May 15th can’t come soon enough.
Unsurprisingly, Stagecoach this year was quite eventful. On a action-filled weekend in the desert of Indio, California, Ella Langley would get things started by surprising fans with Theo Von for a performance of her smash hit with Riley Green, “you look like you love me” early on Friday. Couple that with Riley Green, Chase Rice, Diplo and more teaming up with Sydney Sweeney for some karaoke after high winds forced some sets to be cancelled night one, Cody Johnson bringing out Boyz II Men and Post Malone teaming up with the likes of Braxton Keith, Jake Worthington and Shaboozey to close out the festival and you have yourself a weekend for the ages.
With that being said, however, one of the biggest announcements/moments of the festival came on Saturday night when the pride of West Virginia himself, Charles Wesley Godwin, announced the first single off his upcoming fourth studio album, “Better That Way” is coming Friday, May 15th featuring none other that Luke Combs.
During the performance, Godwin would acknowledge the fact the new album has been in the works for quite awhile at this point before ultimately dropping the bomb that Combs is featured on the track, drawing a huge roar from the Stagecoach crowd.
“It’s been two and a half years since our last album; I know that’s too long. But this has been a labor of love, and we turned a new one in in the wintertime. We have the first single on that album coming out on May 15th. It’s called “Better That Way.” I got my buddy Luke Combs on it.”
If you’ve been keeping up with Godwin’s teasers on social media over the past six months or so, “Better That Way” was actually one of the first songs he teased and wrote for the album, posting it on Instagram all the way back in August. There, he’d note that he wrote the song with Scooter Carusoe (Eric Church’s “Hands of Time,” Kenny Chesney’s “Anything But Mine”) and Al Torrence, who is a long-time co-writer with the “Seneca Creek” singer.
Since the announcement, fans have been all but losing their minds over the prospect of the West Virginian collaboration with Combs, who’s undoubtedly one of the biggest stars in the genre today, and minutes ago, Godwin would take to Instagram to give us the first studio teaser of the track.
Spoiler alert, it sounds incredible.
Once again being produced by long-time collaborator, Al Torrence, I’m happy to report that the track sounds like classic CWG. Here, he’d once again tease the fully-produced chorus which sees him reflect on the thing that makes him the best version of himself- the steady love of his wife, Samantha.
“I’m better
When my jeans have lost ’bout half their blue
I’m better
When the work on the farm is done by noon
Better,
When her eyes of green are looking back at me
Fell in love at 23, are still mine to this day
Yeah, I’m just better that way…”
Immediately after the chorus, Godwin let fans hear Combs for the first time presumably on the second chorus. Here, the “Hurricane” singer delivers a rock-solid vocal performance in typical fashion, once again continuing the theme of their lives being better with all the simple things in life.
“Better with a pocket ace in a poker game
Cover charge paid with that stray change
Being a shoulder for a friend in need
Picture frame, make you laugh memory
Walkin’ this earth with my head held tall
Hearing my name in a southern drawl
Calling my mom ’cause I still can…”
It’s safe to say fans (myself included) are already falling in love with the track. Taking to the comments on Instagram, they’d express how they cannot wait for the official release.
“Yea this guy can’t miss”
“I’LL BE BETTER WHEN THIS IS RELEASED”
“This can’t come out soon enough”
“I’m better after listening to this”
“This song and album is gonna be sensational”
“Obsessed already!!”
“Song of the year“
“Heater”
“Better That Way” is out everywhere Friday, May 16th, and it’s more than likely going to be an early contender for song of the year judging by this early preview.
