Riley Green Admits His Song ‘Worst Way’ Is ‘A Little Risqué’

The country star performed the steamy tune on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live.’

By

Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

January 29, 2025

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9:33 am

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Riley Green; Photo by Disney/Randy Holmes

Riley Green made waves last year with the release of his steamy track, “Worst Way.” The song’s bold and suggestive lyrics left fans blushing and sparked plenty of attention on social media. 

Upon its release, TikTok and Instagram were abuzz with hilarious reactions to the provocative lyrics. Some users deemed it a “baby-making song” while others claimed it was the “steamiest song” they’ve ever heard. Another social media user likened Green to a “country Marvin Gaye” after listening.   

Riley Green; Photo by Disney/Randy Holmes
Riley Green; Photo by Disney/Randy Holmes

New Single At Country Radio

Riley Green is officially sending “Worst Way” to country radio as the follow-up to his hit “Damn Good Day To Leave.” Fueled by fan demand and an impressive 200 million streams to date, the track is set to go for adds on February 10.

While discussing his recent album, Don’t Mind If I Do, Green opened up about “Worst Way” and the response to the song, admitting it is “maybe a little risqué.” 

“Worst way is a little, it’s a little direct. It’s right at it,” Green shared. “And when you write a song like that on your own, especially being like the, ‘I Wish Grandpa’s Never Died’ guy, it’s funny because how do you gauge that song?”

Green Performs “Worst Way” On Jimmy Kimmel Live

Green says he turned to his collaborators for advice. 

He Almost Didn’t Cut The Song

“So I sent it to Erik [Dylan], I played it for Erik and Nick [Walsh] on the road one time, and Eric was talking about how great it was, but I wasn’t for sure going to cut it,” he revealed. “It’s not really, like I said, in my wheelhouse, what I normally do. So I think I played it and put it on social media, maybe just a video of it, and it blew up the reaction to it.” 

The Alabama native recalled one one particular performance acoustic performance that brought the popularity of the song to a new level. 

“I think maybe I had a bag in the background and there was this big thing about whether it was somebody’s purse and that made the song… it gave it a whole ‘nother life. So it’s been really cool to see a song do that much on its own, and it’s a huge hit,” he said. “One of the biggest moments of my live show now.” 

Inspired By Eric Church and John Mayer Songs

In another interview, Green, who wrote “Worst Way” himself, shared that he envisioned a song with the same intense emotions as Eric Church’s “Wrecking Ball” and the deep vibe of John Mayer’s “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room.”

“When I wrote “Worst Way” that was in [the vein of Eric Church’s ‘Wrecking Ball’.] And I had a vision of just songs that give me that type of feeling that over the years, ‘Slow Dancing in a Burning Room,’ John Mayer, that vibe, something about that was so cool and to make it country and to make it my own,” he told Kelleigh Bannen on The Kelleigh Bannen Show on Apple Music Country.   

Fans can catch Green performing “Worst Way” and the rest of his hits on his headlining Damn Country Music Tour, which is set to kick off in March. 

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Lauren Jo Black

Written by

Lauren Jo Black

Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.