Been Like This with Wildflowers and Wild Horses just Follow the Sound of My Voice to Texas Hold ‘Em

Hello April! What happened to March? It’s April Fool’s Day – any prank plans?

Since it is Monday, you know that Monday means music – and that’s no joke! This week is a freebie week, so grab your favorite tune(s) and come dance with us, won’t you? 

Let’s start with a favorite Grammy-winning star who was jonesin’ to collaborate with a particular rapper for a new song. She wrote the song, then sent it to the rapper who “didn’t respond” for some time. The artist said:

“[Once he finally heard the song], he was like, ‘I love it, whoa!’ And I was like, ‘Are you going to do a verse?’ And he’s like, ‘For sure.’ And then like, never responded. I was like, ‘He hates me.’”

He’s her favorite artist, so she felt compelled to ask about the collaboration once again.

“Then finally, on my 30th birthday, he came and surprised me at my house. [He] was like, ‘Happy birthday. I did the verse. I’m sorry I ghosted you. Boom!’ And played it.”

The result felt like a product that’d been a lifetime in the making for the star. She said:

“I’ve been very aggressive about how much I love T-Pain for the past 10 years on every interview. They’re like, ‘Who do you love?’ I’m like, ‘Carole King and T-Pain. People think it’s so cute.”

Get ready to dance, here’s Meghan Trainor and T-Pain with “Been Like This”:

Next up is a a song recorded by American country music singer that was released last November as the third single from her second studio album. The song delivers a message of perseverance and freedom via the imagery of the American West and relates to the artist’s upbringing in rural Louisiana. She said:

“This one definitely shows that western side, it takes me back to my childhood. It takes me back to my roots. I come from a long line of hardheaded tough people and people who have kind of blazed their own trails. I’m from five generations of farmers in northeast Louisiana, and I always compare farming to the music business. I mean, you get up every day, do the same thing, you have good years, you have bad years, but you just keep on blazing that trail. So I think it’s just kind of digging a little deeper into my story.”

Fun fact: The song is featured prominently in a Wrangler commercial starring the artist.

Without further ado, here’s Lainey Wilson with “Wildflowers and Wild Horses”:

Next up, is a new song from these brothers written by the front man about his brother and keyboardist. He said:

“It scared me so much. Not only because distilling our entire relationship into a single song seemed so daunting, but also because [I] knew that I’d have to talk very candidly about a pretty big elephant in the room.”

Said elephant is the fact that his brother has been blind since birth, which he says he’s “uncomfortable talking about … because I don’t want it to seem like that’s the only defining thing about him or about our relationship.”

When he started to write the song, though, he found the process to be “very easy”:

“Because despite how complicated it is in my own mind, objectively it’s very simple: we love each other a lot. Casey— being your brother has been the greatest gift I could’ve ever asked for. And for all the times I’ve used you to skip to the front of the line at the airport, I’ll love you forever.”

Without further ado, here’s X Ambassadors with “Follow the Sound of My Voice”:

Last, but certainly not least, is a song that was a surprise release and debuted during Super Bowl LVIII. The song has been praised by music critics for its playful tone, authentic sound, the artist’s vocal performance, and its celebration of the Black roots of country music.

Country artists and country radio managers also praised the song for elevating the accessibility of country music for a wider audience. The track ignited discussions on Black musicians’ place within country music, boosted the listenership of Black country artists and country radio in general.

The artist was born and raised in Houston, Texas, where the city’s cowboy heritage and music played a role in her upbringing. She listened to country music from an early age, particularly from her paternal grandfather. She attended the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo every year with her family wearing western clothing, and later performed at the Rodeo four times between 2001 and 2007.

Without further ado, here’s Beyoncé with “Texas Hold ‘Em”:

That’s a wrap for this week – have a great Monday! See you on the dance floor!

Now onto the particulars of Monday’s Music Move’s Me:

I 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 Alana of Ramblin’ with AM!

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!