Single Review: Toby Keith, “Beautiful Stranger”

“Beautiful Stranger”
Toby Keith

Written by Toby Keith and Bobby Pinson

A haunting, evocative album closer that I can’t believe is being sent to radio, “Beautiful Stranger” showcases Toby Keith’s often overlooked talents as a vocalist and as a songwriter.

It’s drenched in melancholy, but is still the most romantic thing Keith has done in a very long time. It’s a love song for a rocky marriage, where husband and wife rediscover each other after too much emotional space has developed between them.

“Beautiful Stranger” is an insightful framework to use for such a rediscovery, and also works with Keith’s soaring vocal performance, which is a beautiful rediscovery in its own right. It’s the first time in years that I’ve heard him drop all of his bravado and be flat-out vulnerable.  It’s a revelation.

And just for those keeping track, this is the fourth song released from a ten song album, and so far, all four have been worth listening to.

Check out Toby Keith again, y’all. He’s on fire.

Grade: A

4 Comments

  1. Toby’s saying “fuck it, if they don’t want to play me, there’s no point in trying to write stuff they’ll play.”

    And I dig it.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.