UMG Recordings
Release Date: March 26th 2020
Reviewed by: Joshua Andre
Maddie & Tae– Woman You Got (Single) (Amazon mp3/iTunes)
Track Listing:
- Woman You Got
Prior to this year, I think I wasn’t that open to much country artists (aside from Carrie Underwood!), but this year I’ve bene much more receptive to and captivated by the genre, as 8 or the 9 artists I’ve blogged about so far that are classified as ‘country’ are artists I’ve written about in 2020. By watching Grady Smith’s youtube channel of country reviews, I’ve become much more open to this genre, and all in all, I’ve found that I love listening to authentic country music that tells a story. Maddie & Tae have been one of the surprise artists this year to engage with and resonate with me, and one such country artist that has thoroughly delivered above and beyond anything I could even envision a country artist recording and showing to the world. Maddison Font and Taylor Kerr are songwriters and vocalists in their own right- and when you read my review of The Way It Feels, as well as my blog about them; I’m sure you’ll agree that these guys will be the talk on everyone’s lips in the many months and years to come. With their hit songs “Die From A Broken Heart” and “Girl In A Country Song” each achieving stratospheric success (within the country music scene at least!); the girls were on their way to tour their second album this year… and that’s when the pandemic hit. Like all musicians, Maddie and Tae recalibrated and re-evaluated… and thus the Christmas EP We Need Christmas was born. Fast forward to now, and still with no end in sight to when concerts will be back to full capacity, Maddie & Tae have decided to release their next single, presumably off an unnamed album for release in 2021. Touring may not happen, but at least we all can hear new music, am I right? “Woman you Got” is a fun, bouncy, poppy yet still distinctively Maddie & Tae, as the duo impart to us the earnest truth that we all have flaws, and that transparent communication is the way to go all the time.
With the acoustic guitar led happy-go-lucky melody vividly describing the ‘flaws’ Maddie and Tae each have- with the song meant to the sung to their husbands, that ‘…I talk smack, I make messes, I win bread, I’m kinda selfish, don’t trust me in the kitchen, don’t dare me, I ain’t chicken…I lose my phone, can’t hold my liquor to a fault, I ain’t a quitter, I like dogs, I’m a collector, I ain’t perfect, I’m a perfector…’, we are met with an honest and vulnerable baring of the soul, and a reminder that marriage and being in a relationship with somebody is a commitment and is something where you learn something new about the other person every day. And as Maddie & Tae are extremely vulnerable here, reminding us all that even in platonic relationships that honesty is the key; the girls have created an anthem for the ages, as we are encouraged to speak out about the things nearest and dearest to our hearts, and about the fact that there are things about us that are a part of our DNA. They are what make us, well, us; and this song implies that it is a privilege to allow people every day to see more and more of the real us. surely the end goal is for each person most special to us to know us all fully and inside and out, right?
I used to think that I’m not the ‘target audience’ of Maddie & Tae. This was especially evident as The Way It Feels delves deep into the security of relationships and the transient nature of falling in and out of love- and as a single person, I can’t relate to these songs as well as others. Yet there’s something about Maddie & Tae in general that makes me keep coming back and listening despite the initial misgivings and the initial apprehensiveness. It’s the realness of these songs, it’s the authenticity, the vulnerability, the emotion, the honesty, and the heartfelt nature of the lyrics that pull at my emotions. If you’re not impacted by a number of songs from Maddie & Tae; then what can I say? You’re not really human? Anyway, as you guys all read more about what I have to say about Maddie Font and Taylor Kerr in my blog, and how God has used them to strengthen my faith and how God has used them to open my eyes more about the complexities of life; let us dive deep into “Woman you Got”. It may take a couple of listens, if you’re not a fan of country, but I guarantee that you’ll find something compelling and inspiring that you will resonate with.
Score: 4.5/5
RIYL: Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Shania Twain, LeAnn Rimes, Kacey Musgraves, Luke Coombs, Dan + Shay