Whoever says that reality TV shows can’t produce credible artists clearly has no idea what they’re talking about. Country star Chris Young was the winner of Nashville Star back in 2006 and since then he’s enjoyed four Top 10 US Country albums – Chris Young (2006), The Man I Want To Be (2009), Neon (2011) and A.M. (2013). He’s also become an international star building quite the fanbase for himself here in the UK. Two years after the release of A.M. Young is back with his eagerly-awaited fifth studio album I’m Comin’ Over.
Ahead of the album’s release Young released the title track, which has peaked at number 4 on the US Country Chart so far. It’s also given the star his biggest hit on the Billboard 100 since 2013’s catchy Aw Naw. I’m Comin’ Over sees Young further embracing the contemporary Country sound but fans needn’t worry too much as his voice is still the big draw here. There’s no doubt that I’m Comin’ Over is directed at crossing over into the mainstream to give Young his biggest album to date but that hasn’t compromised his integrity as an artist.
Young has unfairly been lumped into the bro country category, a label that really doesn’t fit the kind of music he makes. The album opens with the romantic Heartbeat, a song that pairs Young’s fantastic voice with acoustic melodies and a killer chorus. From that point on there’s a lot of variety and I’m Comin’ Over is one of those albums that makes you want to press play as soon as it finishes its run. Young teams up with fellow former reality star Cassadee Pope on album highlight Think of You, enlists Country legend Vince Gill for guitar and harmony duties on the emotive Sober Saturday Night, and records a future live favourite on the catchy You Do The Talkin’.
Elsewhere on the record Young lets his voice shine on the ballad I Know a Guy where he appeals to a lover to give him another chance, gives us our favourite moment on the radio-friendly Alone Tonight, and infuses his sound with rock on the uptempo Underdogs.
I’m Comin’ Over is Young’s finest record to date and it’s sure to give him plenty more success. The record is a collection of radio-friendly gems that will give him mileage on Country radio and plenty of material to showcase when he hits the road. He is a distinctly different proposition to current Country music leaders Luke Bryan and Sam Hunt, and as long as he keeps putting his stamp on everything he does he’ll keep building on his success and his ever-growing fanbase.
