This week is ladies night1. It’s knocking $2 off of every drink. It was last seen in your rearview mirror. It’s giving adios.
Drive safe.
Get the full 2023 playlist here.
“FU-150” by Tanner Adell
My entire favorite subgenre of country music could be summed up as “I ain’t comin’ back / And you can’t come with me.” Tanner Adell happens to be leaving in a Ford F-150 XL with a six-inch lift kit (see Fig. 1).
Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube
“Hell You Raised” by Mae Estes
There’s a euphoric competence in country music — what a delight to capable and self-sufficient and iNdEpEnDeNt! In a rural setting, or even in the faux hyperreality rural setting of country music, practical ability translates directly into power. If you can fix your own truck, you can travel that much farther toward the western vanishing point of freedom at the heart of the American dream. Country music is not alone in this, of course. Consider Vanilla Ice, who once sang so sweetly of his ability to “rock a mic like a vandal,” pirouetting his skills like a peacock with its tail unfolded.
So we love a man who works with his hands, of course, but what might be unique to country music is the way we also love a woman who works with her hands. A girl who can change her oil is not just tolerated, she’s fetishized. Her practical ability is not a contradiction to her femininity.
Mae Estes’ “Hell You Raised” is written from inside the feeling, of course. Still, consider bro-king Brad Paisley’s classic “She’s Everything,” where the contradictions are the whole point — the spark.
Click here for a comprehensive taxonomy of badass as hot.
Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube
“Summer Don’t Go” by Tenille Arts
Summer love in an ‘87 Chevy. A totally appropriate vehicle for love. It’s America’s truck! Consider, instead, trying to fall in love inside a Tesla Cybertruck?????? Could you even do it? Doubtful. At least one iteration of the Cybertruck did not have airbags2.
In other words, I’m sure that if anyone can figure out a way to destroy the historicized romance that is inherent to a truck, it’s Elon Musk.
Me? I’m still holding out for Subaru Baja love.
Who's your muse, Rose? Excellent selections!! Whew, about time gal artists called his tailgate "rusted"!