Which is why, Leeann, that Sony Music Nashville stuck with him, they knew that he had something and with his good looks and charm, all he needed was the right song to break through. I fully expect him to break through even bigger with a follow-up single, even if it’s either “That Makes Me” or “21 Candles” (which went over REALLY well when I saw him perform a month ago.

However, some of my fav. male singers have very much disappointed me. I used to love Dierks Bentley’s music, and Long Trip Alone was a very high point for me. And then he followed it up with “Feel That Fire” and the horrid “I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes”. (I won’t complain about “Sideways” because I happen to like it.)

I really enjoyed a lot of the stuff from Keith Urban’s Love, Pain, and the Whole Crazy Thing album, especially the singles “I Told You So” and “Everybody”. But then he followed the album up with a much more boring album, and released a bunch of boring singles. I can forgive him for “You Look Good In My Shirt” because although it didn’t blow me away, I thought it was full of energy. But the rest are forgettable.

I won’t go into any more examples, but it is certainly interesting that the women have been much more consistent. I even liked 3 of the other top 10s or near top 10s by women this year: “Ride”, “Strange”, and “Best Days of Your Life”, even if their follow-ups aren’t as strong for me.

I must be in the minority, too. I think “Waking Up Laughing” is superior and much more interesting. “Shine,” as you noted, seems to have less “Martina.”

The highlight for me thus far has probably been Chris Young’s airplay breakthrough with “Gettin’ You Home,” a breakthrough that he had richly deserved for the beautiful “Drinkin’ Me Lonely.”

You know, when I first heard the song, I found it a tad too explicit (for me – I realize it’s not really that explicit :) ). But the more I listen to it, the more genuine and tasteful the performance feels. I’ve grown to really love it. And that voice!

Our opinions on all this are so similar, it’s a little spooky.

I actually do like “It Happens”, and I wouldn’t have minded seeing it released as part of a generally stronger pool of singles. But in the company of “All I Want To Do” and “Joey”, it just makes me feel like they’re skipping over the real meat of the album.

Those exact two would be my choices and I thought for sure “Very Last Country Song” would be a single. I actually never expected to like most the singles from Love on the Inside, but that was when I thought the singles would include the lead single, “It Happens” and “Take Me As I Am.”

I give credit to Sugarland for making some offbeat decisions — I like the idea of not just going with the obvious singles and challenging radio if one really believes in a song. I just happened not to care for “Joey” or “Love.” I like most of “Keep You,” but it’s that darn cat-like sound Jen Nettles makes on “hiiiiiide” in the chorus that drives me nuts. I just don’t think it serves the song to sound like that. She’s a great vocalist and I just can’t understand why she would choose to sound like that.

In any case, I applaud the band’s attitude when it comes to showcasing songs. They have chosen to sing album tracks instead of the predictable current single at the last two country awards shows. They’re doing some very smart things to keep their core fans interested. For me, Sugarland is the best combination of out-of-the-box musical and marketing savvy out there right now. Whether or not I always like the musical output that follows, I think their attitude is needed in our genre.

I’m off to see Keith Urban and Sugarland at MSG tonight. Super-excited — this will be my first time seeing Sugarland live. Given Jennifer’s bout with cancel-itis I’ve been nervous about jinxing the show with my anticipation, but what the heck. I can’t wait.