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DANNY GOKEY
DOWNLOAD: “Crazy Not To”
“It’s about somebody who has experienced the pain of love and doesn’t want to go down that path again,” says the American Idol finalist. “But they find someone so special, they’d be crazy not to pursue it.”
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KATIE ARMIGER
DOWNLOAD: “Kiss Me Now”
“I had this friend who I wanted to be more than friends with,” says Armiger of the inspiration behind this tune. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be: “Sometimes when you have them kiss you now, it doesn’t work out,” she admits.
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COLT FORD
DOWNLOAD: “Cold Beer”
The country singer and hip-hop artist describes his song as a “good all-American honky-tonk song.” “You’ve been working daylight to dark and it’s time to have a little fun,” says Ford.
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MINDY MCCREADY
DOWNLOAD: “I Want a Man”
“I know what I need in a man,” says the singer, who’s had her share of troubled relationships, “and this song describes what I want. I’m willing him into existence!”
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JOSH ABBOTT BAND
DOWNLOAD: “She’s Like Texas”
Call this an ode to the ladies. The song is “about all the qualities that guys like in their girlfriends and wives,” says Abbott.
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COLDWATER JANE
DOWNLOAD: “Bring on the Love”
“It’s a really simple message about loving somebody the way you love yourself,” says lead singer Brandon Jane of his and sister Leah Crutchfield’s
single off their upcoming summer debut album. “Every single song is about our life.”
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SAMMY KERSHAW
DOWNLOAD: “Better Than I Used to Be”
“It’s about my life,” says Kershaw of this deeply personal song. “I’ve made bad choices; I’m not perfect. But I’m working on it.”
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MATT KENNON
DOWNLOAD: “The Call”
Kennon says his song’s moving message “keeps people who are overwhelmed from feeling alone. It’s all about reaching out.”
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BLAINE LARSEN
DOWNLOAD: “Baby You Get Me”
“I like to grab a guitar and rock out with it and have a good time,” says the singer, who took things down-tempo for “Baby You Get Me.” The “love song” will appear on Larsen’s summer album, Not Too Bad.
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CHRISTIAN KANE
DOWNLOAD: “The House Rules”
In a nod to West Hollywood’s famed club Viper Room (where the Leverage actor-musician used to play), Kane says, “The song’s message is ‘Hey, this is your joint…but if you walk in here for the first time, it’s a party and there are some rules.”