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CMT Roundup: Willie Jones, Tenille Townes, Danielle Bradbery and more

Willie Jones: "To have three Black men on this song about mental health is very meaningful to me."

It's a three-day weekend and country music has stepped up with some jam-worthy, message-driven bops for your holiday weekend. Whether you're looking for a sassy female anthem, a laidback ode to mental health or a reminder that you have to make your own happy, country music has you covered.

Hear CMT's favorite new songs in our Roundup playlist posted below.

Willie Jones, Jon Batiste and Pastor Michael Todd, "Get Low, Get High (Part 2)": An urban-influenced, country-flavored track about embracing mental health, "Get Low, Get High (Part 2)" is about understanding how the bad days make the good days even sweeter. The song was originally a solo release, but Jones wanted to add more voices to it to elevate the message.

"I talked with Jon and sent him 'Get Low, Get High' and asked if he might want to hop on," Jones said in a statement. "Next thing I know, I'm in New York in a studio working with him on his verse. Then I went to Tulsa to work with Michael on his. It was really important to all three of us to get this just right, and it was a true collaboration. To have three Black men on this song about mental health is very meaningful to me."

Jones said listening to the song gives him faith.

"Be encouraged that there are brighter days ahead and be conscious of how you speak to yourself, which is something I've had to work on myself," he said. "Anytime you're thinking you're not good enough or that it's always going to be this way, it's a lie. Talk yourself up instead of talking yourself down and remember when you're in the lows that a high is coming."

Kristian Bush, "Diamond Motel": Co-written by Bush and Billy Steinberg  - famous for writing songs including "Like a Virgin" and "True Colors" – "Diamond Motel" is the first song from Bush's up-coming album "52-New Blue" that is due out at the end of the month. "Diamond Motel" is a strummy, laidback bop about finding your happy that rests somewhere between the Black Crowes and Sheryl Crow.

The song sets the tone for the rest of the album, which leans heavily into the '90s trend – but not in a boot scootin' way.

"People ask me all the time about my favorite '90s songs, but I don't think they realize I was in a '90s band," says Bush, who in addition to Sugarland, also launched folk rock duo Billy Pilgrim. "When I think of my favorite songs, I think about every stage I've played and every band I've played with. In the '90s, we were running on instinct and a lot of luck. You didn't know what you had until it was already released. 'Diamond Motel'… feels like a song I would have put out in '95."

Danielle Bradbery, "A Special Place":  Fierce country star Danielle Bradbery has blessed fans with a taste of her next era with her spunky single, "A Special Place." Listens are destined to feel the rage running through Bradbery, as she kindly kisses her ex-lover goodbye by checking them into a zero-star hotel. Bradbery joined forces with country sensation Maren Morris, Shane McAnally, Jimmy Robbins, and Sasha Sloan to cultivate the heavy-hitting narrative that will drive young women to see their self-worth. 

"There's a special place in Hell | A zero-star hotel | Don't worry 'bout your stay | Cause I've already paid | There's a special place in Hell for you | It ain't like you got a soul to sell | So save your prayers for someone else | The concierge won't be no help | He's always on vacation | I don't hate you, but I sure don't wish you well," sings the powerhouse.  

Bradbery's smokey sound and robust vocals are displayed in the Nathan Chapman and Derek Wells-produced track. 

The steady beat intertwined with the layered electric guitar pulls, will have the country community blasting "A Special Place" up to ten with new profound confidence. 

"You know the type of song that ignites something in you when it comes on?" asks Bradbery. "'A Special Place' is that one for me. It has the strong-willed attitude I've been looking for and makes you want to sing at the top of your lungs. We've all felt like 'I don't hate you, but I sure don't wish you well' about that certain someone... So channel your inner fire and let it out with me!"

Tenille Townes, “The Last Time”: Fast-rising artist Tenille Townes will tug at your heartstrings with her eye-opening track, “The Last Time.” Townes showcases her storytelling soul, as she delivers a string of core moments throughout life that have turned into sentimental memories. The songstress flawlessly sparks a conversation around the universal feeling of nostalgia.

“Everyone remembers the first time | ‘Cause a heart knows there’ll never be another like this | But the thing about the last time | Is you don’t know that it’s the last time till it is,” she sings with her angelic vocals.

The rich emotion within Townes’ voice brings “The Last Time” to new heights, leaving country fans with a fresh outlook on life.

“We always remember the first time something happens. We put it in a certain frame in our mind because we know it’s special. But the last time often doesn’t get the same frame because we don’t know that it’s happened until it’s already a part of our past,” shared the breakout star. “I wanted to write a song that captured that sentimental reality, with nostalgia in the fabric of the music. This song reminds me to stop and take in the moments that are happening right now, and I hope it feels like a comforting reminder to anybody else who needs it too.”

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