ right here on this American dirt.”

Stream the track HERE.

Caylee Hammack – “History of Repeating” 

Capitol Records Nashville artist, Caylee Hammack is putting her emotions on full display as she confesses that she has a “History of Repeating” herself when it comes to some bad habits that end up leaving her heartbroken. True honesty shines through her striking vocal cords and delicate melody that holds a tremendous amount of weight within every note. The vulnerable new tune was written by Hammack with Ashley McBryde and Nicolette Hayford (Pillbox Patti) and co-produced with Dann Huff.

“Love is my weakness, my kryptonite even,” Hammack explained in a press release. “It’s the small girl inside of me looking for true love, and really believing I’m going to find it. This song is a very honest admission of some bad decisions that I think anyone can relate to making… those decisions sometimes we repeat, even though we know it’s not what is best for us. The humanness of our habits and hearts and a swig of Jack Daniel’s for flavor.”

Stream the track HERE.