The Worst New “Country” Songs of 2026 So Far

Even as country music continues to improve from the lowest of the lows during Bro-Country, there also continues to be some outright terrible “country” songs being released that offer a strong counter-argument to country music’s continuing improvement. We’ve already run down some of the Best Country Songs of 2026 So Far. Now let’s break all decorum, and let the worst “country” songs (in quotes) hear about it.
Luke Bryan – “Fish Hunt Golf Drink”
It would be celebrated as benevolent charity, and welcomed as a divine validation of the awesome presence of the Almighty if a hantavirus-infected rodent crawled up the keister of this incessantly embarrassing country music goober, and started gnawing away until it keeled him over, forever silencing his completely embarrassing, expendable, and culturally disastrous redneck shitracket.
In a slavish and naked attempt to stay relevant, Luke Bryan has released a song so spectacularly tooled and refined for optimum resonance in 2016, it’s outright eerie. Did Bryan take a blow to the noggin and somehow completely memory hole the last decade? Does the truly think that list-tastic Bro-Country swill is still all the rage, or ripe for resurrection? What in the Florida Georgia Line is he thinking by unleashing this atrocious pablum?
Luke Bryan almost never writes his own songs, because of course he sucks at it. But for some godforsaken reason, he decides to take a stab at it here, yet inadvertently bullseyes his own jugular, bleeding out whatever final modicum of popular relevance he might have been clinging to. (read full rant)
Lee Brice – “Country Nowadays”
Hey thanks Lee Brice for making all of country music, and all country music fans look like regressive cousin f-ckers, you horse’s ass. And an a pox on your house for attempting to revive the absolute most terrible excesses and sins of the Bro-Country era with your egregiously bad listing off of American country iconography, groveling to the very lowest level of low-brow denominators.
Nobody’s trying to tell you that you can’t mow your damn lawn or wear boots, or go fishing or whatever the hell else you say in this stupid song—you middle-aged, dork-ass, washed-up third-tier country entertainer hoping to springboard yourself back to relevancy by angling for “cancellation.” I thought victim casting was the domain of the left? You’re really trying to tell me you’re having a tough time of it, Lee Brice? Why, because you defaulted on your yacht loan because you haven’t had a hit in six years? Quit being such a pussy. (read full rant)
Russell Dickerson – “Boots” feat. Fetty Wap
If you’ve ever found yourself pondering what sound a possum might make when it’s being anally penetrated by something sharp and rusty against its will in a violent manner unlawful in certain states, then just listen to the excruciating, extremely Auto-Tuned signals from Russell Dickerson and Fetty Wap emanating from their single “Boots” without any ear protection, if you dare. This song must truly be a replication of the type of eternal audio torture one is sentenced to experience in the very innermost depths of Hell reserved for the most violent and perverted of all offenders.
Russell Dickerson has always been a spare, also-ran of the mainstream circuit flexing like he’s a superstar while he can barley fill Billy Bob’s Texas in Fort Worth at 60% capacity. I’m sure his label is licking it’s chops that this terrible Fetty Wap collab will be Dickie’s meal ticket to the big time, and vie for the “Song of the Summer.” But if the song’s blood-curdling screeches are any indication, this thing deserves a mercy killing out back behind the barn.
Breland – “In My Truck”
The only thing exceptional about Breland is how this wormy-looking nerd still has even the semblance of a career. The Country Music Urkel has never held any real country music cachet. The only thing that passes for a “hit” from him that didn’t feature him piggy backing off the popularity of someone else was his song “My Truck” from 2020. So now he releases a song called “In My Truck,” and inexplicably, figures out how to do himself one worse. And just like the video for “My Truck” that cast Breland rapping in front of three parked semis, so does “In My Truck.”
Behold these lyrics ladies and gentlemen:
Go, shawty, it’s your birthday
We gon’ party like it’s your birthday
Sippin’ whiskey like it’s your birthday
And you know we don’t give a damn if it’s your birthday
Real deep there Breland. And just when you think the entire experience couldn’t be any more unoriginal and shit-tasitc, someone drops the knowledge on you that “In My Truck” is simply an interpolation of the 50 Cent’s hit “In Da Club” from 2003. It’s hard to fathom a better illustration of the enshitification of American society. And it’s all due to how the industry and media has propped him up.
When this song was first released, it was graced by a complete slobber job by Rolling Stone that tried to preordain it as 2026’s “Song of the Summer. “‘In My Truck’ has all the hallmarks of a summer country hit: tight jeans, country boys, rhyming the word ‘truck’ with ‘mud.'” Does that rag have any more credibility left? Luckily, their pontifications couldn’t be any more incorrect. “In My Truck” has virtually flopped as it should, because it’s no longer 2020 and the media and industry can no long shove songs down our throats.
Lee Brice – “What You Know About That”
Remember when we used to regard Lee Brice as one of the good ones back when he had us all tearing up with “I Drive Your Truck”? Now he’s tractor rapping about chicks with tan legs at the age of 47. Who needs the return of Florida Georgia Line when Lee Brice is out there bloodying his knees bowing at the alter of Bro-Country and figuratively performing fellatio on the subgenre’s patron saints?
Lee Brice has sold out so hard and abruptly with his latest project that you herniate six discs in your back simply witnessing it. The only thing worse than selling out so hard you’re entire career becomes a laughing stock to anyone with any sort of taste is when you’re still horrifically unsuccessful afterwards.
Even with all the hate listening, the national spotlight that was shined on “Country Nowadays” when it was part of the whole Kid Rock Super Bowl alternative halftime, it still hasn’t cracked a million spins on Spotify. Neither has “What You Know About That.” This is probably the reason Brice’s latest album was bumped from a June release to October, though now they’re promising the release will come with the deluxe edition automatically featuring 32 tracks. This asshole now thinks he’s Morgan Wallen. 32 tracks of this nonsense?
Dishonorable Mention:
Caldwell – “FSU” (too insignificant to inadvertently give attention by shitting on)
Marshmello, Kelsea Ballerini – “Another Drink”
Chris Young, Breland – “If You’re Lucky”
Brantley Gilbert – “Good Ol’ Boys”
Any of the supposed “country” songs from Ne-Yo.
Any song off of Graham Barham’s Club Country.
Any song off of Independence Day from Bryan Andrews.
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July 6, 2026 @ 11:29 am
You forgot LOCASH
July 6, 2026 @ 11:38 am
I try to forget Locash for my sanity.
July 6, 2026 @ 11:46 am
Trig, I have to ask a serious question: How do you really feel?
ROFLMAO 😂🤣😂🤣👍👍👍
July 6, 2026 @ 11:51 am
Will you be reviewing Racist Dogwhistle’s new album?
July 6, 2026 @ 12:39 pm
I think, unfortunately, you’ll have to be more specific.
July 6, 2026 @ 11:53 am
Friendly reminder that Lee Brice was a walk-on Long Snapper at Clemson.
Now Google “Football and CTE”.
That might explain the songs above.
Or the dude is just broke and desperately seeking relevance when radio has moved on.
Little of Column A, little of Column B I’m guessing…
July 6, 2026 @ 12:23 pm
Everything since his self-titled album, which was honestly phenomenal and far and away the best of his career, has been so disappointing.
July 6, 2026 @ 12:46 pm
Rumor was good, as was his duet with Carly Pearce, I Hope You’re Happy Now. But yes, he’s been wasting his considerable talent on garbage for years now. You’d think that his lack of chart success with his later material might make him reconsider, but no, like Chris Young, he seems a lost cause.
July 6, 2026 @ 11:59 am
Never heard of any of these women
July 6, 2026 @ 12:02 pm
For the life of me, I will never have the capacity to understand Luke Bryan’s appeal to any demographic whatsoever.
July 6, 2026 @ 12:12 pm
The trajectory of both Lee Brice and Chris Young makes me really sad.
Lee was never my favorite artist, but I did quite enjoy “She Ain’t Right”, “I Drive Your Truck”, “I Don’t Dance”, and “Rumor”. I couldn’t make it the entire way through both of his entries on this list…even if I did find the “I just wanna kiss my fish” TikTok edits funny. And for his other entry…what in the 2013 bro-country hell was that?
As for Chris Young… that one actually makes me really sad, because there’s no way that this is the same guy who made “Neon”, “Voices”, “Tomorrow”, “Gettin’ You Home”, “I Can Take it From Here”, “Drinkin’ Me Lonely”, “You”, “The Man I Wanna Be”, “You’re Gonna Love Me”, “When She’s On”, “Who I Am With You”, “I Know a Guy”, “Where I Go When I Drink” and “Old Love Feels New”. Those are all classics, and can all be considered good-to-excellent mainstream country songs. Almost seems like his career has become a shell of itself. Sad.
July 6, 2026 @ 12:25 pm
“Tomorrow” was Chris Young’s last great song, Neon his last great album. It’s really sad how far he fell and sold out.
Even Dustin Lynch had some good early music. The debut single and “Hurricane” stood out back then.
July 6, 2026 @ 12:38 pm
I had never heard this Luke Bryan song before, so I watched about 15 seconds of the music video. Yes, the song is bad, but the video is also laughably cringe.
I can’t believe this was greenlit by a major record label.
July 6, 2026 @ 12:43 pm
Okay yeah glad to see the mention at the bottom of the Graham barham shit. That song Dixie chicks is the worst thing I have ever heard. Probably not big enough to be worth giving attention to but it’s beyond atrocious.
Also like I have family who grew up with Lee Brice so always liked him. Sad how hard he’s fighting against falling off in the worst ways
July 6, 2026 @ 12:47 pm
Trigger calling Lee Brice (who I couldn’t name one song to save my life) a “horse’s ass” just made my day. That term I haven’t heard in a long while and the world is full of them, I’m glad to see it being used when necessary.
July 6, 2026 @ 12:54 pm
I think these songs–and many others that aren’t much better–are also a big part of why mainstream “country” radio continues to lose listeners.
July 6, 2026 @ 1:03 pm
Trig,
Tell us what you really think, brother.
Stop holding back.
July 6, 2026 @ 1:20 pm
There are a few songs on there that could be considered kind of country, but the rap ones have NOTHING to do with country music. It is so incredibly challenging to think that this is what America is calling country music. That shorty birthday thing – that in no way has anything to do with country. It is 2pac stuff more than anything. So gross
July 6, 2026 @ 1:26 pm
“What in the Florida Georgia Line is he thinking by unleashing this atrocious pablum?”
He’s casting a Florida Georgia line
To get Trigger all shook
“Fish, hunt, golf, drink” as bait will do just fine
To be able to set the hook
Side note 1: Thanks for using the word “pablum” which I was unfamiliar with.
Side note 2: I was a bit disappointed with Vincent Neil Emerson’s new album (except for “Louisiana Wind”, and maybe “The Great Highway”), which also featured a fishing song and a video where he can be seen fishing on a dock. Much better than Luke Bryan’s song, but still disappointing for me due to the lyrics. I think the topic of fishing maybe just isn’t the best topic for songwriting…
July 6, 2026 @ 1:41 pm
I don’t think “Country Nowadays” is anywhere near as bad as some people say it is. I understand why the leftist loons were offended by it, but then they’re offended by everything and anything. I know it galls the left when people on the right sing about Jesus and being patriotic; these things are offensive to the woke and the perpetually offended, but the song is better than most stuff that comes out of Nashville.