By Ross Jones
Featured Artists: Brandon Lake & Lainey Wilson
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With Easter weekend kicking off, it's safe to say it's a very Good Friday of new music from a host of country heavyweights, with Dan + Shay making their long-awaited comeback, Sam Barber releasing his keenly anticipated new album, Broken View, and more.
There's also stellar new music from alt-country favourites like Charley Crockett, 49 Winchester, The Droptines and Paul Cauthen, as well as a fascinating Main Street Country project, featuring countrified reimaginations of Disney classics from Kane and Katelyn Brown, Dasha, Maddie & Tae, BRELAND Restless Road.
Listen along to our Best New Country playlist on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and Amazon.
Best New Country
On the cover of this week's Best New Country playlist is Brandon Lake and Lainey Wilson.
Brandon Lake's 2026 Nashville writers’ retreat is proving to have been incredibly fruitful, with the Contemporary Christian Music sharing the latest song to have been penned during those star-studded sessions with Thomas Rhett, Bailey Zimmerman, Russell Dickerson, Tyler Hubbard, Dan + Shay, HARDY and more.
’The Jesus I Know Now’ finds Lake and Lainey Wilson trading verses about how often, when growing up in Church, it can seem like the Bible is all about punishment and “fire and brimstone”. As Lake recalled during a recent show, the song stemmed from Wilson's remark that, “The Jesus I know now isn't really like the Jesus I grew up being taught about”, with the melody immediately coming to Lake.
As the ‘Heart Like a Truck’ singer-songwriter got older and experienced more of life's challenges and successes, she describes how their relationship with Jesus has become more like a personal friendship. The duo's vocals combine beautifully across the atmospheric, piano-driven ballad to produce a soul-stirring offering.
Watch the Official Lyric Video for 'The Jesus I Know Now' below:
Best New Country Song of the Week
It seems all those songwriting stints in the British Virgin Islands with Megan Moroney and Kenny Chesney have been rubbing off on MacKenzie Carpenter, with the Georgia native creating a joyful, summery ambience on her new track, ‘All in Already’.
Carpenter has a knack for sprinkling in healthy doses of wit and playfulness into her music, and ‘All in Already’ showcases the ‘I Wish You Would’ hitmaker's refreshing penchant for bright, energising instrumentation and enchanting, romantic lyricism.
Check out ‘All in Already’ along with this week's playlist below:
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1.
The Jesus I Know Now
Brandon lake & Lainey Wilson
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2.
Say So
Dan + Shay
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3.
Saving The Honky Tonks
Walker Montgomery
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4.
Alternate Ending
Thelma & James
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5.
Hope It Was Fun
Hayden Blount
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6.
A Town Near You
The Droptines & Zandi Holup
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7.
Beauty and the Beast
Kane Brown & Katelyn Brown
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8.
All In Already
MacKenzie Carpenter
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9.
The More I Hope
Sam Barber
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10.
Slowly
49 Winchester
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11.
Lonesome Dove
Charley Crockett
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12.
Come Home
Luke Grimes
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13.
Looking For A Feeling
Waylon Payne
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14.
In the Garden (Greenhouse Sessions)
Tiera Kennedy
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15.
Jury of One
Rita Wilson
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16.
Whatever That Was
George Birge
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17.
On Our Way Along
Billy Ray Cyrus & Noah Cyrus
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18.
Give ‘Er Hell
Josh Ross
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19.
She's So Gone
Dasha
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20.
1,000 Lifetimes (Wedding Version)
GARETH
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21.
Cowgirl's Prayer
Danielle Bradbery
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22.
paloma
Ashley Anne
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23.
When No One's Around
Tayler Holder
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24.
Bottom Line
Tyce Delk
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25.
Killin’ Myself
Elvie Shane & Preston James
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26.
When The Kingdom Comes
Lee Brice
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27.
LIPSTICK ON A PIG
Colby Acuff
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28.
Southern Rock
Cassidy Daniels
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29.
Chasing Sunsets
Joshua Ray Walker
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30.
Faith
Mason Ramsey
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For more of the finest country playlists from Holler, see below:
