5 Must-Hear New Country Songs: Zach Bryan, Gabriella Rose, Lauren Watkins, Thomas Rhett & More

This week’s crop of new music includes Zach Bryan teaming with Gabriella Rose for a somber new acoustic ballad, while Thomas Rhett and Jordan Davis partner for an upbeat, reflective new song. Others issuing new tunes include Lauren Watkins, bluegrass savant Tray Wellington and Texas honky-tonker Randall King.

Check out all of these and more in Billboard‘s roundup of some of the best country, bluegrass and/or Americana songs of the week below.

Zach Bryan (feat. Gabriella Rose), “Madeline”

Bryan, who just announced his new project With Heaven on Top will release in early January, has teamed with “Doublewide” singer Gabriella Rose for this stately acoustic duet of melancholy and romantic desire. “I never felt as lonely tonight as I do in this nice hotel,” Rose sings, pining for a lover. Her airy vocal makes a solid pairing with Bryan’s earthy tones.

Lauren Watkins, “Malboro Man”

Watkins offers one of her most arresting vocals to date on this polished, pondering ballad that finds her in search of a rugged, “Marlboro Man” type of her own. “Maybe it’s just sweet nostalgia from a western movie scene/ But I like to think he ain’t a dying breed,” she sings, her dusky voice easily evincing the song’s wonder and longing.

Randall King, “I Keep Your Memory Around”

Texas native King delivers another career standout with this mournful ballad that captures the ache of trying and failing to move on from a fizzled relationship. This emotionally rich song underscores King’s mastery of classic country storytelling and further cements his place in country music’s canon of neo-traditional country music makers.

Tray Wellington, “Man on the Moon”

Bluegrass musician Wellington returns with the new track “Man on the Moon,” from his upcoming project Spatial Awareness, out Aug. 8. Fueled by Wellington’s ace banjo playing and swirls of intense fiddle, the song creatively delves into contemplation on the causes and spirals of mental health struggles, wrapping it in a celestial-oriented framework. Wellington is joined by Jonah Howard (guitar), Ella Jordan (fiddle), and Nate Sabat (bass).

Thomas Rhett (feat. Jordan Davis), “Ain’t a Bad Life”

Thomas Rhett joins forces with Jordan Davis on this ode to gratitude and grounded living, reflecting on life’s simple pleasures, from enduring family ties to a reliable truck and the quiet comfort of “some Seven and some blessings filling up my cup.” Their vocal harmonies intertwine easily over a textured arrangement of keys, bass, drums, and guitars, creating an uplifting summer anthem that radiates sincerity and charm.