house on fire Taking her sound into the dance-pop era
Mickey Guyton was hailed as one of the most important voices in country music long before the release of her stunning debut album in 2021. remember her nameHer critical 2020 singles “What You Gonna Tell Her” and “Black Like Me” challenged the genre and its listeners with tough questions about gender and racial equality, even catching the attention of Beyoncé, who sent flowers to her fellow Texans after the release of her album “Black Like Me.” cowboy carter To thank Jetton for opening doors for black women in the country.
In her second album, house on fireGuyton continues to blaze a trail and deliver on her promise, delivering a collection of songs that effortlessly take her into the dance-pop era. On “My Side of the Country” and “Make It Me,” two songs she co-wrote with former Florida Georgia Line frontman Tyler Hubbard, Guyton blends country references with upbeat production. On the single “My Side of the Country,” Guyton sings over sleek guitars, “We got short beds and tall boys in cowboy boots/We wear Levi’s, and we ride slow on Sundays, too.” On “Make It Me,” Guyton shouts “Jack and Coke” and tries to impress her lover with her appeal: “If you wanna spend the night with somebody/Make it me.” Both songs are hits, and they’re tailored for the dance floor.
But while there’s a clear party going on across the album—“Make ‘Em Like You” is another irresistible blast of ABBA country—other songs are more raw, like the searing indictment of a jilted lover, “Little Man.” “Baby, if you cared/I could meet you more than halfway,” Guyton pleads, before eventually realizing that she’s the only one growing up in this relationship. She returns to the idea of finding a “real man” on “Deserve,” ideally one who puts her first and isn’t lost in his own image.
“I Still Do” concludes with Guyton’s best vocal performance on the LP. It’s a passionate promise of devotion and commitment, a reminder of Guyton’s innate soulful voice and the pipes that feed it.house on fire —ostensibly a “country album,” whatever that means to you—it leans into the dance floor at times, but it’s hard not to succumb to its charms. In an era that many hope will be marked by joy, Guyton provides the soundtrack
