JOE NICHOLS RELEASES POWERHOUSE DUET WITH ANNIE BOSKO,
‘BETTER THAN YOU,’ TODAY
Smoldering First Single From Nichols’ 11th Studio Album Impacts Country Radio on Monday, October 7
NEW ALBUM, HONKY TONKS AND COUNTRY SONGS, OUT OCTOBER 25 / AVAILABLE TO PRE-SAVE/PRE-ADD NOW
NASHVILLE, TN (Sept. 27, 2024) – Three-time GRAMMY nominated and multi-platinum selling artist Joe Nichols today released the powerful ballad "Better Than You," an emotional duet with rising star Annie Bosko, across all digital retailers and streaming partners.
“Better Than You” marks the No. 1 hitmaker’s first radio single from his new album, Honky Tonks and Country Songs, which will be released on Friday, Oct. 25.
Stream/Listen to “Better Than You” HERE.
Watch the official lyric video for “Better Than You” HERE.
Pre-Save/Pre-Add the album Honky Tonks and Country Songs HERE.
The irresistibly melodic “Better Than You” channels the moment two lovers realize that no other love can compare to what they have found in each other’s arms. The smoldering ballad also reminds us that love at first sight can stop you in your tracks, changing the trajectory of your life.
Penned by chart-topping songwriters Derek George (Bryan White’s “So Much for Pretending”) and John Pierce (Zac Brown’s “Sweet Annie”), the song builds as Nichols reminds listeners why he is “one of country music’s most consistent, indelible vocalists” (Billboard). Nichols is matched by a powerhouse vocal performance from Bosko, herself a fast-rising and celebrated singer/songwriter who has opened for acts such as Tim McGraw and Jelly Roll and collaborated with icons such as Dwight Yoakam and Vince Gill.
The soaring performance by the vocal duo brings to life the intense concurrent feelings of both a yearning for and the realization of true love portrayed in each line of the chorus:
“I don’t wanna ever taste the last kiss from your lips
It’d break me in two
No there ain’t no getting over falling like this
We both know it’s true
Yeah if this ain’t forever I ain’t ever finding
Better than you”
Produced by Mickey Jack Cones (Dustin Lynch, Thomas Rhett) and Derek George (Randy Houser), the album highlights Nichols’ steadfast commitment to country music that has made him one of Nashville’s most honest and versatile voices, regarded for his warm and distinctly country tone by everyone from Dolly Parton to Post Malone – he’s sung with both. On Nichols’ new album, Honky Tonks and Country Songs, the chart-topper continues to connect country’s traditional past with its diverse present over 11 radio-ready tracks.
The upcoming album features the previously released “Doin’ Life With You,” which Billboard says “offers a clear-eyed look at the result of a love that has endured the trials, unexpected life twists, and mundane moments, all adding up to a solidified bond between two lovers,” as well as the critically lauded “Bottle It Up,” of which legendary music critic Robert Oermann declared in his MusicRow DISClaimer column, “This good humored, twanging tempo tune is one more reason to applaud our enduring favorite.”
Another album highlight, “Hard Fires,” features a guest appearance from ACM-nominated group Runaway June’s lead vocalist, Stevie Woodward. The mid-tempo track explores the conflicting emotions of returning to an old flame who might be wrong for you but always feels so right.
With over two billion streams worldwide, Nichols remains a mainstay of country music, bridging the gap between the genre's old-school roots and contemporary era. A 21st century traditionalist, Nichols’ second album for Quartz Hill Records, Honky Tonks and Country Songs, both pays homage to his early days as a country artist and possesses a sound that honors his heroes.
Of the album Nichols said, “I’ve been in a lot of honky tonks. They’re the only places I could play for a long time, and you learn a lot about being an entertainer there, because people come wanting to hear a good song and have a good time. Country songs speak not just to those people, but to all people.”
“My job is to make people feel good. And sometimes that means with fun and happy songs, and other times with sad and sorrowful truths. But the goal is always to make them feel good,” he continues. “This album is meant to do exactly that. Everyone can find a good time in a honky tonk and a country song.”
Honky Tonks and Country Songs – Official Track Listing
1. Honky Tonks and Country Songs – (Tyler Hubbard/Matt Jenkins/Travis Wood/Casey Brown)
2. Bottle It Up – (Josh Kear/Dan Isbell/Paul Sikes)
3. People Still Doin’ That – (Justin Lantz/Clint Daniels/Jeremy Crady)
4. Helpless in a Honky Tonk – (Jared Keim/Ryan Beaver/Neil Medley/Dan Alley)
5. Country Boy Can Survive – (Hank Williams Jr)
6. Hard Fires (featuring Stevie Woodward) – (Michael Carter/Adam Craig/Matt Rogers)
7. Doin’ Life With You – (Jimmy Yeary)
8. Y’all Do – (Jake Mitchell/Michael Hardy/Mike Walker)
9. On and On – (Jason Sellers/Terri Jo Box/Dan Smalley)
10. Better Than You (Joe Nichols & Annie Bosko) – (Derek George/John Pierce)
11. Amazing Ways – (Dan Isbell/Jordan Minton/Jonathan Smith)
Nichols heads back out on the road this weekend playing shows at The Cotillion Ballroom in Wichita, KS (9/27), the Downtown Country Jam in Fort Dodge, IA (9/28), the Jackalope Ranch in Indio, CA (10/5), the KMLE 8 Man Jam in Scottsdale, AZ (10/6), and more. For a full list of tour dates and more information, visit www.JoeNichols.com.
About Joe Nichols:
Multi-platinum Quartz Hill Records’ Joe Nichols is one of country music’s most-lauded recording artists. A 21st century traditionalist, Nichols is an artist who is both timely and timeless – one who has racked up more than TWO BILLION cumulative audio streams/ views including a half-dozen No. 1 singles and ten Top 10 hits with a sound that blurs the boundaries between country music's past and present. It's an approach that has earned Nichols three GRAMMY nominations, a CMA award, an ACM trophy, a CMT “Breakthrough Video of the Year” Award as well as multiple gold and platinum-certified records. Nichols’ additional honors include awards from Billboard, Radio & Records and Music Row Magazine as well as a New York Times “Best-Albums-of-the-Year” nod. The celebrated star has appeared on national media programs ranging from the ACM Presents: Superstar Duets in CBS primetime to The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The View, Entertainment Tonight and Austin City Limits. He also made his big screen debut in the feature film, Murder at Yellowstone City.
Nichols’ 11th career studio album, Honky Tonks and Country Songs, will be released October 25 and is available for pre-save / pre-add now. Nichols’ first radio single from the album, “Better Than You,” (a duet with rising star Annie Bosko) impacts country radio on Oct. 7 and is available to stream now.
For the latest news on Nichols visit www.JoeNichols.com and follow him at @JoeNichols on Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok.
* Source: Mediabase
About Annie Bosko:
With a voice that beams like a ray of California sunshine, singer-songwriter Annie Bosko’s “CASH” is available now via Stone Country Records/Brown Sellers Brown Management. Written by Bosko with Griffin House and produced by Bosko with Tommy Sims, “CASH” serves as an homage to the legacy of Johnny Cash, noting the paradoxes that made the Man in Black such a compelling figure. Pairing a sound anchored deep in the organic twang of ‘90s country with simple songs told from the heart while preaching equal parts healing and honky-tonk hope, the Golden State native made her late-night debut on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” with “Neon Baby,” her first charting single at Country radio from her self-titled EP released earlier this year. Bosko broke out in 2014 with the SiriusXM/CMT hit “Crooked Halo,” bucking the bro-country trend for a traditionally flavored anthem that has now amassed more than 3 million streams, earning her a title as an Artist to Watch from Rolling Stone Country. She went on to write songs recorded by Willie Nelson and Jessica Simpson, tour alongside Tim McGraw, Dierks Bentley and Blake Shelton, sell out the famed Troubadour and perform on the Grand Ole Opry and at Ryman Auditorium–the fabled Mother Church of Country Music–while also becoming an in-demand studio vocalist. After years of hard knocks and creative shapeshifting, Bosko is now embracing her true nature for creative rejuvenation. Working with producers Derek George and Mickey Jack Cones, her self-titled EP pairs unapologetic twang, clever wordplay and deep compassion with her long standing downhome-diva vocal, capturing the full range of timeless American art in its purest form. In 2023, Bosko released the powerful-yet-tender ballad “Dandelions” in memory of the victims of Nashville’s Covenant School shooting–a track written alongside Danny Myrick which has now become a beacon of community remembrance and faith. Lost in grief and capturing the reverberating shock of that day’s unfathomable loss, the track has been embraced by the Covenant School families themselves, with all proceeds being donated for their benefit through ACM Lifting Lives. For more information, visit AnnieBosko.com or follow along on Instagram, TikTok, X @AnnieBosko and Facebook.com/AnnieBoskoMusic.
# # #
