Devin Dawson fans have been eagerly anticipating the release of new music and today itâs finally here.Â
The Pink Slip EP is available everywhere now (LISTEN HERE) and finds the Warner Music Nashville / Parlophone Records artist building on the edgy confidence he pioneered with his critically-acclaimed debut album, Dark Horse.Â
âI want to be honest and vulnerable and take the next step, because I always want to be creating music thatâs fresh and different from anything Iâve released before,â Dawson explains. âThere are definitely vibes on this EP that I wouldnât peg for myself, but I like the unexpected nature of doing things that people donât see coming. Iâm always trying to reinvent the wheel, every single day. I will always be a dark horse, but I have come a long way from the person I was, and I understand more of what it means to be an artist. Iâm still in black and white, but the background is a little brighter now. I used to write songs for me to get through something, but I have more people in mind now. So if youâre still in that place where youâre trying to get somewhere â if youâre still in that first quarter mile? Just know that if I can do it, you can do it.â
DEVIN DAWSON
Dawson staked out a lyrically-electrifying territory all his own with Dark Horse, but where that set found him prowling the shadows of his own stormy soul, The Pink Slip EP punches through the clouds. His new headspace is filled with hope, and he wants others to know the anything-is-possible truth heâs discovered. So back once again with producer Jay Joyce, the pair aimed for something happier overall but by no means less challenging.
Tracks like âNot On My Watchâ are full of determined bravado, returning to the sonic strut of Dark Horse standouts like âDipâ as it alchemizes frustrated anger into stand-your-ground courage. And likewise, âRange Roverâ matches its refined-but-playful beat with a wry lyrical eye roll, dropping into low gear for a torquey tuneup Dawson calls âthe country version of Kanye Westâs âGold Digger.ââ
However, the remaining songs capture his shifted attitude. With its sunny devotion and bouncing romantic pulse, âWhatever Forever Isâ embodies the love that led Dawson to his October 2019 marriage. And the reassuring Caribbean flair of âWhoâs Gonna Hold Yaâ was inspired by a question of faithful fidelity from his new father-in-law. Then on âHe Loved Her,â Dawson embraces the simple building blocks of legacies that last. Using his grandfather as a model, Dawson built the technicolor anthem around a man who valued integrity and reliability but was most proud of loving his wife.
Recently topping the US charts again as a featured artist alongside Lauren Alaina on HARDYâs âOne Beer,â the EP marks the first new solo releases from the breakout star since the success of his GRAMMY-nominated, ACM and CMA Single of the Year, âGodâs Country,â that he co-wrote for superstar Blake Shelton. The multi-week No. 1 also landed Dawson his first-ever ACM and CMA award nominations for Song of the Year, adding to his previously earned nods from the ACM, CMT Music, Radio Disney, BMI and MusicRow Awards.
Called âone of country musicâs most tender and articulate wordsmithsâ by The Tennessean, the acclaimed singer/songwriter has appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with Seth Meyers, ELLEN and TODAY in addition to receiving overwhelming critical praise from outlets such as HUFFPO, Esquire, Rolling Stone, Billboard, Entertainment Weekly, People, ELLE, AXS, HITS and more. The Nor-Cal native has also toured with major label artists including Maren Morris, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and label-mates Brett Eldredge and Dan + Shay.
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