Waterloo Revival released today their second song to date, the uptempo “Bad For You.” Written by the duo with Ross Copperman and Jon Nite, “Bad For You” is highly catchy, a rhythm-driven track that easily earns summer anthem status. “You got me doing things I know I shouldn’t do / I got it bad for you,” the duo lament in the hooky chorus. “Bad For You” mixes the groove of recent Thomas Rhett and Brett Eldredge songs with the pop candy of Maroon 5, and we’re not complaining.
For country purists, it raises an eyebrow as to whether there still exists a line between pop and country, with both sound and lyrical content leaning heavily into the pop realm – “I’m like a bee on honey, I’m like a cloud on blue” maybe the most ‘country’ lyric in the song, and only because of country’s affinity for critter imagery. There’s more storytelling, the country credential that kept Sam Hunt in the format, in Jason Derulo’s “Want You To Want Me,” and there’s not much of a twang from the Texans on this one.
Whether or not “Bad For You” deserves the #country hashtag is beside the point; the song sounds great. It’s ear candy, and should connect well with listeners.
“Bad For You” follows the Big Machine artists’ distinctly more country debut “Hit The Road,” another uptempo that received airplay with Sirius XM. Grab the song on iTunes.