5 Must-Hear New Country Songs: Blake Shelton, Jake Worthington, Emily Ann Roberts & More

Blake Shelton returns with a new song from his upcoming album, For Recreational Use Only, which will mark his first project on his new label home, BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville.

Meanwhile, several surging newcomers make top outings this week, including Preston Cooper, Emily Ann Roberts, and Jake Worthington — with Worthington teaming up with country/Americana stalwart Marty Stuart. Meanwhile, celebrated bluegrass group The Seldom Scene returns with its 24th album.

Check out all of these and more in Billboard‘s roundup of the best country, Americana and/or bluegrass songs of the week below.

Blake Shelton, “Let Him In Anyway”

Shelton’s newest song has the makings of an enduring Shelton classic, as this stately ballad finds the Oklahoma native singing about someone making a fervent prayer for a recently-deceased friend who never quite found spiritual redemption. The track also gives a potent reminder that Shelton still knows just how to deliver a wallop of a heart-tugging song.

Jake Worthington feat. Marty Stuart, “I’m the One”

Texan Worthington has quickly cemented his role as an indispensable voice in country music’s upward swing of new neo-traditional artists, and he further elevates that idea by pairing with with one of country music’s most top-flight musicians, writers and historians, Country Music Hall of Fame member Marty Stuart. Together, they’ve crafted a certified barn-burner, blending Worthington’s burly twang with a rollicking, piano-laced track, fueled by Stuart’s expert guitar skills and harmonies.

Emily Ann Roberts, “Scratching Out a Living”

Roberts, who released her debut album Can’t Hide Country in 2023, wields a twangy, vivacious tone with ease, bringing a touch of humor and respite to the song’s tale of braving the daily 9-to-5 grind while dreaming of leaving stressful, bland office life in her rearview. Roberts’ new song highlights her vibrant vocals and bubbly personality on this relatable track. All the while, her bluegrass and country allegiance is unmistakable.

Preston Cooper, “Numbers on a Mailbox”

Cooper was among the newcomers who made a strong showing at this year’s Country Radio Seminar in February, and on his new song, he lends his warm vocal to a gripping delivery of this slice of nostalgia, written by Brett Warren, Brad Warren and Taylor Phillips. Cooper, a former mailman before turning his sights to music, sings about the memories and life moments that the numbers on a mailbox signify to someone who calls an address home. Cooper brings a tender but powerful outing with this new song.

The Seldom Scene, “Man at the Crossroads”

After more than five decades, lauded bluegrass group The Seldom Scene releases its 24th album, Remains to Be Scene, which dropped March 14 via Smithsonian Folkways. Though the group’s lineup has changed completely over the ensuing decades since the group formed (the group’s current lineup features guitarist Dudley Connell, dobro player Fred Travers, bassist Ronnie Simpkins, mandolinist Lou Reid and banjo player/fiddler Ron Stewart), its commitment to musical excellence and exquisite harmonies remains unfettered. On “Man at the Crossroads,” they bring glistening fiddle and elegant guitarwork atop tender harmonies. Elsewhere on the album, the group showcases its talents across a breadth of styles, including takes on Bob Dylan’s “Walking Down the Line” and “Farewell Angelina,” as well as Flatt and Scruggs’ “Hard Travelin’.”