Are you Team Justin or Team Somebody Else?
[Video]
[5.67]
Nellie Gayle: Much as I generally loathe any genre specifically geared at straight, hypermasculine men, country has become more winning and less obsessed with guns and God in the past few years. Justin Moore is as good an example as any. He has an old school country voice, obviously influenced in tone and style by progenitors like Tim McGraw. “Somebody Else Will” makes surprising stylistic choices, especially in the verses before launching into a more traditional chorus. The inclusion of synth and heavier bass makes it moodier than its usual counterparts, but disappointingly it’s only included sparingly before reverting to older, safer country-style guitar rips.
[6]
Stephen Eisermann: “Somebody else” might take a shot with the girl in question, but I guarantee no other male mainstream country artist will toe the moody country-pop line as well as Justin manages to do in this song. The verses are moody R&B-Pop hybrids and Justin’s voice brings the southern flair necessary to garner play on country radio stations (although twang is becoming less and less necessary now); the mixture is electric and extremely engaging. Here’s hoping other artists follow suit.
[7]
Anthony Easton: The guitar grinds, and the voice circles to a chorus that slurs and bucks. It’s not a new sentiment from Moore, but he is one of the great performers of this kind of material–and I like it better than when he works through politics.
[7]
Alfred Soto: I’m a sucker for a tune whose solo quotes, unwittingly perhaps, Natalie Imbruglia’s “Torn,” and it’s the solo’s faint longing that gives “Somebody Else Will” its only tension. Justin Moore doesn’t sound pained — he sounds like early Tim McGraw.
[5]
Madeleine Lee: There’s a “you” in there, but the only person Moore is singing to is himself, like a motivational speaker for would-be pick up artists. Meanwhile, the jukebox has gone from funk to new country to alt-rock without anyone paying much attention.
[5]
Nortey Dowuona: The bass was lit but the rest of the song was so loud and overpowering it ruins the whole subtle thing at the beginning. (Plus the song itself is creepy and possessive and the lowrider at the end of the video is lame as hell.)
[4]