It’s not that often a debut album as hyped as Right Now rolls around. But then it’s not often you get an artist like Willie Jones. He is unquestionably one of the rising stars of the current country scene, someone of whom Rolling Stone magazine said he “seems an awful lot like the future of country music.” And with his unique blend of styles that merge hip hop and country, they might just be right.

He’s also got the fans to prove it. Bachelorettes on Broadway, the recent single from the album, has amassed well over twelve million Spotify streams alone. Despite hailing from Louisiana and appearing on the American version of The Voice, Jones has also made a huge impression in the UK, with a successful slot at the 2019 Country Music Festival in London winning him plenty of followers this side of the Atlantic. 

And now those fans, wherever they may be, can get stuck into this long-awaited debut. Country Soul opens the album, a radio-friendly fusion of pop, hip hop and country, with a long name-checked list of artists that have inspired Jones appearing in the lyrics, from Tim McGraw to Marvin Gaye, a little window into the eclectic mix of music that shaped Jones and his creative output. 

Recent single Back Porch moves along sweetly on an easy summer groove, while the aforementioned Bachelorettes On Broadway is a sarcastic, swaggering affair. American Dream shows the other side of Jones incredible skill though, a bitter lament on the state of racial injustice that exists in America, that sees Jones sing: “Proud to be a Black man / Living in the land of the brave and the free / Yeah, I'm all-American / And that American dream ain't cheap / We've come a long way / Still got a long way to go / When you're living as a Black man / It's a different kinda American dream”. 

Right Now lives up the hype and then some, and Jones deserves all the accolades that will come his way for his wide-ranging songwriting skills. Make no mistake, we’ve welcomed a new and exciting star into country music, and he’s taking it to new places. 

Right Now tracklist: 

1. Country Soul 

2. Back Porch 

3. Bachelorettes On Broadway 

4. Down For IT 

5. American Dream 

6. Right Now 

7. Trainwreck 

8. Drank Too Much 

9. Whole Lotta Love 

10. Actions 

11. Down For It (featuring T.I.) – JD Walker version 

12. Down For IT (featuring T.I.) – MyGuyMars remix 

Watch the official video for American Dream here.

Author: Joe Sharratt

Joe Sharratt is a writer and journalist based in the UK covering music, literature, sport, and travel.