Mackenzie Carpenter - Hey Country Queen

Since moving to Nashville at seventeen, Mackenzie Carpenter has been steadily pounding the pavement of Music Row to rise through the ranks of Nashville’s go-to songwriters. After successfully contributing to hit songs for Lily Rose and Megan Moroney, she now arrives with her own debut album.

Over the course of thirteen co-writes, Hey Country Queen illustrates the Georgia native’s known talents as a crafter of radio-friendly singles while showcasing the ample malleability of her rich, honey-coated voice. While the album shows a wide range of diversity and styles, it suffers slightly by trying to cover too much ground rather than letting Carpenter authentically introduce what’s become her signature point of view.

The brassy thump of ‘Dozen Red Flags’ is a winning combination against Carpenter’s sassy vocal, even if lyrically it doesn’t quite rise to expert level kiss-off status. Digs like “flirts with my friends / his dad pays his rent” seem like soft balls instead of the hardline drive Carpenter is capable of delivering, like with the brutally honest but reflective ‘Jesus, I’m Jealous.’ Similarly, while her vocals gorgeously soar on tender ballad ‘Only Girl,’ the sentiment feels reminiscent of other country-pop love songs and lacks that absorbing Carpenter specificity that makes her writing so memorable.

Yet, on neon soaked ‘I Wish You Would’ is where Hey Country Queen strikes gold. An infectious duet with relatable, nostalgic references that resonate due to Carpenter’s richly connected vocals. While Midland is a perfect feature, the song represents all the attributes of what she does best from conception to delivery. Likewise, on sizzling ‘Sound of a Heartbreak,’ the electric guitar glides against her razor sharp verses to demand hands raised and heads banging to the beat. She’s fully in control and invested as she hits every syllable with a snarl as it’s evident she’s lived through this experience.

While a solid debut, Hey Country Queen isn’t quite the cohesive breakthrough that Carpenter’s talent so richly deserves. With its wide range of material, though, it’s evident that the creative future for one of Nashville’s hardest working songwriters is destined for country queen status in no time.

7.5/10

Mackenzie Carpenter’s 2025 project, Hey Country Queen, is available everywhere now via Big Machine Label Group.

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