The latest country power-duo, Maddie and Tae, made their big debut in the beginning of the summer of 2014 with their hit song, “Girl in a Country Song,” but they didn’t stop there. Finally, they released their first album, “Start Here,” toward the end of August.
“Girl in a Country Song” really drew attention to the duo; the song was a nice change for country listeners from the usual country songs about trucks, love, and beer. Not only was it different from most country songs, it made fun of traditional country music by targeting the most stereotypical topics in country music such as tailgating and cutoff jeans.
Maddie and Tae continued to make themselves known for their playful feminist attitudes in “Shut Up and Fish.” In this song, they poke fun at preppy city boys, telling them to be more like country boys.
The girls project more of a fragile attitude in the songs “Downside of Growing Up” and “Smoke.” “Downside of Growing Up” is a bittersweet song about growing up and finally leaving home. “Smoke” shows an even more vulnerable side of the girls in the form of a love song about a boy who’s been hurt before.
“Waitin’ On a Plane” definitely is the most powerful song out of those on the album, and it gives the listener a feel as to how much hard work and dedication goes into the making of their music. The girls filmed a YouTube video called “Behind the Song ‘Waitin’ on a Plane,’” which described how they came about writing the song. They began with a melody and figured out the most important things in their lives at the time. This song helped show me that the girls are extremely dedicated to making it big in the music industry by telling about the hard work and struggle that goes into working in such a tough industry. It is a song that hasn’t been done before, unlike most country music which typically talks about trucks and love.
Personally, my favorite song on the album was definitely “Fly” because I could relate to it the best. Along with a portraying a more delicate side of their music, the song really shows the talent in the girls’ voices and their abilities to make their unique voices work together. Maddie and Tae wrote the song about a very exciting but vulnerable point in their lives: when they moved to Nashville at the young age of 17, which is why I feel that as a teenager I can relate to it the most out of the songs on the album. It gives off a strong message of finding hope and following your dreams.
All in all, “Start Here” was an excellent album and I really enjoyed all of the songs on it. It makes listeners eager for, and wonder about, what they’re going to come out with next. I would definitely recommend anyone who is a fan of non-traditional country-pop music to listen to it.
