Mason Ramsey (Yes, the Walmart Yodel Boy) Is Back with “Blue Over You”
Yes, the Walmart yodel boy. He’s back, though he never really left. But he’s back doing music that’s inspired by the Golden Era of country, at least for a song. And it’s a good one.
It’s nearly impossible to gauge the long-term prospects of a young singing prodigy, because puberty has the ultimate say so on what they will eventually develop into. For Mason Ramsey, he could have fared worse. He’s still only 17 though, so much is still yet to be determined.
You go back and listen to his early tracks, and Mason sounds like a chipmunk. That’s not his fault. After he became an incredibly unlikely viral sensation singing “Lovesick Blues” by Hank Williams in 2018, the industry got a hold of him and did their worst. He was signed to Big Loud Records, paired with Joey Moi of Florida Georgia Line fame, and was singing terrible tracks co-written by Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley within months.
But you kind of knew none of that would really matter in the long run. They were just trying to exploit the moment commercially. The kid was 11 years old at the time. His balls needed to drop, and he needed to have his heart broken. A broken heart is what has given rise to “Blue Over You” that Ramsey co-wrote with his producer Dan Fernandez.
“Blue Over You” isn’t the first taste of music from Mason Ramsey recently. He released another single called “Here All Day” earlier this year, and a five-song EP in October of 2023 called Falls Into Place. Generally speaking, these offerings fall into the rather formulaic approach of mainstream country songwriting and production, with perhaps some slight favoritism shown to more traditional sounds with steel guitar present in the mix.
But “Blue Over You” is where that old soul of a young man raised by his grandparents on traditional country comes forth once again, with a bit of an Elvis/Sun Records influence as well. Compared to all the other tracks Ramsey has released over the last year, and since his voice has matured, “Blue Over You” is by far and away the most popular. Because of course it is. This is what we want from Mason Ramsey. We want old school sounds, not some tired attempt at a radio single that’s unlikely to take off anyway.
Mason Ramsey was before his time singing “Lovesick Blues,” becoming more of a meme than anything. But that whole phenomenon was also a strong precursor to the traditional country resurgence country music is experiencing as we speak. It was like a premonition when a young kid singing at a Walmart awakened an elemental craving in music fans that was going underserved by the current regime in country.
But that was 2018, and this is 2024. You don’t need to curry favor with radio to create a career. You simply need to craft a good song, and the audience will find it.
If there is any issue with “Blue Over You,” it’s that the music forgoes the steel guitar, which the track is begging for. Nonetheless, the song is going viral. Not “Lovesick Blues” in Walmart viral, but viral like a good song that touches a nerve should.
You can tell with the recent rash of singles and the EP from Mason Ramsey, his camp is probing to see what will ultimately stick for him and his long-term prospects moving forward. They struck gold with “Blue Over You,” and hopefully take the hint that this is what the public has wanted from the Walmart yodel boy the whole time.
Suburban Cowboy
March 5, 2024 @ 10:26 am
Walmart Yodel Boy would be a great name for his album.
Chris A Gilmore
March 5, 2024 @ 11:24 am
I’m shocked. This is actually good.
DS
March 5, 2024 @ 11:48 am
Strong Stephen Sanchez vibes, which is not a bad thing
MichaelA
March 5, 2024 @ 11:52 am
Reminds me of Jamie O’Hara’s Come Swim the Rivers.
A pleasant surprise.
RyanPD
March 5, 2024 @ 2:36 pm
Fits right in with the likes of Logan Ledger, Alex Miller, Drake Milligan, Jason James and Zephaniah OHora. Very impressed. The resurgence is in good hands.
who
March 5, 2024 @ 4:38 pm
Thought this was a country site?
JoseyWales
March 7, 2024 @ 4:06 am
Thought you’d listen to the song before commenting.
who
March 7, 2024 @ 12:08 pm
I did definitely not country and posters agree
Conrad Fisher
March 5, 2024 @ 6:03 pm
I dig this.
Bob Marshall
March 5, 2024 @ 6:32 pm
I’m getting Sonny James/Bobby Vinton/Ricky Nelson vibes from this song. Not really country, but no need to force twang to make good music. I like the throwback sound.
Charles
March 5, 2024 @ 8:41 pm
Did not sound country; more like old era pop. I did not like the song.
Daniele
March 6, 2024 @ 12:19 am
it sounds very Countrypolitan 60’s to me , not bad at all though.
And is it a Theremin at 1:22? Shocked!!
RJ
March 6, 2024 @ 5:41 am
The arrangement is a big miss for me. Way less reverb, some pedal steel, and less backup vocals and this could be a great country tune.
Paul Kagourtine
March 6, 2024 @ 7:47 am
I like it, but I don’t think it would be accurate to say I “love” it.
allcanadianamericanboybrady
March 6, 2024 @ 6:59 pm
Welcome back,Mason.Hope you have a GREAT career !!!!!!! (So THAT’S why I didn’t become a Country artist;I didn’t get my heart broken . [Actually,I did,by the usually cruddy Detroit sports teams since I began following them as a five-year-old in 1958.])
Ronnie Van Zant
March 7, 2024 @ 12:03 am
I hear some Willie Nelson in him. Interested to see how he develops
Corncaster
March 7, 2024 @ 12:19 pm
This is great.
Put this kid in RCA studios with a live band. Ask The Lemon Twigs to produce and get Willie Nelson and others to write.
Jack Young
March 8, 2024 @ 7:11 am
Stumbled upon this song on Instagram and it stopped me in my tracks. I was like “wait what the hell….that’s actually…really good?”
Hope he keeps it up!
allcanadianamericanboybrady
March 9, 2024 @ 1:53 pm
If this kid has some Willie in him,he should work out fine unless he falls victim to substance abuse,too many trysts or producers who try to change him to fit the trend of the moment.
Holly
April 23, 2024 @ 7:11 pm
I only discovered Mason last summer, but ever since then, the more that I learn about him and the more that I listen to him, the more that I am certain that this planet doesn’t deserve such riches. Mason couldn’t be more of a complete and total masterpiece of a young man.
God bless him always!!!
Holly in east TN (a girl who met him a month ago)