If you’re a fan of country music, you’ve probably heard of Maddie & Tae from their famous country boy-bashing song “Girl In A Country Song.” This song pretty much set them off in the summer of 2014, and now Madison Marlow and Taylor Dye have finally released their first full length album “Start Here.”
The album is filled with songs about love, heartache, bullying, and many more.
The two best friends were brought up by Big Machine Label Group’s founder, Scott Borchetta, who has blessed the country world with Taylor Swift and Florida Georgia Line.
“I heard them once on Radio Disney and I thought they were great!” says sophomore Alexa McDaniel.
The album opens with “Waitin’ On A Plane.” In this upbeat song, the two sing about achieving goals and chasing their dreams. The line “Waitin’ On A Plane” symbolizes waiting for the chance to spread their wings and take off.
“Girl In A Country Song” opens up with a warning that “no country music was harmed in the making.” This song bashes stereotypical boy country singers and quotes lyrics of songs from Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, and Blake Shelton. The single came out more than a year ago and is still going strong now.
My absolute favorite song on “Start Here” is “Smoke.” It is about a girl who knows her man is bad for her, but she can’t seem to part from him, just like smoking. One of the reasons why I like this song is because of the acoustic guitar throughout the song. I find it very calming and the perfect song for a rainy day.
Another popular song by Maddie and Tae is “Shut Up And Fish.” Seeing this song for the first time in the album made me think, “That’s it, this album is gonna be bad and it’s a joke,” but I was wrong! I actually enjoy this song and find it extremely catchy. In the song, two friends go fishing and while the girl is caught up in trying to get a fish, all the boy wants to do is try and flirt with her and she clearly wants him to shut up and fish.
Their current single, “Fly,” is the next song. Out of the entire album, this is the first slow song. When I first heard this song, I immediately thought of “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus. It talks about not giving up and pursuing your goals. Although every singer has a song about this concept, I can stand this one.
This next song should have been a single in my opinion. “Sierra,” is another favorite of mine. It’s the song that every teenage girl can relate to because we all have a Sierra in our lives. Sierra is a stuck up girl that dumped her friends. She is said to be cruel and treats everyone badly. In the song, she is being reprimanded and told that “life isn’t all tiaras.”
“Your Side Of Town,” is not your typical slow depressing song about a break up; it is upbeat and catchy. The story of the song is about a girl who is no longer with her boyfriend, and she is telling him to stay as far away from her as possible.
“After The Storm Blows Through” is the countriest song on the album, and a more laid back song with a message to someone saying that they will always stick by their side, no matter the circumstance.
Personally, I cannot stand country music. The only country music I enjoy is Taylor Swift because it’s Taylor Swift! However, I somehow managed to enjoy this album.
One of the main reasons I liked it is because it’s not pure country; it has some elements of pop culture throughout it. I also thought the lyrics were very well written and witty, which helped make the album more interesting.
“I like country music sometimes and one of my friends really likes Maddie and Tae, so maybe one day I’ll listen to the album,” said sophomore Oliwia Thind.
I definitely would recommend giving “Start Here” a chance, whether you like or don’t like country music.
If you have heard this album, what do you think of it?
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