Songs In The Key Of… Country Pop

Jenn Bostic: “too pop for country and too country for pop”. Pic: Sara Kauss

Here we get Nashville-based singer-songwriter Jenn Bostic to pick out 10 tracks that perfectly straddle both pop and country music

Nashville-based Jenn Bostic is a country and Christian music singer-songwriter who is most well known for her hit single, Jealous Of The Angels. A tribute to her late father, the song won her five awards at 2012’s Independent Country Music Association Awards and, with the support of BBC Breakfast, Songs Of Praise, BBC Radio 2, Weekend Wogan, Good Morning Sunday and Smooth Radio, Jenn also began winning over the hearts of people here in the UK. The song also reached No 1 on the iTunes singer/songwriter chart.

Although once described “too pop for country and too country for pop,” we feel Jenn is well-placed to select 10 songs that best represent the country pop scene, and explain why she thinks they’re such great examples of songwriting. To listen to the whole playlist in one go, check out the Songwriting YouTube Playlists.

EVERY LITTLE THING – CARLY PEARCE
“I’m a big Carly Pearce fan. So thrilled to see this song break her career. She’s as nice as she is talented, and this song is an earworm I don’t mind getting stuck in my head.”

THIS TOWN IS KILLING ME – CAITLYN SMITH
“Honest. Vulnerable. Relateable. Perfect.”

80S MERCEDES – MAREN MORRIS
“This song is a perfect blend of pop and country. I love the groove. Maren Morris just has a cool swagger about her; you can’t help but sing along.”

HIDE THE WINE – CARLY PEARCE
“Another Carly song, but this song is so good. I love the clever lyric, the guitar tone, and the background vocal part is so much fun for everybody to join in.”

SHAMELESS – STRIKING MATCHES
“I love this song and this band. I had a chance to see them perform this live at SXSW in Austin this year and it was fire. I think this is a great example of how much the lines of pop/country/indie are all blurring.”

THY WILL – HILLARY SCOTT & THE SCOTT FAMILY
“This song fuses country, pop and Christian music and I love it. It’s incredibly powerful, especially knowing the story behind the song.”

BROKEN HALOS – CHRIS STAPLETON
“I love this song, I love his voice, and I love the bluesy soul that sits at the heart of everything he does. The imagery in this song is stellar.”

STAY A LITTLE LONGER – BROTHERS OSBORNE
“I love the quick lyric and groove to this song. It’s catchy in the hippest way and brings the pop element into the mix, while still remaining true to country roots.”

WASTED – SARAH DARLING
“Sarah is a dear friend of mine and I think she knocked it out of the park with this song. It’s honest, it’s raw, and it’s beautiful. It’s an honour to sing a little harmony on it whenever we perform together.”

GUILTY – THE SHIRES
“I’m really loving the new single from The Shires. It’s really catchy and clever. There’s a hip pop sound that still has a hint of country in the mix.”

Jenn Bostic has performed sold out tours across the United States and Europe, and has opened for the likes of Richard Marx, Christian Kane and The Band Perry. She is in the middle of a new UK tour and is looking forward to her biggest ever UK headline show, at London’s prestigious Bush Hall on 1 May. Jenn’s new album Revival comes out on 4 May. Find out more at jennbostic.com

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