Country

It’s a hallmark of Southern dialects that one-syllable words are frequently stretched into two: “there” becomes “they-er,” or “damn” – in the title of a Florida Georgia Line album cut – becomes “Dayum, Baby.” Oklahoma-bred Corey Kent figuratively puts the accent on steroids in “Wild as Her,” holding the word “wild” out for 12 “wi-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-ild” rollercoaster syllables in the back half of the chorus. And for good measure, he repeats the feat immediately, extending the run to 13 syllables. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The thing is, that passage is tough. It covers a wide melodic range, for starters, and without any separation between the notes, it can quickly devolve into non-descript mush. Create too much separation, it soun...

It’s a little early to be thinking about trick-or-treaters, but Miranda Lambert’s “Strange” is perhaps a good soundtrack for ultra-organized planners considering this year’s Halloween costume. “It does sound like this creepy carnival in a cool way,” she says with a laugh. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “Strange” is a reaction to the pandemic, an out-of-balance period in American life that threw the population into uncertainty, battling a creepy virus that — particularly in its infancy — was novel and dangerous. Lest we forget how odd it was, Lambert and her co-writers, Luke Dick (“Burning Man,” “Don’t Come Lookin’”) and Natalie Hemby (“Heartache Medication,” “Pontoon”), wrote “Strange” at Lambert’s Tennessee farm in 2020, when vaccines...