Tenille Arts’ recently released single “I Hate This” features a gorgeous melody, resonant lyrics and an emotional, engaging vocal performance.
In short, it is a great mainstream country record.
The song is currently impacting country radio. To generate additional momentum (and to offer fans a new way to enjoy the song), the artist released an acoustic version Friday evening.
Given that the recorded version features fairly understated production (refreshingly bucking a recent country radio trend), the acoustic version does not represent a dramatic departure. It does, however, find Arts delivering a vocal performance that is simultaneously more vulnerable and more powerful than on the studio version.
There is no guarantee “I Hate This” will become a hit. As a single from a new artist on an independent label, it may face difficulty even making the lower portion of the country radio airplay chart.
The acoustic version nonetheless emphasizes what Tenille Arts fans already know: she is a remarkable talent, and her new single is a remarkable song.
