It’s fitting that as we begin our Best Country Singles of 2009 feature here at Roughstock that the countdown – which will run from November 30 until the beginning of the new year – would start with “Small Town USA,” a single which began its chart life in January of 2009. For most of 2009, Justin Moore’s sophomore single rose up the charts, in spite of our and other website’s criticism of the song as nothing but another ‘I’m from the country and darn it, I’m happy to be so’ songs. While it’s obvious that these songs typically play well with audiences, it is more amazing to me when a song like this actually grows on me and turns into one of the songs that helped define 2009 for mainstream country music.
While I lauded Justin Moore’s vocal ability and the fact that the single is actually identifiable as a country music song, I couldn’t get past the lyrics back in January. But – as time wore on – I began to not only like the song but I think it was exactly the kind of authenticity that country fans want to hear. Justin Moore sang this song like he lived and meant every word of what he was singing. He wasn’t some boy from a city somewhere; he actually is from “Small Town USA.” So charm overcame cynicism and jadedness and sometimes it does help to step back and take a look at why I even enjoy country music (in most of its forms). It is because of songs like “Small Town USA.”
So while “Small Town USA” may have been as radio friendly as a song can get and yes the lyrics aren’t nothing new but you should consider this when thinking of Justin Moore’s first number one single. It’s comfort food for the ears and it is chicken soup for the country soul and sometimes, that is more than enough to warm this cold, cynical writer’s heart and mind.
Keep coming back to Roughstock often as we count down our favorite country singles (released from December 2008-November 2009) of the year 2009.
What do you think? Would this song have made your list? Leave a comment below.
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