Welcome to Essie Country
Promoting 21st Century
Real Country Music.
(About Essie Country)
(Mission Statement)
(The Story Behind Essie Country)
Greetings, real country music fans. Essie Country promotes the kind of songs and artists that remind you what country music is supposed to sound like—steel guitar, honest storytelling, and a voice that feels real from start to finish. And that’s what Essie Country is all about: real country music.
Video: What has happened to Country Music
Let’s stop calling today’s fake country “pop-country.” Having “pop” before “country” implies it’s country music, when it’s not. It should be called “country-pop,” implying it is pop music with a country flavor. Get country-pop out of country music and keep it in the pop genre, where it belongs.
The Essie Country Blog is part of the Essie Country experience. For more real country music of the 21st century, For more real country music of the 21st century, visit:essiecountry.com
The best “real” country music playlists on the internet: ⬇️
Essie Country’s Playlist for Real Country Music Song of the Week for 2026
Essie Country’s Real Country Music Favorites Playlist (78 Songs)
Contact Essie Country: Essie Country Email
Essie Country’s 2026 21st Century Real Country Music Songs of the Week ⬇️
- Crown and Coke
Essie Country’s 21st Century Real Country Music Song of the Week, for the week of 04/12/26 thru 04/18/26:Crown and CokeWritten and Performed by Kristen ForemanReleased 05/26/2021(Source: Spotify) ⬇️https://youtu.be/33odU2kMcoQ?si=-_hxNDeSzuh2CP-mReview by Gene JohnsThis week’s Essie Country Song of the Week is a song of self-awareness, but not redemption. From the opening lines, she paints a picture of her… Read more: Crown and Coke - Wasted Day
Essie Country’s 21st Century Real Country Music Song of the Week, for the week of 04/05/26 thru 04/11/26:“Wasted Day”by Bernie NelsonCo-written with Ken StrattonReleased 04/05/2024(Source: Spotify) ⬇️https://youtu.be/r0hbK8UnM-0?si=NglGDfxkOMWpf1jaReview by Gene Johns“Wasted Day” is a great follow-up to last week’s Essie Country’s Real Country Song of the Week, “My Kind of Lonely,” and further showcases Bernie Nelson’s versatility… Read more: Wasted Day - My Kind of Lonely
Essie Country’s 21st Century Real Country Music Songof the Week, for the week of03/29/26 thru 04/04/26 My Kind of Lonelyby Bernie NelsonReleased 10/17/2019 https://youtu.be/CSUEG_nESJI?si=N0pBH_SpqggtyP69 Review ofMy Kind of Lonely by Gene Johns March 28, 2026 When I first listened to “My Kind of Lonely,” I thought I had discovered a great five-star traditional country song. The musicality, vocal… Read more: My Kind of Lonely - Cheap Paradise
Essie Country’s 21st Century Real Country Music Song of the Week, for the week of: 03/22/26 thru 03/28/26. Cheap Paradise by Erin Viancourt Released 07/21/2023 ⬇️ https://youtu.be/1SW6QNaz27A?si=HXAaMSLjuccWL9HNA review of Erin Viancourt’sCheap Paradiseby… Read more: Cheap Paradise - Goodbye Ain’t All That Bad
Essie Country’s 21st Century Real Country Music Song of the Week, for the week of 03/15/26 thru 03/21/Greetings to fans of real country music, and welcome to this week’s Essie Country’s 21st Century Real Country Music Song of the Week, for the week of 03/15/26 thru 03/21/26Goodbye Ain’t All That Bad Cowritten & Performed by Drake MulliganReleased 11/07/2025Intro… Read more: Goodbye Ain’t All That Bad - Denver to Dallas
Essie Country’s 21st Century Real Country Music Song of the Week, for the week of 03/08/26 thru 03/14/26Denver to Dallasby Wynn Williams Released 01/03/2025Intro by Gene JohnsAs I listened to “Denver to Dallas” for the first time, and before it was halfway through, I knew I had a candidate for Essie Country 21st Century Real Country… Read more: Denver to Dallas - Blue Jeans
Essie Country’s 21st Century Real Country Music Song of the Week, for the week of 03/01/26 thru 03/07/26.Blue Jeansby Jessi PughReleased 06/28/2024Intro by Gene Johns Blue jeans have inspired numerous songs over the years. Perhaps the most famous is “Forever in Blue Jeans” by Neil Diamond. It peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100… Read more: Blue Jeans - The Tree
Essie Country Reflections A reviewFebruary 24, 2026The TreeCowritten & Performed by Hannah DasherReleased 09/27/2019Intro by Gene Johns I’m going out on a limb by highlighting “The Tree.” It’s a song that accurately describes what’s happening to country music. But I’ve had second thoughts about sharing it, so read on to find out why. In recent years,… Read more: The Tree - Never Gonna Hear It from Me
Essie Country’s 21st Century Real Country Music Song of the Week, for the week of 02/22/26 thru 02/28/26.Never Gonna Hear It from Meby Jamie RichardsReleased 10/14/2016Intro Gene Johns“Never Gonna Hear It from Me,” written and performed by country traditionalist Jamie Richards, is a classic country song that deserves recognition as this week’s Essie Country’s 21st Century… Read more: Never Gonna Hear It from Me - I’m Gonna Love You Anyway
I’m Gonna Love You Anyway by Trace Adkins
(Complete list of the Songs of the Week
for 2026, 2025, and 2024)
Essie Country: Home of 21st Century Real Country Music 