It has never been easier to reach an audience than now and in country music, a genre which audiences are usually slower to accept new platforms, TikTok took off faster than perhaps even the recorded CD did for country music fans. One of the artists to benefit the most from the exposure on the TikTok platform is Priscilla Block.
The song which she released on TikTok that made Music Row “say yes” was her subsequently re-mixed major label debut hit “Just About Over You,” a song which went from viral sensation at the height of the Pandemic to Top 15 on the charts prior to the release of Welcome To The Block Party, Priscilla Block’s debut album via InDent/Mercury Nashville. And what a refreshing album it is.
The album kicks off with “My Bar,” with a crunchy Tom Petty-ish melody backing up Priscilla, she sings about her favorite watering hole where she goes to routinely and she reminds an old flame who comes in — knowing her routine — like he owns the place, only to be rebuffed and reminded by her that the regulars there don’t really know him or care to see him there. It’s a nice follow-up to “Just About Over You” as the songs pair well together as a 1-2 punch.
“Heels In Hand” feels like a future hit and it was a good decision to bring the song over from her self-titled EP along with “”Wish You Were The Whiskey,” “Just About Over You” and “I Bet You Wanna Know.” She also brought over “Thick Thighs,” one of her breakout hits on TikTok and other platforms where Priscilla owns the fact that she’s not some human coat rack and there’s a great honesty (and humor) to the song.
“I Know A Girl,” which features co-writer Hillary Lindsey, showcases another song which cuts to the bone for anyone who has self-esteem issues but reminds herself that she can get through anything. It’s a heartwarming reminder about “self-care” with it’s refrain “when I’m down and out and it hurts like hell, I tell myself ‘I know a girl’.” “Peaked In High School” is a great reminder that there’s a whole life outside of the small town and high school. Especially when a “friend” leaves you behind in high school only to want to be friends with you after you’ve become something to that old “friend” and others.
The songwriting on Welcome To The Block Party is what stands out from the start, much in the same way the songwriting stood out on Taylor Swift and Miranda Lambert’s early records.These songs are intimately personal while also being universal enough to be relatable to the listeners own life. That’s the key for any artist and something that many artists spend years trying to achieve. Pricilla Block's Welcome To The Block Party is an early favorite for one of our top albums for the year 2022.
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