Mackenzie Carpenter "Can't Nobody" Song Review

Breakout singer-songwriter, Mackenzie Carpenter, has always dreamed of being a country music artist. She grew up in Athens, Georgia where her two older brothers taught her how to play guitar. Carpenter also worked on developing her innate talent for songwriting and sang in her local church. She further mastered her songwriting skills when she submerged into the Nashville songwriting community which led to her big break co-writing the song “Villain” with Lily Rose; the track was a TikTok explosion and landed at No. 1 on the all-genre iTunes chart.

Carpenter is now enjoying a stellar, breakthrough moment in both her personal and professional life. The gorgeous, multi-talented rising star started her week by getting engaged and then went on to announce that she had been signed by The Valory Music Co. imprint—part of Big Machine Label Group. As if that wasn’t enough, she is capping off her exciting week with the release of a brand new single “Can’t Nobody” which dropped on May 20th.

Backed by a slow-strumming guitar and a barely-there high hat, Carpenter’s soulful yet sultry vocals drive the slow burn of this track while the lyrics temper the emotional intensity. The dichotomy of her reminiscing over love lost while accepting and embracing its impermanence is highlighted by the balance she creates by reigning in powerful vocals that could take off at any moment.

“Nobody ever kept their eyes on me quite like you did / Nobody's ever sweet-talked my dad / Or made my momma look at me like that / Nobody ever really made me laugh quite like you did / Maybe you seem too good to be true / Or maybe you're just good at what you do.”

Her refreshingly honest and mature retrospection on having been tricked by a lover demonstrates a wise ability to let go. While she owns that she was fooled by a player, she leans into acceptance with these striking similes that underline that his game wasn’t just strong—it was the best:

“Can't nobody write a song like Dolly / Can't no whiskey get me tipsy like Jack / Can't nobody raise hell like Dale / Comin' down that last lap / Can't nobody knock 'em out like Rocky / And nobody rocks 'еm like Daisy Duke / Can't nobody love June like Johnny / And can't nobody break a heart like you, you.”

The cherry on top is Carpenter’s brilliantly bad-ass, gut-punch lyric that lets her ex-lover know that while he may have been the best at the game, she is the best when it comes to moving on. She exclaims, "Well, you've got walkin' out down to a ‘T’ / But can't nobody move on quite like me.”

Carpenter clearly gets the last laugh with this track that is not only cleverly written but also a symphonic delight that gets better with every listen. Talk about a promising start to a country music career that listeners will definitely want a front-row seat to watch.

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