Here we are, the final Monday of July – why must the summer months go by so fast?! Meanwhile, it’s Monday, and Monday means music! This week is a freebie, so grab your favorite tune(s) and let’s dance, shall we? Let’s just get this party started!

Let’s start with an artist who’s determined to find the positive in every situation. He acknowledges that “there’s kind of a war occurring to stay positive in a tough world like this,” but that he tries his best to stay upbeat. He was quoted as saying:

“If you believe that bad things happen to you to make you stronger, that shifts your perspective. You go to the gym to work out and you’re literally breaking and tearing muscles so that they get stronger. That’s a part of this life – to seek good in all the bad is one way that you can really shift perspective.”

Finding the beauty in pain is one of the themes in his new music, and he was inspired to write an emotional track by the devastating loss of his mother Kathy. The loss of his mom inspired him to write this song, a touching song about what his mom would say to his daughter if she were still alive.

“It’s really sweet, it’s one of my favorites, the whole song is about little pieces of advice, like ‘You’re beautiful, but don’t overplay that card’ or ‘You’re spiritual, so don’t forget that part.’”

And his daughter, Louisiana, who turned 2 recently, also helps him stay optimistic about life:

“She’s the light of my life. Those moments in our lives where you’re like ‘Oh my God, my heart is beating so fast’ are rare, but with a little girl they happen all the time.”

Get ready for your heartstrings to be tugged, here’s Andy Grammer with “She’d Say”:

Next up is a tender piano ballad between two of my favorite artists, finding the pair contemplating the limits of love.

Is it for better or for worse, or am I just your good time girl? / Can you still hold me when it hurts, or would you walk away? / Even if I scandalize you, cut you down and criticize you / Tell a million lies about you, what would you say

This is not the artist’s first foray into country music: She had a #1 country hit back in October/November 2016 with a duet with Kenny Chesney.

Without further ado, here’s P!nk and Chris Stapleton with “Love Me Anyway”:

Next up, another unique tune for your listening pleasure – a couple of weeks ago this multi-talented artist surprised everyone by releasing a song.

Last weekend, my fellow Marvel fans will be happy to know that Marvel Studios announced Phase 4 of their plan to take over the cinematic universe:

Certain heroes and villains will have their own shows housed on Disney+. One of those characters is Hawkeye, portrayed by Jeremy Renner, who just so happened to release his second original tune as part of his Summer of Jeep campaign. It’s as awesome as the first one, trust me.

Give a listen to the inimitable Jeremy Renner with “Nomad”:

Last, but certainly not least, is a song I heard on SiriusXM while driving the kids to and fro for appointments. The beauty of having SiriusXM is the ability to replay songs that catch our ear – this one did just that.

This new (to me) artist spent his summers visiting his grandma in Butler, Georgia, where he learned to appreciate country music. This fusion of country, with elements of rap and hip-hop, is this artist’s debut single.

A line-dance song, it starts with the singer urging the listener to “grab your loved ones” or “your love partner.” He then offers simple instructions on how to perform the dance. This song started going viral after Lil Nas X’s rap and country crossover “Old Town Road” began to break in spring 2019. It was aided by this artist’s four-step dance tutorial, posted on May 15, 2019, which quickly began racking views on social media.

The song was also helped by a viral dance challenge that played out on the TikTok app and YouTube. The song was inspired by the mantra of the artist’s grandmother. He was quoted as saying:

“‘[This song]’ is dedicated to my grandmother telling us every morning, ‘Get up. Go do something productive in the world.’ It’s about messages [in] my music; bigger than anything is chasing your purpose in life.”

This song jumped 4-1 in its fifth week on the Country chart, the quickest trip to the tally’s summit since Sam Hunt’s “Body Like a Back Road” climbed 2-1 in its second week on the February 25, 2017 listing.

The song originated with the artist messing around with a lap steel guitar that one of his pals brought to the studio. He said:

“I had never played the lap steel before, so it sounded horrible, as we can imagine. And I tuned it like I tuned my guitar over E and I made one chord bar fret and then I kind of made the loop. And then I added the beatboxing, the kick drums, the 808s, the snares, the spoons, the tambourines. And after I got finished doing that, I was like, ‘The song is so joyful, I’ve got to make some lyrics that feel just as exciting.'”

Joy and dance is one and the same to the artist; this is because his joy comes from the church, and when people get joyful at church they jump around.

“So, the joy in the record was telling me maybe if I give people a little direction with what I wanted to do, then I can make a 2019/2020 ‘Achy Breaky Heart’ or something.”

Since he doesn’t say “Git Up” anytime in the song, he dedicated the track to his grandmother: “Git Up, be joyful.”

I double-dog dare you to get up and dance – here’s Blanco Brown with “The Git Up”:

That’s a wrap for this week – see you on the dance floor!

Now on to the particulars of Monday’s Music Move’s Me:   PhotobucketI have the supreme honor and privilege of being a co-host with the inimitable Xmas Dolly and our musical cohort, the awesome Cathy from Curious as a CAThy, and while our beloved Callie of JAmerican Spice is taking a break, our friend Michelle from Musings and Merriments with Michelle is helping out with hostess duties!

Want to join in the fun? It’s easy – just find a tune that rocks your boat, post it and link up – don’t forget to grab Xmas Dolly…er, um, I mean her button…over at her place here. Check out Xmas Dolly’s sidebar for the random themes we sport each week – and you can always ask for a specific theme of music you like, too. Check out the other music lovahs and let’s jam!



9 Comments

  1. Stacy,

    I loved your song picks for this week, especially Andy Grammar’s feature. I was thinking daughters have no idea how their daddys feel about them. Often, it takes daughters reaching well into her adult years before realizing and appreciating their daddy. They may not ever understand just how much so if they never become parents. Thanks for boogieing with me on the dance floor, my friend. Have a songsational week!

  2. I’ve never heard any of these tunes. What’s up with Pink? She’s only comin’ out with slow tunes lately. Your last tune was a whole lotta fun. I’m likin’ that one a lot & especially when there’s someone actually showin’ ya how to do it. hahahaha Have a great day girlfriend. It was very nice to hear from ya! Glad all is well. Luv ya girlfriend! HUGS

  3. Excellent set of tunes. I think everyone was surprised by Jeremy Renner’s launch into music. I love the upbeat Blanco video, but my favorite is the Pink/Christ Stapleton duet. This song could go to the top of several charts. They are very good together. Thanks for bringing these artists and their music to the dance floor.

  4. That Andy Grammer song sounds like Paul Simon. That’s not an especially good thing…

    Chris Stapleton didn’t have a whole lot to do in the duet with P!nk, did he? Pretty song anyway.

    The Jeremy Renner tune was good. Maybe he should stick with singing.

    The whole country-hip hop thing seems to be catching on. Blanco Brown is from Butler, Georgia? That’s straight east from Auburn, Alabama (War Eagle!). A little out of metro Atlanta, in a not-too-shabby part of Georgia.

  5. Oh, Stacy, you really got us dancing here with the cowboy mewsic. Granny was taking lessons of linedance about a 100 years ago so this really got her feet moving 😀 Thanks for the dance! Pawkisses for a wonderful day🐾😽💞

  6. I’m going to be doing the Git Up for a while (the moves I can do, anyway, and those shoulder rolls are so relaxing). I love everything about it and it’s so catchy! I think my hubbie would love the bass line on this. To the left, to the left….The Andy Grammar song was my next favorite of the set. Yes, I had a good time!

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