Easton Corbin Drops Two New Tracks

Easton Corbin has released two singles “Hey Merle” and “Somebody’s Gotta Be Country” off of his upcoming EP Hey Merle, named after country music singer-songwriter Merle Haggard.

“Hey Merle” takes on the album’s title, celebrating Haggard's legacy and reflecting on how Corbin himself has been influenced creatively by an icon of his genre. It borrows common Merle Haggard phrases in order to bring us back to a musical past that Corbin–and most likely a lot of his listeners – clearly remember fondly.

Corbin pulls from his memories of Haggard's performances and puts those memories into his clever lyricism. It’s an effective way to honor Haggard within the context of country music as it exists today. He sings detailed lyrics like, "Now the Cadillac and the cowboy hat and the high that you were on / Still covers us with neon dust 'cause the legends never gone."

"If you ask anyone, they'll tell you that Merle Haggard is one of my biggest influences. I wouldn't be who I am without some of our legends like Merle and Hank Williams,” shares Corbin in a press release. “When Wade threw out ‘Hey Merle’ for the title - it felt like a no-brainer. We had to write that. We had so much fun being able to take elements from some of their hits and tie them into this song.

On the second track released, Corbin seems to feel nostalgic for home while recording “Somebody’s Gotta Be Country." Written by Ashley Gorley, Dallas Davidson, and Rhett Akins, and first released in 2019, it was Corbin's first single since the 2017 hit "A Girl Like You."

The song is carefree with a backward groove, taking on a subject matter that sets Corbin and his music apart from the popular songwriting trend in which country artists simply proclaim how "country" they are.

When the chorus hits, the twangy instrumental becomes an immediate earworm. He exclaims, "Somebody's gotta party till the stars burn out / Wear some wore out boots in a high-class crowd / All my rowdy buddies keep settlin' down / Somebody's gotta be country in this town / Somebody's gotta be country in this town."

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