If Jason Aldean is going to be the face of country music in 2012, then is it too much to ask that he come up with something original? Or something that sounds good? Or that actually feels country? Or, God forbid, all of the above?
“Take a Little Ride,” the kickoff single from Aldean’s forthcoming fifth studio album is so rote, and so been-there-done-that that it’s depressing. It aspires to be nothing more than a soundalike of Aldean’s preceding parade of rafter-rattling country-rockers, “Johnny Cash,” “She’s Country,” “Crazy Town,” “My Kinda Party,” and the like. Needless to say, it studiously adheres to every imagery ingredient (cut-off jeans, tailgates, etc.) in the recipe for a half-baked country radio hit.
The only noteworthy differences include a tacked-on sex metaphor that doesn’t feel clever or original in any meaningful way, along with the fact that Jason’s star is now big enough to eliminate the need for obligatory, genre-pandering sprinkling of country instrumentation. It will be a big hit, but that’s hardly surprising, since it’s clear that such lame recycled mediocrity is what passes for a country hit these days.
Greg
July 16, 2012 at 11:47 PM
The problem I have with it (besides the fact that it is loud and obnoxious) is that it sounds like every other single he ever has had
bob
July 17, 2012 at 8:47 PM
One of the few things worse than listening to this would be listening to JA sing it “live”.
Lynn
July 18, 2012 at 3:47 PM
For me, the more depressing thought is that I’m almost 100% sure this will reach #1 in the charts.
rowdyred
July 18, 2012 at 9:05 PM
All of the above. The repetitive formula is blatant, crass and tiresome. My question is, why is this okay with so many people? I really don’t understand the lack of higher expectations from the actual audience.