Jason Aldean’s “Burnin’ It Down” (A Roast)
WARNING: Language
Oh Jason, this is most unfortunate.
Since Jason Aldean has re-entered the single life after getting caught in a douche-soaked nightclub on the Sunset Strip handling up on some American Idol semifinalist castoff, now he thinks he’s Mr. Sexy, taking cues from Jerrod Niemann and entering the EDM space to keep the child support money streaming in.
As the first single from his upcoming album, “Burnin’ It Down” is a Casiotone piece of impersonal electronic awfulness in which any sign of true human inspiration or involvement has been so antiseptically scrubbed in lieu of animatronic tones and absolutist perfectitudes, the term “soul” has been completely and forever banished from being associated with this robotic piece of misanthropic pap. This isn’t a song, this is some guy with a MacBook Pro, a tub of Red Vines, and the cool tingle of cocaine tickling the edge of his nostrils creating an electronic sound bed to send over to Aldean’s studio so he can overlay his Auto-tune’d vocals and call it good. As Tom Petty would say, “You put your name on it, but you didn’t do that.” Even the guitar tones have been been so exhaustively massaged by 1’s and 0’s they sound like the warning signals emitted from a Star Wars protocol droid right before it explosively self-destructs. A kitten aimlessly careening across a Korg keyboard in a catnip stupor could make a more compelling composition than this.
Sorry Jason Aldean, but this song isn’t sexy, it’s creepy. “…with you baby layin’ right here naked in my bed.” They should exhume Barry White and make it the sole goal of the international scientific community to revive him for the exclusive purpose of kicking Jason Aldean’s ass for this song. What does Aldean know about sexy time anyhow? Aldean ain’t got the moves like Jagger, he’s got the moves like Grimmace. Mating couples won’t find “Burnin’ It Down” sexy unless they get equally horny for the annual return of the McRib. This song is a awkward as a hard on in a Speedo. “Burnin’ It Down” isn’t for intimate couples, it’s for lonely women to get all lubed up with in anticipation of an intimate encounter with Clyde the battery-powered hammerer.
How the hell is this considered “country” in any capacity? Talk about “Burnin’ It Down”, I wish the palette of votive candles featured in the stupid lyric video would set fire to the studio that birthed this monstrosity with the masters still in it. If the couple in this video gets turned on by shadow puppets, I can make my middle finger erect and have it look just like a love bird. The best part of this song ran down Aldean’s pasty inner thigh and ended up as an embarrassing stain on his $700 sheets. He should have worn a rubber instead of inseminating our ear holes with this public health audio pandemic. No, that burning you feel in your genitals isn’t from erotic allure, it’s because this song is the audio equivalent of a pussing venereal onslaught.
Oh, and Florida-Georgia Line took time from rolling naked in their own piles of money to co-write this song. So there’s that. Yeah, Aldean should have gotten the hint when country music’s boy band was handing him down their sloppy seconds that it would result in a career embarrassment.
Come on Jason Aldean, stick to singing about the common man and their struggles. That’s what you’re good at.
You should have kept this one in your pants.
Two guns way down.
July 22, 2014 @ 2:04 pm
I’ve always thought that with the very notable exceptions of ‘Dirt Road Anthem’ and ‘1994’ that Aldean was not the greatest threat to country music because he was more into 80s rock sound as opposed to the EDM type stuff but this song is truly awful on every level. I kept waiting for something that would make it even a little country but alas that something never came.
This is an interesting release in light of FGL and even Luke Bryan making stylistic changes with their most recent singles.
July 22, 2014 @ 2:11 pm
Luke Bryan hasn’t made a “stylistic change.” “Roller Coaster” is another single from Crash My Party, just like the last four.
July 22, 2014 @ 2:28 pm
I’m aware that it is another song from ‘Crash My Party’. But it is far more nostalgic in subject matter and the video has him dressing more age appropriately than his douchy ‘This Is How We Roll’ look.
As many on here point out many of these acts have far more country sounding (both musically and lyrically) album cuts that are never released as singles but I think it’s telling that they chose to release this as a single.
July 22, 2014 @ 3:11 pm
From what I understand, the decision to release that particular song instead another party-oriented song was a conscious decision.
July 22, 2014 @ 2:19 pm
There’s going to be some artists caught off guard to by the return to substance in the mainstream, and it may hurt their careers. Chase Rice may be one of them, and if they rest of the Jason Aldean album sounds like this, he may be too. My guess is Florida Georgia Line gave up this song because they knew the appeal for something like this has passed. Look what happened to Jerrod Niemann. “Drink To That All Night” did great for a while, but as soon as he released “Donkey”, both singles completely disappeared. That may be one of the reasons Aldean is releasing this now, because in the long run these type of songs are doomed.
July 22, 2014 @ 2:33 pm
I agree but why release this as a single?
Eric Church released ‘The Outsiders’ first but that was clearly a statement release and they obviously knew it wasn’t going to be a hit as they had a follow up ready to go.
Not sure what this says for the album to come.
July 22, 2014 @ 10:04 pm
Trigger, I am afraid that I am not seeing this return to substance at my local country radio station.
Do you know of some substantive songs that are being played on a regular rotation on mainstream country radio? I know about “Dirt”, but are there any other popular ones?
July 22, 2014 @ 11:12 pm
The “return to substance” for country radio isn’t a declaration, it is a very infant theory at this point that is only a couple of weeks old, and based mostly off of a couple of songs. I’m not ready to say radio is returning to substance, but I am ready to say that we should be on the look out for this trend potentially developing.
July 23, 2014 @ 12:05 am
I’ve been feeling a change coming, if for no other reason than things always change. The market gets saturated, trends die down, people want something new. Most telling is Scott Borchetta announcing “Dirt” as “non-bro country” and backing the Maddie & Tae song. He might be the devil but he’s smart; he knows which way the wind’s blowing.
I also found it telling that FGL seem to be spearheading this new trend, for two reasons. They’re one of the most or the most popular mainstream “country” acts right now, and unlike Luke Bryan or Jason Aldean, they’re not really known for anything other than “bro” stuff. Now they’re suddenly out there with a respectable song.
I was disappointed when the early-mid 90s country sound I loved trended more into Shania/Faith Hill pop in the latter half of the decade, and some of my favorite stars like Mark Chesnutt and Clint Black all but disappeared. But in the 2000s there was a surge of good music with Brad Paisley, Joe Nichols, Miranda Lambert, etc. Then bro country happened, probably somewhat as a response to all the Taylor/Carrie pop stuff. So I’m just curious to see what will happen next. Country music seems poised for a “good” wave, and there are plenty of talented artists out there to ride it.
July 23, 2014 @ 5:56 am
I think the return to substance was shown in Tim McGraw’s first two singles off of his upcoming album as well. His first single was absolutely terrible, meaningless crap. So bad that I don’t even remember the name of the song and don’t want to look it up. They quickly released Meanwhile Back at Mama’s which seems to be getting a lot more airplay than the previous single.
October 15, 2023 @ 5:27 pm
Pedgyne Pierre Louis boyH
July 23, 2014 @ 7:26 am
Chase Rice actually released a new song yesterday off his upcoming album. Not what you would have expected.
October 3, 2014 @ 6:34 am
Dirt road anthem was written by Colt Ford and Brantley Gilbert. I enjoyed Colt Ford’s version of the song so much more than Jason Aldean’s version. Aldean is such a cheater. “Burning it down” – what he really means – he’s burning down bridges by cheating on his wife of 12 years. Wow! that is a long time to be married.
July 22, 2014 @ 2:05 pm
Hey, the return of the McRib turns me on.
July 22, 2014 @ 2:41 pm
You are one sick-minded soul! 😉
July 22, 2014 @ 2:08 pm
I do believe this is the raunchiest article I’ve ever read on SCM. That said, the song is probably deserving of it. I won’t know until I’m assaulted by the radio with it, more than likely with the “top of every hour” play scheme by Clear Channel with the label. Screw Jason Aldean. I love how everyone complains about Luke Bryan and Florida Georgia Line, but at least the former can sing and the latter has a gift for hooks. What does Jason Aldean have? A talent for digging into obscure album tracks by other artists, covering them, changing nothing and releasing it as a “new” song? And that’s probably giving him too much credit, since it’s almost certainly his label that does that and commands him to record a song they felt had potential but wasn’t ever sent to radio. That leaves him with his sound, I guess. But wait, he doesn’t play electric guitar live and almost certainly not in the studio. Well, he isn’t as douchey as Brantley Gilbert, despite sharing the same wardrobe.
July 22, 2014 @ 2:20 pm
This is pretty raunchy, but I’m working with the material supplied by the performer.
July 22, 2014 @ 2:27 pm
Not judging, just stating. I’ve never thought anything you’ve ever posted, save for a bit of salty language, was anything less than direct and typically family friendly. This is practically not safe for work. But again, it’s the result of this flesh eating parasite that Jason Aldean is selling as a song.
July 22, 2014 @ 2:28 pm
Well, what do you expect when the song handed to Aldean lacks any sorrt of stry o narrative?
It’s basically: “Hey girl! Let’s get drunk, listen to Alabama and f*** each other all night long!”
July 22, 2014 @ 5:26 pm
Nothing wrong with getting drunk listening to Alabama and f****** all night. Sounds like a good night. No offense.
July 22, 2014 @ 5:33 pm
Ok… but does it make for a good song?
July 23, 2014 @ 6:35 am
it does if it’s written well
July 22, 2014 @ 2:08 pm
I find it funny that there are youtube comments from fans saying this isn’t the kind of music they like Jason Aldean for. If even the typical mainstream country fans are growing weary of the EDM trend, maybe it’s time Nashville went a different direction.
July 22, 2014 @ 2:19 pm
I visited his Facebook page out of curiosity, and it looks like most of his fans are really pissed about this.
July 22, 2014 @ 2:23 pm
This is six months behind the curve. I think that’s why Florida Georgia Line gave it to Aldean instead of cutting it themselves. And look now, Florida Georgia Line has the biggest single in the world in “Dirt”, and Aldean is getting roasted.
Things are changing folks.
July 22, 2014 @ 9:40 pm
Here is his quote from Taste Of Country on this peice of crap:
“I don”™t want to feel like we keep doing the same thing,” he tells The Tennessean. “This was a song that came in that I thought was really cool and different and it was different than anything we”™ve put out. I think it”™s one of those things people don”™t expect to hear from us, which I like to throw those songs in every now and then.”
We certainly did not expect to hear this from him. This could have a second life as a government torture device.
July 23, 2014 @ 7:25 am
http://headlineplanet.com/home/2014/07/23/jason-aldeans-burnin-debuts-higher-dirt-radio/
“Burnin’ it Down” actually had a bigger first day at radio than “Dirt.”
But it’s really way too early to be having any sort of argument about whether “Dirt” or “Burnin’ it Down” is indicative of the new wave. Both of these songs are benefiting from the fact that they’re new album singles from FGL and Jason Aldean, who join Luke Bryan and Taylor Swift in the list of biggest country acts.
FGL would have been roughly as successful at this point with a rocking party song, and Aldean would not have had a bigger day one with a “substantive” one.
It could take months to assess the role *quality* played in these songs.
(I also think it’s wrong to suggest that FGL gave this up because they recognized a change in the tide. They went with “Dirt” because it made sense to change their style up a bit for the new single. Aldean, meanwhile, hasn’t released a song like this since Dirt Road Anthem)
July 23, 2014 @ 7:54 am
Now that every country radio station basically has the same playlist due to consolidation, probably any big song from any big artist is going to break a record on radio as soon as it’s released because so many stations are going to add it at once. As the article says, it still hasn’t beaten it with plays or downloads, but I am surprised radio picked it up so quickly. With all the backlash from Aldean’s fans and others, I don’t expect it to be nearly as big of a hit as “Dirt” in the long run.
July 24, 2014 @ 10:06 am
The only possible change “Dirt” succeeding signifies to me is the potential return of overly earnest sentimental poorly-sung junk like the stuff Montgomery Gentry used to peddle in.
July 22, 2014 @ 2:14 pm
Damn, that’s shitty even by Jason Aldean standards.
July 22, 2014 @ 2:15 pm
Oh God, that first note. You can tell it’s gonna be awful. Then it just gets worse when he opens his mouth. If he even did open his mouth, or just had a machine do it for him. I can’t tell. Absolute garbage.
July 22, 2014 @ 2:30 pm
I’m pretty much expecting at this point a re-mix geared for Urban audiences that will feature a sexually-explicit rap by Trey Songz! -__-
July 22, 2014 @ 2:18 pm
This is awful.
I’ve never really minded him, for the reasons mentioned above – I don’t mind the 80s arena rock sound that he’s been after in the past. But this is terrible.
July 22, 2014 @ 2:22 pm
I just played this awfulness for my brother. When I hit play, he was convinced that it was an ad prior to the actual Aldean song. It was the Aldean song.
July 23, 2014 @ 7:09 am
I played it for my wife, who generally doesn’t mind newer pop country, at least until I tell her why it’s so bad.
I put this song on without saying anything. She made me turn it off before the first chorus ended. That is damning criticism.
July 22, 2014 @ 2:23 pm
WTF is THIS???????? HORRIBLE!!!!
July 22, 2014 @ 2:24 pm
I’m really glad you approached this roast acknowledging that, when Aldean selects some material that focuses on agrarian and small-ton realism themes, he can actually make some poignant cuts.
As you have gathered by now, I’ve not been afraid to come to Aldean’s defence at times. For one, despite having a terrible track record with lead singles, he always seems to release at least one secondary single each era that I truly enjoy (“Amarillo Sky”, “The Truth”, “Tattoos On This Town” “Night Train” most notably). Secondly, when provided a chance to delve into deeper cuts, I actually consider Aldean an above-average corporate county entertainer compared to most of his A and B-list peers. Tracks like “Church Pew or Barstool”, “Not Every Man Lives” “On My Highway”, “Grown Woman” and “Back In This Cigarette” reveal an entertainer who is plenty more than his lunkheaded lead singles when he allows himself to be.
*
Yet, “Burnin’ It Down” is indefensible on its own. It is by far Aldean’s second-worst single behind “1994”.
Firstly, has Aldean not learned the lesson for “Lookin’ For That Girl” underachieving greatly commercially? Let’s compare and contrast a song like “Dirt”, which the co-writers of this song (Florida Georgia Line) also happened to write, which has received a lot of acclaim that the duo has not previously received for actually sounding faithful to the contemporary genre and having more thoughtful lyrics, and is already a #1 hit…………………to that McGraw song which, much like this, is heavily synthesized in its sound and owes more to Rhythmic and hip-hop production than anything remotely county, and peaked at #18.
A pair of Jack Daniels and “Old Alabama” name-drops does NOT make a song country no matter how much you want to believe otherwise. And if McGraw’s example is any indicator, I’m actually predicting this is going to have a short-lived chart run despite currently being lodged at #1 on the iTunes composite chart.
*
Secondly, I’m absolutely sick to death of come-on music that suggest you need alcohol to loosen up and get in the mood. It’s not a healthy mindset. It’s not a good idea to promote. Sex is much more pleasurable when one isn’t “altered”.
Finally, some purists are most complaining about the word “naked” being featured in the lyrics, or even having a less subtle song about sex. To me, it’s not even a concern. It’s nothing new when putting the broader modern history of mainstream country music in perspective. Conway Twitty, after all, penned a comparatively raunchier “I Can Tell You’ve Never Been This Far Before”. Even George Strait himself gave us “The Fireman”. So the idea that songs of this ilk are unheard of in modern country music would be a dishonest assertion.
What is the difference between this song and those aforementioned examples? Well, firstly, they actually were driven by narrative. And, secondly, Twitty and Strait didn’t take themselves too seriously. In contrast, the hopelessly self-serious Jason Aldean gives yet another overly serious-sounding performance that makes him sound more narcissistic and aloof than sexy.
*
I actually wouldn’t mind seeing more sexy songs on Country radio that differentiate from the “bro-country” template. Is it too much to ask for that they actually sound reciprocal and the narrator seems emotionally in awe and ever grateful to be with the partner as opposed to the subject boasting about “doin’ my thang”?
Two Thumbs Way Down indeed.
July 22, 2014 @ 2:28 pm
I agree, Aldean has had some good songs. Lonesome USA and Asphalt Cowboy are two that come to mind. Then he releases trash like this.
July 22, 2014 @ 2:38 pm
Yeah as I said above I got to think that they know this isn’t going to work at country radio but are trying to stay relevant to the kiddos or something.
My guess is there will be another single release before the album comes out.
July 22, 2014 @ 2:49 pm
I didn’t enjoy Conway Twitty’s “sexy” songs either.
Although they do mix in perfectly with “a little T-Pain” on my Country Ride Hip-hop mixtape. Now, that’s my kind of night.
July 22, 2014 @ 2:51 pm
“Yeah, I like to crank up some Drake with my Hank!”
Said. No. One. Ever. 😉
July 22, 2014 @ 3:01 pm
What about Slow Hand?
July 22, 2014 @ 3:21 pm
Conway Twitty was the sexual miscreant of country music.
July 22, 2014 @ 2:51 pm
I”™m absolutely sick to death of come-on music that suggest you need alcohol to loosen up and get in the mood. It”™s not a healthy mindset. It”™s not a good idea to promote.
Not least of all because of the phenomenon known as “whiskey dick”…
July 23, 2014 @ 10:09 pm
And for others, the opposite happens. Stop painting with such a broad brush, both of you. Also, this single is trash, as are the majority of Jason Aldean’s singles. This one is especially bad. He does generally have some good material on his albums though, kind of weird.
July 22, 2014 @ 2:24 pm
I have been waiting all day for this review. Spot on!
July 22, 2014 @ 2:31 pm
Trigger . YOU ARE SOOOO WRONG . This vocal is too off-key-shitty to have been Auto-tuned .
Man ….waiting around for the new low has become a tiresome pastime .
July 22, 2014 @ 3:02 pm
In a just world , this ‘song’ would surely be the final nail in the bro-co coffin .
In all likelihood , however , impressionable young aspiring songwriters will assume THIS is what songwriting is all about- and so the seed is sewn.
On the positive side , however. I am SOOO happy THIS crap wasn’t around to inspire T.S. when she was 12 . God only knows what horrors THAT would have unleashed …not to mention having to watch her Taylordance while singing it .
If anyone phones I’ll be asleep until all this is over .
July 22, 2014 @ 3:30 pm
Taylor has always been an emotional songwriter. That is probably why she gained a fondness for country music to begin with.
If the country music of 2002 or so had been similar to what it is now, I highly doubt that Taylor would have even entered the country music business.
July 22, 2014 @ 2:38 pm
Tag: “hard on on’s in Speedos”
Tautology? 😉
July 22, 2014 @ 2:39 pm
This morning I was flipping through the local newspaper and saw a little picture of Jason Aldean along with the following headline: “Aldean Unleashes His Sexier Side.”
My approximate reaction:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N493CQgQ_Hk
July 22, 2014 @ 2:50 pm
Mine came more along these lines! 😉
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ymU7xAPPZo
July 22, 2014 @ 3:05 pm
Heh heh… nice.
Seriously though, The Tennessean really ought to re-evaluate what information is worthy of a headline.
The infographic illustrating the lyrics of the song was also unnecessary.
July 22, 2014 @ 2:48 pm
This song sucks.. I could not even listen tot he whole thing. Trigger was right when he said this was 6 months behind the curve.. When Flordia Georgia Line, is actually releasing a song like Dirt, which I actually really like, you know it is time to move on… I like Jaon Aldean, and I hope that the other songs on his album sound nothing like this..
July 22, 2014 @ 2:50 pm
Y’all shut up about this song. He sang it with a twang, so it’s Country…..or at least what Nashville wants us to think what Country should be.
July 22, 2014 @ 2:54 pm
Gotta remember to most of these execs country is not a style of music but it is a format.
They decide.
July 22, 2014 @ 3:13 pm
I love Jason Aldean. Luke Bryan and him have some great songs if you dig a little deeper into their albums.
I have a whole CD Aldean wrote himself and the songs are great. Songs like “Keep The Girl” and “Don’t Give Up On Me” and “I’m Just A Man” and “Laughed Until We Cried” and “Not Every Man Lives” are great songs and the list goes on for me.
This is not a country song. By any means. I’m seeing Aldean front row Friday. I was excited to hear a new song, not so much now.
July 22, 2014 @ 3:33 pm
Agreed. I’ve got Aldean’s first four albums, and all of them are solid mainstream country efforts, with some damn good singles to match. Hicktown, Amarillo Sky, The Truth, Crazy Town, Tattoo’s On This Town and Fly Over States are all great.
Fuck it, I even like Dirt Road Anthem, as a one-off of something a little different. (Though if I could go back in time and stop it from being produced in order to stop the current wave of country rap that followed I would).
All that said this song (as well as 1994) is pure crap.
July 22, 2014 @ 4:23 pm
Agree. I tend to forget how much I like most of his music, and not even just the earlier stuff. Night Train is one of my favorite recent country songs and that was from his last album. With him, the bad songs are just so bad they really stick out I guess.
I’m VERY surprised by this as a choice of single from Aldean, especially considering FGL & Luke Bryan’s current songs. Aldean is the last one I’d have expected to be “behind the curve,” as Trigger said. I really don’t know what to make of this. I feel like Aldean could easily slip back into recording good mainstream country music; he’s already shown he can do it. Why this song? I think it will disappear pretty fast, anyway. Hopefully the rest of the album will be better. They seem to have a penchant for releasing the crappiest songs as singles these days… a ringing endorsement of the public’s taste, I guess. ;p
July 22, 2014 @ 3:14 pm
I thought it was pretty good Trigger Man. 😉 lol!
July 22, 2014 @ 3:55 pm
“Aldean ain”™t got the moves like Jagger, he”™s got the moves like Grimmace. Mating couples won”™t find “Burnin”™ It Down” sexy unless they get equally horny for the annual return of the McRib. This song is a awkward as a hard on in a Speedo. “Burnin”™ It Down” isn”™t for intimate couples, it”™s for lonely women to get all lubed up with in anticipation of an intimate encounter with Clyde the battery-powered hammerer.”
I laughed harder with every sentence in this chunk of text. Oh God, I needed that!
July 22, 2014 @ 3:55 pm
I assumed he would continue to chase trends to a certain extent, but damn, he really went off the deep end with this one. I’m a bit confused as to why he decided he needed to go full-blown electronic here. To my understanding, he’s still one of the most popular male acts. I understand why guys like McGraw and Dunn felt the need to release this kind of garbage, as they’re both trying to remain radio relevant. I thought he learned his lesson with the tepid reception to “1994” about trying to repeat the whole “Dirt Road Anthem” trick again. Apparently I was mistaken. Is his popularity slipping to the extent that he and his team actually felt compelled to release this? I mean even Jason, in his heart of hearts, can’t think this song is good.
July 22, 2014 @ 4:19 pm
“A kitten aimlessly careening across a Korg keyboard in a catnip stupor could make a more compelling composition than this.”
And that, my friends, says it all.
July 22, 2014 @ 4:22 pm
I am so glad I didn’t have to wait long for this review because I knew it would be epic. This song is horrible! AWFUL! No wonder FGL threw it away to Jason Aldean, they knew how bad it would be received. I like some of his earlier songs, but ever since 1984 I stopped following him. Thank you for making my evening.
July 22, 2014 @ 4:32 pm
So I listened to the song”¦
”¦well, about the first 45 seconds. I tried, I really did. ZOMG IT WAS AWFUL. (As a country song, that is. As your standard top-40 pop song goes, I guess it”™s not bad if that”™s your thing”¦)
I”™ll admit that Aldean even at his best is no Haggard or Strait, but he really is capable of so much better than this, as evidenced by songs like “Amarillo Sky” and “The Truth.” I even liked “Johnny Cash” as a song (even if I thought Tracy Byrd”™s version was far superior to Aldean’s). Seriously, you listen to this piece of crap and those songs sound like freaking Lefty Frizzell in comparison. I don”™t have my ear to the ground vis-a-vis mainstream “country” music anymore, so I really have to wonder what Aldean was thinking here. Is his popularity really slipping to the point that he feels compelled to record Florida-Georgia Line rejects? ”˜Cause I mean, surely he can”™t be thinking this sort of thing is what we should accept as evolution of the genre, can he?
I”™m going to go cleanse my ears and my soul with some classic Asleep at the Wheel.
July 22, 2014 @ 4:41 pm
Ew. ew. ew. ew.
“1994” may technically be worse, but this one just left me feel really, really … ewwww.
July 23, 2014 @ 7:31 am
I can’t take “1994” seriously enough to really let it upset me. I can’t imagine that anyone actually thought it was a good song, it must have been released just to have some fun, like “Red Solo Cup.” But this one is truly terrible.
Combining this release with Tim McGraw’s “Lookin for that Girl,” and I don’t think I’ve ever been more disappointed with the state of mainstream country music. I’ve never liked Luke Bryan or FGL or Jerrod Neiman, but McGraw and Aldean actually put out some pretty good music, along with their forgettable singles. It will be hard to forgive either one for putting out this trash. Even though “Meanwhile Back at Mama’s” is genuinely a good song, every time I hear it I think about “Lookin for that Girl” and “Truck Yeah” and feel sick.
July 22, 2014 @ 4:46 pm
As a swimmer, boning in a speedo isn’t quite as awkward as playing this song to my girlfriend in the hopes of getting laid… I think she would be as dry as the Sahara. And that says a lot, considering “like a wrecking ball” from the outsiders did the job thoroughly.
I encourage everyone to look at the live version on from a Cincinnati concert… It shows how weak his voice is without a computer.
July 22, 2014 @ 5:24 pm
this song is trashy, just like the new Kenny Chesney song. They are straight up nasty and have no decency. Country music has change the way rap has. At one time, rap used to tell a real story and actually have some meaning to the music. It turned into plastic computer made garbage about money, cars etc.. I have to listen to Chris Knight to get this garbage cleansed from my ears.
July 22, 2014 @ 5:33 pm
Your nuthin but a buncha haterz hatin on Jasun. Y’all jus jellus.
/Aldean fans
July 22, 2014 @ 5:35 pm
Is it just my eyes fooling me, or is “tried” spelled as “trid” in the lyric video?
Itz jus how wii speel!
July 22, 2014 @ 6:17 pm
Trigger –
You’re a better man than I. I couldn’t even get through the song. I give your review 5 guns way up.
Yeahcomeon.
Dukes
July 22, 2014 @ 6:18 pm
Okay, as a music critic who can tolerate plenty of stuff outside of country…
That synth tone is gross, and the guitar tones are worse. Flat, inert, the furthest thing from sexy, this song is sloppy and inert. Even the bass line is lumpy and sludgy – and that’s normally the part you expect sex songs to get right? What in the Nine Hells happened here?
I’m not a Jason Aldean fan by any stretch – and this song confirms that my opinion is in no danger of changing. Disgusting.
July 22, 2014 @ 6:21 pm
If substance really is making a return to radio then why is it that songs like “Follow Your Arrow”, “Keep It to Yourself”, “Merry Go Round” and “Like a Rose” all died on the FM radio vine?
July 22, 2014 @ 9:59 pm
It’s “making” a return, not “made”. I would say this is a working theory and nothing more, and that we are about 2 weeks into it. Let’s see what happens from here. And I thought “Merry Go ‘Round” actually performed quite well when you consider how long it stayed in the Top 20 in the charts. It’s the reason Kacey won all of those awards.
July 22, 2014 @ 6:35 pm
This made my day! Not only do I not find Aldean sexy but I find it creepy that he is singing this song being a father of 2 little girls and he is almost 40. I guess his “drunken mistake” that he’s now dating is making him feel young and sexy. Guess that’s why she calls him sugartits.
July 22, 2014 @ 6:40 pm
holy Jesus, two thumbs down? No two thumbs in ears.
July 22, 2014 @ 6:48 pm
It”™s disrespectful to his fans musically, and considering his recent life issues, it’s even more disrespectful to the mother of his children personally.
July 23, 2014 @ 3:22 pm
considering his recent life issues, it”™s even more disrespectful to the mother of his children personally
That is a very interesting take, and one not without merit, IMO. I really do wonder what Ms. Ussery thinks of this.
July 24, 2014 @ 11:28 am
Even more sad, if he”™s singing anything about “baby girls” right now, it should really be about the love he still has for his daughters, not about some naked tangled chick drinking Jack Daniels.
I really do hope the best for him and his family, but if this is any indication, give it a few years and he”™ll likely understand “Backside of Thirty” more than he could ever imagine.
July 24, 2014 @ 3:57 pm
This is true, but it’s not as if Aldean has any sense of self-awareness. 😀
August 12, 2014 @ 8:55 pm
When I first heard this song on the radio, I couldn”™t even listen to the whole thing because frankly I find it disgusting. I had no idea at the time that it was one of Aldean”™s songs; I’m a fan of a few of his songs (love Fly Over States).
Maybe I’m mistaken…but I think the release of this song could be intentional; he”™s rolling with the scandal and he plans to get everything out of it that he can. Also, it allows him to show off his new girlfriend. Unfortunately, this whole scandal seems to be making him more popular. The reaction to this song by his fans seems to prove it.
I really just do not understand the overall appeal of Aldean. I have watched a few of his interviews and he just has no personality, never seems to smile. I don”™t see the sex appeal. At least Luke Bryan is somewhat interesting to listen to during interviews and doesn”™t act like a jerk.
July 22, 2014 @ 6:52 pm
I wish Garth Brooks would come out of the gate with some songs like “Much too Young to feel this dam old”, “The Dance” etc..
I think he would pull the rug out from under these tools who have painted themselves into a corner with this bs.
They have gone so far out on the limb, it will be hard from them to come back when music changes.
July 22, 2014 @ 7:07 pm
I played the song for my 13 year old daughter who likes a lot of the mainstream country and about 45 seconds in she said “I bet Justin Beiber wrote that song.”
That’s my girl.
July 22, 2014 @ 7:18 pm
Close. It was Tyler Hubbard.
July 22, 2014 @ 7:16 pm
“We about to get a little tangled up right about now. So girl let’s keep burnin’ it down.”
“We’re just hangin around’
burnin it down
sippin on some cold Jack Daniels.”
Yeah, this one has the FGL stench on it. Would’ve known it was written by them had trigger not mentioned it.
July 22, 2014 @ 9:21 pm
Really? You could even pick them apart from the Peach Pickers? 😉
July 22, 2014 @ 7:18 pm
I wouldn’t mind if this song was hiding in the end tracks of his album as filler and supplementing fantasy thoughts for his “Aldean Army”….. but having it as your album titled song and first single!?! Not foreboding at all.
July 22, 2014 @ 7:19 pm
I am not an Aldean fan by any means but like many others said he has a few good album cuts. This song on the other hand, well, I only last about 5 seconds but I can’t stand it, I hate fake music like this. Country music needs instruments not sounds for instruments.
July 22, 2014 @ 7:49 pm
Well, listened to it performed a couple times. This may eclipse “1994” and “Dirt Road” for his worst song ever. The background sounds like something that a Brit band like Radiohead or Muse rejected. It bums me out because “Amarillo Sky” holds a special place in my heart. Every album there’s less and less songs to like. I give up on the Aldean.
July 22, 2014 @ 7:54 pm
Jason aldean sucks so bad and I guarantee hes a douche bag of the highest level in real life.
July 22, 2014 @ 7:56 pm
And just like that, FGL lost any points they got for Dirt.
God, this song is awful. I miss my local classic country station.
July 22, 2014 @ 9:05 pm
I made it to 31 seconds…..Big Kenny uses the EDM stuff better and he combines EDM with the usual instruments in Electro Shine.
July 22, 2014 @ 9:28 pm
Dumb Luck or Evil Genius
As much as everyone here likes to bag on FGL, let’s look at some things objectively.
Their stuff before the EDM/hick hop/country rap album that put them over the top was what I like to call Swamp Rock. And I kinda liked it. Not great, but fun.
I don’t know who to give credit to, the guys themselves, their management, a bolt of lightning, whatever, but they were on the leading edge of this whole thing. They unabashedly led the charge into remixes and bro-country douchebaggery. And it worked.
I know we can’t base an entire album on one advance single, but if form holds true, FGL is the first to jump the bro-country ship. leaving the Jason Aldean’s of the world to wallow in their chum.
I know it’s a sad commentary if mainstream country music is following in the wake of FGL, but there is more here than just coincidence. Whoever is behind the FGL machine is smart and ahead of the curve.
I could be waaaay off. But there’s too much there to be scoffed at.
July 22, 2014 @ 9:34 pm
I’ve never said this before but that song makes Luke Bryan look good.
July 22, 2014 @ 9:35 pm
Jason Aldean better stick to singing Neil Thrasher type songs and leave the bro country to the younger pups coming up
July 23, 2014 @ 7:30 am
I heard from a little birdie he has a lot of the same writers from his previous album, so there thought here is this song is a one off, “attention” grabber for the upcoming album.
Everyone is interested now, be it good or bad, and looking forward to what the rest of the album has to offer. Hopefully it’s back to his good stuff and he leaves the EDM to the donkey.
July 22, 2014 @ 11:02 pm
I never thought I’d hear Jason Aldean sing a song to his hand.
July 23, 2014 @ 2:31 am
I think in this case “Burnin’ It Down” is a euphemism for “jerkin’ it off.”
July 23, 2014 @ 4:41 am
Way to go Jason! Again he knocks it outta this world with his new single. The song is diffrent. Unique. Exactly what he stands for in country music. I love it. Absolutely love it. I’m sure all the other lonely for lonely women like me that get all lubed up with in anticipation of an intimate encounter with Clyde the battery-powered hammerer can agree on this. So we keep loving us some Jason Aldean and his music. Everything he puts out… We devour it! Fans like myself keep his career soaring and it’s not stopping anytime soon. He will continue to strive to give us something new and fresh to listen to… and whether the critics like it or not, the fans do. And that’s all that matter! By the way… People need to quit kicking that dead horse about his new lady… He was married. Had an affair. So what. Thousands of men do this everyday. Some are famous, some are not. He lives in the glow of the Nashville spotlight so every mistake will be magnified x10000″. Women love him & men want to be him. We don’t have to hold him accountable for his actions. He is a grown man. Trying to be happy in the spot light… and like we have all read on the cover of magazine’s and watched on tmz, all of the other busted Hollywood tartlets… It could have been so much worse. Busted with drugs or hookers… but he wasn’t. He is an all American country boy who’ll always have the love of hundreds of thousands of fans who will continue to support his skyrocketing career and his persuit of fresh country music <3
July 23, 2014 @ 10:04 am
‘Exactly what he stands for in country music.’
Hi Ashley . I totally respect your viewpoint .Your avid support of Jason Aldean above has me very curious , though . What is it about THIS song’s lyric or arrangement that says ‘country music ” to you ? The lyric ? The vibe ? The overt sexual references ? Is is something you could dance to ? Jason’s ” hunky ” look ? Are you a longtime country music fan ( I guess that’s a diplomatic way of me asking your approximate age ) or a recent convert ? Can you share with me a few other country artists you follow and enjoy ? I am really interested in what makes this song , and similar songs, so appealing to listeners . Thanks .
thanks …
July 23, 2014 @ 1:36 pm
Albert-
I have been a fan of country music since before I was old enough to turn the radio dial. I grew up on Alabama, Sammy Kershaw and Garth. My first concert was Mel Tillis at 6 months old.. I’ve been listening for 30 years. Granted I’m not a FGL fan. I can’t connect with their songs and although they are catchy, they just aren’t for me.
That being said, this song is sexy. Which is the whole reason Jason has such a huge female fan base. He has this sex appeal to him that can’t be duplicated. And he can work it without being sleezy and pushy. He’s the southern gentleman we all want. It’s a fantasy. In some crazy way we want him to call us baby girl and sing to us naked in the dark. Im mean cone on. Have you seen this guy? This song is going to be a huge milestone for him. And besides he should be getting a pat on the back for doing something different and acing it.
July 23, 2014 @ 2:07 pm
He has this sex appeal to him that can”™t be duplicated. And he can work it without being sleezy and pushy. He”™s the southern gentleman we all want. It”™s a fantasy. In some crazy way we want him to call us baby girl and sing to us naked in the dark.
Even disregarding that the whole “Southern gentleman” thing went right out the window with Aldean screwing around on his wife (unless the term gentleman has been redefined), this entire take seems to revolve around everything but Aldean’s actual music. Surely I can’t be the only one who thinks there’s something wrong with this.
And no, Aldean isn’t “doing something different.” He’s merely following the path of Jerrod Niemann and Tim McGraw. If he wanted to really do something different he’d be singing actual country music.
July 23, 2014 @ 6:28 pm
You’re exactly right. Arguing for the quality of an artist’s music primarily on the basis of attractiveness is weak sauce.
Also, I believe there is a difference between “sexual” and “sexy.” This song clearly fits the former description, but falls far short of the latter in my opinion.
July 23, 2014 @ 2:34 pm
I’m not really qualified to argue Jason Aldean’s sex appeal but I’ll say this: if Jason Aldean is a sexy southern gentleman, then I don’t want to be sexy… or a gentleman.
Kudos for sticking your neck out with an unpopular opinion though. You’re fighting an uphill battle here lol
July 23, 2014 @ 2:35 pm
“this entire take seems to revolve around everything but Aldean”™s actual music. ”
Ashley …I appreciate your honesty AND you’ve confirmed my suspicions about your ( and others’) positive reaction to the Jason Aldean song in question . As The Pistolero points out ( quote above ) …you make no mention of the lyric or the “sound” of the track , in terms of it being country , the melody or ANYTHING musical about the song . I suspect many, many country music fans today share your attraction to the appearance and image of the artist over and above the actual song and lyric . And that’s your prerogative , of course . Again , it helps answer a question for myself and other music fans/listeners . We often overlook the overall ‘entertainment’ aspect of a piece of a song ( the artist , the video , the sex appeal etc.. ) in terms of what is actually attracting a listener to it . In your response , the answer is clear . Thanks for your thoughts .
July 23, 2014 @ 10:53 am
“He was married. Had an affair. So what. Thousands of men do this everyday.”
So you’re saying it’s perfectly fine to have an affair? That’s a great way to get people to take your argument seriously. Plenty of people do it so it must be okay. That’s your reasoning. And that sounds like the same reasoning you’re using for liking his trashy music too. To each their own, but you sound like a sheep who will eat up any garbage the mainstream country music machine will spit out it’s ass. Kudos for your passion, however misguided I believe it to be.
July 23, 2014 @ 1:52 pm
Im not saying cheating on your husband/wife is ok… I’m saying it doesn’t effect me personally. I work in the hospitality industry and see people cheating all the time. It’s not my place to judge any of them. If someone can do that and not feel guilty, then whatever. They have to live with the repercussions of their actions. Not me. He is a musician. A business man. And a smart one. Striking while the iron is hot in his career with this single. Bashing his music is like bashing nickleback. Some love them, some hate them. In the end the haters don’t matter because the support of the fans will outshine it all. And yes, I will continue to eat up mainstream country. Love the classics, mainstream, bro-county 😉 I love almost all of it and will continue to support it.
July 23, 2014 @ 11:18 am
men want to be him
I only speak for myself, but I sure as hell don’t want to be Jason Aldean, for myriad reasons.
And no, the song isn’t unique. It would fit right in with everything else on your standard CHR station.
July 23, 2014 @ 11:32 am
This site is fucking called SAVING COUNTRY MUSIC, not we love shitty hack non-country douchebag singers.
July 23, 2014 @ 5:09 am
I’ve never been particularly impressed with Aldean’s work but this one REALLY sets my teeth on edge ….. and I only listened to about 20 seconds of it!!
July 23, 2014 @ 6:03 am
Jason aldean has hits and misses. this is one sucks.
July 23, 2014 @ 6:56 am
HEY, LAY OFF THE McRIB MAN!
July 23, 2014 @ 7:23 am
Song aside – what’s so atrocious about country anymore is that the labels are agreeing to release this kind of garbage. Nashville has so many talented songwriters who are innovative but firmly rooted in maintaining tradition. What do Michael Knox and Jason Aldean do – cut a song written by the two biggest douche bags in town! The verse melody is EXACTLY the same as Luke Bryan’s verse in the FGL song “this is how we roll.” Singles these days are clones of one another because it’s the same writers over and over and over and over again. And the labels are OK with it! Someone needs to take a stand, and fast!
July 23, 2014 @ 7:27 am
Don’t disagree with everything. Do disagree with this weird application of “EDM.” It seemed a bit forced on Drink to that All Night, but it’s COMPLETELY out of place here.
I could see calling the backing beat a “hip-hop” beat, but this obviously isn’t a legitimate EDM song you’d hear at Ultra or anything like that.
July 23, 2014 @ 8:26 am
How the hell is this country in any sense? No fiddle, no steel, just the name-drop of Alabama (bad enough by itself). Just miserable.
July 23, 2014 @ 9:39 am
There are some things you can’t un-hear. This song is one of them.
July 23, 2014 @ 10:48 am
-In all seriousness, Jason is a big fan of Florida Georgia Line, and they”™re touring together on Jason”™s Burn It Down tour all year long. Says Jason, “I love what they”™ve brought to the table over the last couple years. I think it”™s been a shot in the arm for country music, for sure.”-
http://967thecoyote.com/jason-aldean-wont-be-burnin-it-down-in-bed-with-florida-georgia-line/
A shot of heroin?
July 23, 2014 @ 12:08 pm
Even Keith Urban’s latest single has “EDM” or dance elements to it.. the overly produced drum sounds, the guitars heavily processed and effects-laden, playing rhythmic lines like those you would hear on the top end of a dance tune with synth sounds. Might even be a bit more reminiscent of these electro-inclined “indie” bands that have come out in the past few years, but the influence is there.
July 23, 2014 @ 12:53 pm
This phrase may get tossed around a lot, but I am dead serious.
This is the worst song I have ever heard in my life.
Zac Brown thought “That’s my kind of night” was the worst he had ever heard. I am willing to bet he would change his mind after listening to this lyrical atrocity. Seriously, do Florida-Georgia-Line have a 14 year old boy who is just entering puberty? Did he write this song?
July 23, 2014 @ 12:58 pm
white guy r&b with twang awful
July 23, 2014 @ 2:11 pm
Let’s not insult R&B by comparing it to this song.
Here’s an example of great R&B, magnitudes better than this song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fV8vB1BB2qc
July 23, 2014 @ 2:20 pm
Whoa now! While I agree that your choice is definitely better than this awful song I wouldn’t call Boyz II Men the best example of great R & B.
This is a better choice.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COilC3A0ROM
July 23, 2014 @ 2:27 pm
Not sure why that link won’t work try this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-M_0C_ID5w
July 23, 2014 @ 2:30 pm
Ok I give up! Al Green ‘Let’s Stay Together’ is a better example of great R & B.
July 23, 2014 @ 9:26 pm
The Al Green one is good.
Here’s another one of my favorites from the 70’s:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjN8huzS2Nc
July 23, 2014 @ 2:27 pm
The concept is not terrible, the execution is bad though.
Question: does anyone think of “burning it down” in a sexual context? I’ve never heard it used that way before, and struggle to think how the two are related. That’s my biggest complaint about this song actually.
July 23, 2014 @ 2:57 pm
Whenever I hear that phrase, I usually gather it means getting hammered/liquoring up.
Nickelback had a similarly titled rock hit (that has since become a staple at many sporting events) titled “Burn It To The Ground”, and that is unquestionably about drinking.
July 23, 2014 @ 3:23 pm
I think we should welcome comments from folks like Ashley above . It gives a lot of insight and makes sense of the success and popularity of these kinds of artists ( Aldean ..etc). The perception of “cool” can never be underestimated as a marketing aid . Mainstream pop music has always relied on the sexuality inherent in an artist’s image or double entendre in a lyric to successfully market an act . Look at the about-face The Band Perry showed after their first couple of singles . Their ‘handlers’ sexed-em up appearance -wise and released a pop song ( Done ) with pop choreography to go along with it . Trite lyric w/no substance coupled with a suddenly sexy- looking girl singer and voila- an expanding fan-base . It isn’t rocket science . Look at Elvis . Lyrics with almost NO substance in his initial offerings ( Hound Dog , All Shook Up , Don’t Be Cruel , Teddy Bear —Teddy Bear ?? wow . ) Combine that with his sex appeal and the man could have been singing Rolodex addresses ( Yes …Rolodex……Google it , kids ) Albeit …Elvis had an undeniably great set of vocal pipes as opposed to many country and pop acts today .
I mean …even guys like George Strait has had hits ad misses over the years -LOTS of misses , by his own admission ….but his appeal to the ladies ( and male country fans , of course ) is a HUGE part of his long term success . I think that the sex appeal and the ‘cool’ factor ..fashion , lifestyle etc.. has usurped the value and role of the song in ensuring any measure of success in the biz. More and more its a ‘finger-on-the-pulse’ business relying on image , hipness and , dare I say it , the gullability of a younger demographic who hold these as valuable and all-important ingredients in the artists they gravitate towards . The song , in many cases , just gives the artists something to do while being worshipped .
July 23, 2014 @ 4:47 pm
I don’t think it gives any insight to that concept so much as it merely confirms what we already know about the current state of affairs in not only country, but popular music in general. This isn’t new information by any stretch of the imagination, especially to readers of this site.
July 23, 2014 @ 4:36 pm
Butthead: You slip your finger through the tear in my underwear
Beavis: You stirrin’ up dirty in the back of my uhhh, other mind
Butthead: You keep on flirtin’
Beavis: Cause you know that it’s hurtin’
Butthead: We’re just reachin’ around, burnin’ country music down
Beavis: Whoa, hey baby, we’re like the future of country music songwriting
Butthead: Yeah baby heheheheheheh
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uK-4W7c0BgE
July 23, 2014 @ 6:07 pm
How in the F*** does Bob Dylan write a seven minute song such as “Like a Rolling Stone” or Willie Nelson write “Always On My Mind” by themselves and yet, it takes four freaking people to write crap like this? HOW?
July 23, 2014 @ 9:00 pm
Why does the sun go on shining?
Why does the sea rush to the shore?
Don’t they know it’s the end of the world
Cuz they don’t sing COUNTRY anymore?
July 24, 2014 @ 10:58 am
“Always on My Mind” was written by three men, none of whom were Willie, a decade before he recorded it.
July 24, 2014 @ 11:37 am
I feel ya Motown. I wonder the same thing. How can Jason Isbell write a song like ” elephant ” by himself but it takes 3-5 of these clowns to come up with this type garbage.
July 24, 2014 @ 7:55 am
I don’t hate Aldean like I do many of the clows like Neimann, FGL, others…but this song has changed that all by itself. Horrible lyrics, horrible sound and absolute d-bag message.
This is everything about FGL and bro-country that I hate neatly wrapped up in to a terrible song — from one of the biggest stars in “country”. Absolutely disheartening that shit is even considered by “country” radio.
July 24, 2014 @ 8:04 am
This is fantastic. There is no need to get upset at douche country like this. This is great humor and only supports the end is here.
You knew those FGL boys were behind this cause they are the bad asses that went beyond cold beer lyrics and mention whiskey in every song. I’m disappointed they didn’t stick with the Fireball though, come on boys, show some loyalty.
You know what this song really sounds like… sadly….something Tim McGraw would cut these days.
Never understood the draw to Aldean? To me, he is the A-Rod of country. Full of himself, and complete fraud. One good song…Amarillo Sky. That is it and the song was strong, nothing about his performance on it did anything.
July 24, 2014 @ 7:19 pm
How much would you like to bet the Coors Brewing Company will force Aldean to re-record the chorus and name-drop their brand as part of their sponsorship deal just as he did for “Take A Little Ride”? 😉
July 24, 2014 @ 7:10 pm
The full verdict (and thus, fate) on this song remains unknown surely………….but I have to say that the fact this remains #1 on the iTunes composite chart after nearly 72 hours is a worrisome sign that the buzz behind this song is too hot for radio programmers to deny.
I think how this performs in its second full week digitally will tell most the rest of the story. As we have since seen, “Dirt” is holding up impressively well in the middle of its third week now: never once leaving the Top Ten of the iTunes all-genre chart. “Dirt” was a front-loaded, fanboy/fangirl driven release that has turned out to sustain itself following the initial buzz.
In contrast, one might recall Aldean’s previous lead single, “Take A Little Ride” initially shooting straight up to #1 and retaining the top spot for about 48 hours………..but then declining significantly in subsequent days. It was catapulted to the top via the fanboy/fangirl effect, but had middling legs and despite a potent first full week of digital sales, is only certified Platinum to date.
If the second full week of “Burnin’ It Down” sales-wise mirrors the run of “Take A Little Ride” more than that of “Dirt”, then I think it will bolster the case among proponents expecting an intense burnout and abbreviated chart run. But, if it holds up much like “Dirt” is, then it’s going to be rather difficult at that point for radio programmers to deny the song’s success and appeal and will probably wave the white flag; regardless of what the first round of callout surveys report (Hunter Hayes has regularly registered intense negative callout in radio surveys including for his #1 hits “I Want Crazy” and “Somebody’s Heartbreak”, yet were quite likely immune to that effect because of the sales power).
July 24, 2014 @ 7:31 pm
I have one other question, and I’m surprised it didn’t come to me sooner.
Does anyone happen to know if Aldean’s longtime producer Michael Knox also produced this? Because I somehow get the impression Florida Georgia Line’s producer of choice, Joey Moi, has his fingerprints on this one with electronic elements that are reminiscent of “Dayum, Baby” and “Hands On You” from Florida Georgia Line’s debut full-length album.
July 25, 2014 @ 12:44 pm
I’m sure he did. In related news, Michael Knox is also producing Montgomery Gentry’s new album that’s going to be released later this year on Blaster Records. They have a preview up of their new single and from the first three seconds on my day just got a whole lot shittier. http://montgomerygentry.com/
Listen to this and see how far they’ve come since their debut:
“Tattoos & Scars”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOp5cAljnrA
They’ve officially gone bro-country and all-in at that. Despite “Titty’s Beer” I had held out hope that they weren’t going to succumb to any trends. In all fairness they’ve always been more country than a lot of their competition in the mainstream, which is probably why they’ve mostly resided on the fringes of it. This song, titled “Headlights” (ugh), isn’t terrible and is still miles ahead of the Aldeans and Niemanns of the country music scene, but it’s obvious that they’re making a play for sales. Notice the hip hop beat and laundry list party lyrics. I’m a big MG fan and this song made me want to jump off of a bridge, even if it’s not necessarily rant-worthy (though Trigger will ultimately decide that). Sometimes I regret becoming a reader of Saving Country Music; it’s really opened my eyes to the shallowness of the mainstream. I could probably enjoy this song in my bubble of ignorance if I weren’t a regular reader 😛 .
Also, Trigger I’m putting this on your radar before anyone else, I hope. It was just announced on their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/montgomerygentry) and is slated to drop on September 2nd. Just so you know, if you rip this one apart you won’t get any argument from me.
July 25, 2014 @ 1:13 pm
I posted a two sentence complaint about the song that was free of vulgarity and overt criticism on their Facebook page. A few minutes later it was removed so I posted another. Most disconcerting.
July 25, 2014 @ 1:17 pm
My follow-up comment was removed as well. Has this been happening on Jason Aldean’s page?
July 25, 2014 @ 1:24 pm
AANNDD just got blocked from commenting on their page. Great.
July 25, 2014 @ 2:05 pm
Such a troublemaker Acca Dacca! 🙂
Lame if they will not accept criticism in an open forum.
July 25, 2014 @ 2:14 pm
Ha! I know I’m a bit of a fanatic but good grief, all I said was that I didn’t like the song and asked where the steel guitars and fiddles were (that, for the record, used to be in all of their songs). I then name-dropped some of their other, more substantive COUNTRY songs and asked what happened to that era of their music. Then, I was blocked. I even had someone agree with me and my comments were removed! My comments are still present on the soundcloud upload of the song, so I guess that’s something. I wrote a little explanation and tagged MG’s page in it on my Facebook. I also hashtagged SCM’s page, so I assume you’ll be able to see it.
Oh, well. This is just another sign of what you’ve been saying is wrong with the industry, I suppose. I’d like to raise a stink on the issue but they’d just claim I was “trolling” or something. The MG Facebook page is supposedly managed by Eddie and Troy themselves as well as various others. I bet it was some record executive that blocked me. All of the other comments were positive and mine wasn’t overtly offensive, so call me naive but I don’t see either of the two guys being the ones to take me offline. But then again, I don’t know them. A depressing end to a crappy week for me.
July 25, 2014 @ 11:41 pm
Were you able to see if it was Troy Gentry who “Liked” your comment before it was removed? 😉
July 31, 2014 @ 11:02 pm
https://music.yahoo.com/blogs/our-country/hear-it-first–montgomery-gentry-premiere-new-single—headlights-145924067.html
New single in its awful entirety. Again, maybe not ripe for a rant since it’s just par-for-the-course with this type of party country garbage. The thing that really killed me was that Troy Gentry said that the song “took them back to their roots” and “was one of the best songs from the album.” GREAT. Not only does T-roy apparently not understand his own music but the rest of the album has a 50-50 chance of being the same amount of mediocre or worse.
August 4, 2014 @ 10:03 pm
I just heard “Headlights” in its entirety and………….yeah………….yeah…………..that was lame! =P
But hey: at the very least, “Headlights” wasn’t an euphemism for…………………yanno! =P
July 25, 2014 @ 6:50 pm
On the job site today , one of the boys had our local ‘country’ station dialed in . They played the Kruise Kids ” Dirt ” , then Kenny Chesney’s new song back to back . The guy that had dialed in the station said ” if I had this on at home the wife would leave the room ” . Another responded ” Sounds like they’ve finally run out of ideas ” . Glad I won’t be around when his wife hears Aldean’s new one .
Being a fly on the wall is often very enlightening .
July 26, 2014 @ 12:03 am
This single has now been at #1 for about 96 hours straight, and yesterday the popularity bars on iTunes suggested it had double the sales of the #2 single at that point in time.
This will most certainly be #1 on the mongrel Billboard Hot Country Songs chart next week. (
*
What remains to be seen, though, is if garnering a #1 placement on the mongrel chart offers a respective radio single of this format bargaining power; almost some sort of immunity from negative reviews and callout research.
I know many have been comparing “Burnin’ It Down” to Tim McGraw’s “Lookin’ For That Girl”, including myself, and I initially argued how Aldean’s team failed to learn the lessons from Tim McGraw’s lead single implosion and were likely setting him up for a jarring pothole. Yet, unlike this release, McGraw never had the benefit of front-loaded sales power and “Lookin’ For That Girl” had mediocre sales from the start. It peaked below the Top Ten on the mongrel chart.
And, when studying the Hot Country Songs chart since it was revamped in mid-October 2012 to also factor in digital sales, streaming and, most infamously, crossover airplay outside country radio…………there has only been ONE mongrel chart #1 hit that failed to also top either the Billboard Country Airplay chart and/or the Mediabase country airplay chart. And that was “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”…………but that was only because, despite having already plunged off the Country airplay chart before the changes came into effect, the single had picked up massive airplay on Mainstream Top 40 and Adult Top 40 radio.
Time will tell if recent mongrel chart #1 “Somethin’ Bad” will continue this steak, but if this trend of mongrel chart #1 hits also translating to country airplay #1 hits persists, there’s no stopping “Burnin’ It Down”.
July 26, 2014 @ 12:07 am
UPDATE: I Stand Correcting Myself.
“This Is How We Roll”, in actuality, was a mongrel chart #1 hit that peaked at #2 on both the Billboard and Mediabase country airplay charts (due to Luke Bryan’s “Play It Again” blocking it from the summit).
July 27, 2014 @ 6:52 pm
TBH in my opinion “Burnin’ it Down” is awesome and I heard it today and I liked it but I’m saying this because I was born in 1994 and yes I love the old generation too but modern country is good too because heres the people I look up to
List of influences:
Taylor Swift
Brooks & Dunn
Alan Jackson
Florida Georgia Line
Kenny Chesney
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Brad Paisley
Kellie Pickler
Sugarland
Garth Brooks
Carrie Underwood
Rascal Flatts
Jason Aldean
Miranda Lambert
Easton Corbin
Luke Bryan
Martina McBride
Zac Brown Band
Dierks Benty
Sara Beth Swagerty
Joey + Rory
George Strait
Julianne Hough
Alabama
Cledus T. Judd
Jennette McCurdy
The Pistol Annies
Toby Keith
Dolly Parton
Dixie Chicks
all of them are good too but the one singer I hate is Blake Shelton because I hold jealousy against him and yes I like some of his song
July 31, 2014 @ 9:42 am
SURELY THIS IS A SIGN OF THE APOCALYPSE
http://www1.billboard.biz/bbbiz/photos/pdf/2013/BCU_mw_0731.pdf
August 1, 2014 @ 8:53 am
That was the most boring and pointless piece of dribble I have ever heard in my life. I want my 3 1/2 minutes back.
August 1, 2014 @ 11:05 pm
When I first heard this song, it reminded me of Lookin’ for That Girl by Tim McGraw. I looked it up and they both have a writing credit in common. Chris Tompkins is credited with co-writing both songs. I guess he’s not too good at it. 🙂
August 2, 2014 @ 10:43 pm
When Aldean gave us “Dirt Road Anthem”, it was a fresh presentation of lyrical authenticity, with an influence of rap culture that made sense to a generation of 20 somethings who were living the song in real life.
But this latest “Burnin It Down” mess, is just plain embarrassing. Overproduced, unoriginal and completely out of touch with the fans that he is so desperately trying to impress. Sounds like a cheap RKelly knockoff, and that’s being kind. There is nothing original or raw about it, lyrically or otherwise. Just another attempt at crossing the charts, but I doubt even the top 40 will play this mess.
August 5, 2014 @ 2:56 pm
I knew someone had to hate this song as much as I do. Such a disappointment from JA. I tolderated his hickhop on a couple of his other songs because the rest of the songs on the albums were good. This is about as far from Fly Over States and Grown Woman as it gets. Unless I hear an about-face on the song after this one, I won’t be adding this to my JA collection. It’s total crap. And a previous comment was dead on about Tim McGraw’s techno “That Girl” or whatever that song was called–garbage. Then “Meanwhile back at Mama’s” comes out and suddenly Tim’s back. Thank God. I sure hope the tide is turning around. I can’t take many more repeats of the same talentless, copy-cat songwriting and poor production that we’ve been subjected to in the last few years. Luke Bryan was really good in the beginning..now I find myself getting embarrassed for him at times. Sad days, folks.
August 6, 2014 @ 7:28 pm
If you are really interested in saving country music then why all the scathing reviews of the newer more progressive country music artists? I can remember back in the late 80’s country music was in kind of a rut bc it hadn’t changed its sound/format since the early seventies. It had a resurgence in the 90’s mostly bc Garth Brooks made it popular with the mainstream public but it also modernized it sound more for the times. Those artists that enjoyed and participated in that included the likes of Alan Jackson. At the time all the old timers were claiming the same things some of you are claiming now that those artists were killing country music when in fact they were keeping it alive and viable. All genres of music progress and change through the years. Its a necessity if you want that music to survive. In rock music you can moan and cry all day long for the days of Led Zeppelin but those days are gone. Those great albums are always there to go back and enjoy whenever you want but rock keeps moving forward along with country and all the other genres. We all love the more traditional country and its always there when you want to immerse yourself in it. Thank God for artists that carry country music into new territories bc its healthy and necessary for it to survive and not be relegated to the dust bin. Im not saying you have to necessarily like all the newer stuff coming out of Nashville but give credit where it is due and Jason Aldean and other country artists like him are bringing country to a broad audience which is the only way music survives. Btw, the writer of this article, if he is worth his salt as a writer, knows he took a cheap shot by commenting on Mr. Aldean’s personal life as if it has any bearing on the merits or worthiness of the song. Shame on you. Support country artists. It’s a damn good thing that a kid from the country with a guitar and a dream can still become one of the biggest stars on the planet.
August 6, 2014 @ 7:43 pm
All genres of music progress and change through the years. Its a necessity if you want that music to survive. In rock music you can moan and cry all day long for the days of Led Zeppelin but those days are gone.
And so is rock music. The reason? Because it didn’t grow sustainably. It simply relied on money as the metric of success.
You can search this entire website and you will not find anywhere where I say country music shouldn’t progress or change. In fact you will find many occasions where I advocate for the advancement of country music. But this song from Jason Aldean? This isn’t evolution, it’s devolution.
August 7, 2014 @ 4:18 pm
I get what you’re saying about the way we talk about “change” like oldtimers lamenting the days of old… But, I have to disagree when it comes to a reference to Alan Jackson. Alan, along with Randy Travis, Clint Black, George Strait and the like were considered the “New Traditionalists” in country music at that time…refreshing a real country sound that had started to disappear with country-lite acts like Ronnie Milsap, Kenny Rogers and Barbara Mandrell. I went to Aldean’s concert last year because I do like 90% of what he’d been putting out. The rock edge is a great territory to explore with country when it’s done with quality and talent. I can only imagine how much Jason’s band is going to detest playing “Burnin’ it Down” in concert. It’s just awful. Keep the pen and paper away from FGL and Cole Swindell. Please.
August 9, 2014 @ 1:30 pm
I became a fan when I heard “The Truth.” I thought that, finally, someone was going to bring some good ol’ sad-as-hell country music back to the radio. I was disappointed with some of Aldean’s other songs, and realized why I had never listened, because I didn’t like his songs that had been previously been played in the radio.
I was pretty sad when the nightclub incident was brought to light–Aldean lost this fan when he became a hypocrit and cheated on his wife.
I hadn’t heard this “song” (more like a series of bad pick-up lines set to a melody), until this week. I turned it almost immediately, because it made my stomach turn to hear the rifts and beats going in in the background. Today, I heard it again and TRIED to give it a chance, but when he started singing about being nekkid in his bed, I just about lost my lunch. I reckon he’s missing something, even though he could have a different groupie every night if he wanted.
I had to see what others thought about it, and have had the best laugh from this review! I wish Aldean would learn his lesson and leave crap like this alone.
Then I come home from work and my husband tells me, “I like that new Jason Aldean song!” *eyes roll, turn around and cook supper*
August 16, 2014 @ 3:59 am
So the fact it’s #1 right now? And that’s fan downloads on iTunes. (Dirt is #2 btw). 😉
September 3, 2014 @ 7:01 am
This song is a joke! horrible. Probably took 2 minutes to write. what happened to country– screw mainstream.
September 12, 2014 @ 12:18 pm
Country music has gone off the rails. It appears that most artists out now have suffered the same sickness as the 80’s “hair metal” bands. Excess and success. And it will all come crashing down as it did when Nirvana came along. There is an artist out there somewhere who will turn country music inside out and get it back to what it should be about. The music.
January 5, 2015 @ 2:44 pm
Hopefully there’s some Appalachian dude out there that’s never heard of autotune and never touched a drum machine but was born with a guitar or fiddle in their hand…
April 8, 2015 @ 6:30 pm
Guns N Roses was the first.
September 21, 2014 @ 7:11 pm
Someone please help.me.figure.out where the beat of this Burnin it down.song is from. I remember a hip hop/rap group that had a song or an intro.to a.song that has this beat. Please please please help. Its driving me insane.
September 21, 2014 @ 8:41 pm
I remember hearing this for the first time at work. I swear I thought someone changed the radio to an R&B station or something.
November 2, 2014 @ 1:56 pm
I like some of Jason’s other songs, but this song is terrible. Like really. Not only does it sound like it belongs on a rap/pop station, but the lyrics are gross. “Naked in my bed”? Country music is so bi-polar, most of the singers will sing about God and Jesus and then turn around and sing about junk like this; sex and getting drunk. Go ahead and call me a hater or whatever…but it’s true…
November 16, 2014 @ 11:44 am
All I know is his performance at Homestead Raceway in Florida was putrid… Lost all interest in the guy… An absolute rock and roll wannabe with no interest or fandom in country music..
November 17, 2014 @ 2:50 pm
I have been a country fan forever, and this song stinks. I don’t care how long it was #1…clearly, the radio stations play this crap over and over again…..how many fans actually make the decision to make this “attempt at ghetto country” #1? I wonder if we all ban together and start calling the radio stations and request that they do not play it if it will go away?
Second, being a mom, how many of you find this type of music inappropriate for public radio? Aldean’s 11 year old daughter is #burningitdown!!! Oh wait, is it me or is there a real problem with how Country Singers represent themselves and their families….then put garbage like this out. It has been my understanding that Aldean’s daughters are being raised with Christian values, much like the famous Robertson family (whom Aldean is affiliated with and noted to be long time friends with) so let’s expose them and the other children to this explicit trash.
Country Radio “QUIT PLAYING THIS GARBAGE”
January 5, 2015 @ 2:34 pm
This hardly counts as EDM because it’s just way too dull to be anything dance-able, even Jason Aldean sounds completely bored while singing this. Even as an outsider I feel sorry for country music fans for being subjected to this, heck I feel sorry for Jack Daniels even though they’re likely making a buck or two.
The song kind of kills everything really, it’s that depressing!