First Country is a compilation of the best new country songs, videos and albums that dropped this week.
Little Big Town returns with “Sugar Coat,” a poignant story song that tugs on the heartstrings. The equally moving music video stars Kate Bosworth (The Long Road Home, 21, Superman Returns) who portrays a woman who struggles while watching her marriage fall apart.
Plus, standout videos from Carly Pearce and Lee Brice on “I Hope You’re Happy Now” and Dillon Carmichael with “I Do For You,” which stars The Bachelor In Paradise’s Hannah Godwin and Dylan Barbour.
Newcomer Lance Carpenter also releases the powerful “Last Night in Memphis,” his new single featuring Richie McDonald of Lonestar. The heartfelt song is the story of a cancer patient who is spending her last night in Memphis because she won her cancer battle.
Below, watch the moving videos to these tracks and more.
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Carly Pearce “I Hope You’re Happy Now” feat. Lee Brice
Pearce and Brice team up for the aching duet “I Hope You’re Happy Now,” which tells the tale of a woman moving on after a relationship ends. In the equally mesmerizing video, a former couple is introduced on screen where the woman is seen beginning a new relationship as her ex struggles to move on.
“The first time I watched this music video I cried — it is as real and honest as the ‘Every Little Thing’ video was for me,” Pearce says in a statement. “This song is so personal and I wanted the visual to truly reflect that part of my story. I feel like this song is the closing piece to this chapter in my life, so the ending is bittersweet, but it leaves things on a positive note. If I were to run into this person today, my hope is that things would play out exactly how the video ends.”
Dillon Carmichael, “I Do For You”
The sweet video “I Do For You” showcases Carmichael’s soft side as he sings about all the things he won’t do (pick up the phone while fishing, go to weddings, or wash dishes) before he meets his new lady. In the endearing three-minute clip, real-life couple The Bachelor In Paradise’s Hannah Godwin and Dylan Barbour act out the various stages of a relationship as it becomes more serious.
Filmore, “London”
Filmore returns with the reflective “London,” a conflicting tale of a man visiting a new city alone that he previously planned exploring with someone else. “All the details in the song relate to missing an ex with the hope of one day coming back to share it all with one another,” Filmore says in a statement. The picturesque video has the singer-songwriter playing tourist throughout every locale in London that he mentions in the song by himself. “It was so cool to go back after writing the song and relive those moments.”
Kalsey Kulyk, “Damn You Love”
Kalsey Kulyk’s new single “Damn You Love” showcases the ups and downs love can bring. Co-written with Phil Barton and Liz Rose, the Canadian singer-songwriter brings the story to life on the screen as a couple acts out the pain a relationship can have.
“The video for ‘Damn You Love’ portrays how I feel about love,” says Kulyk. “It can be so amazing, but also cause so much pain — and make you want to abandon the concept of love until it comes back around. The actors and director really captured the emotion my co-writers and I poured into the song when we wrote it.”
Lance Carpenter, “Last Night in Memphis” feat. Lonestar’s Richie McDonald
Carpenter tugs on the heartstrings on “Last Night in Memphis,” a tale of a young girl battling cancer. After four long years in the hospital, she soon learns her cancer is cured and she has only one more night left in the hospital. “This is one of those songs that just reaches deep into your soul when things aren’t going so good and gives you a reason to smile,” says Carpenter of the soaring piano ballad. A portion of the proceeds from the song will go to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Little Big Town, “Sugar Coat”
Little Big Town deliver a powerful statement on the more difficult questions life can bring on “Sugar Coat,” penned by Lori McKenna, Josh Kerr and Jordyn Shellart. A tale of a woman wondering where her husband is, actress Kate Bosworth and actor Isiah Stratton (Homeland) portray a couple that is struggling to make their marriage work once the wife learns of her husband’s infidelity. The song is featured on Little Big Town’s forthcoming ninth studio album Nightfall, available Jan. 17.
“I play a woman who is in a complicated marriage,” says Bosworth. “She is often lonely and unfulfilled — realizing that she is not getting what she needs from a partner, devastated by the choices that her husband is making. As she slowly discovers what is happening, while it’s a sad moment, it is ultimately a resilient one. She finds her strength, her fortitude, and ultimately herself. It was an honor to bring this song to life with a band that I love.”