Jordan Davis on the country hit he can't believe he didn't write

"Since 2017, this singer and songwriter from Shreveport, La., has put 10 singles on Billboard's Country Airplay chart - five of which have gone to No. 1 and none of which has peaked lower than No. 7. Among his hits: "Buy Dirt," which was named song of the year by the Country Music Assn. in 2022; "Next Thing You Know," which earned the same award from the Academy of Country Music in 2024; and his latest, "Bar None," a clever drinking song in which he recounts "getting goner than your long-gone boots.""

"You can attribute Davis' success in part to the fact that his music makes sense next to virtually anything on the radio - it's wordy yet hooky, frisky but thoughtful, old-fashioned in structure yet sweetened with just the right amount of ear candy. His new album, "Learn the Hard Way," is the work of a guy who's clearly absorbed the lessons of the market. Yet his homespun wit and his emotional specificity also bear the influence of the master he describes as his "songwriting GOAT": John Prine."

"I got that from the University of Idaho - they're the Vandals. We were driving through one day and I saw a sign that said "This Is Vandal Country." I kept it for a really long time, and then when we were writing "Memory Don't Mess Around," we did, "Stole every bit of my moving-on like a vandal." Love a good gerund.Songwriting is literally just dissecting words - like, how can we say this cooler?"

Jordan Davis is a country singer-songwriter from Shreveport, La., who has placed 10 singles on Billboard's Country Airplay chart since 2017, including five No. 1s and none lower than No. 7. His notable songs include "Buy Dirt" (CMA song of the year, 2022), "Next Thing You Know" (ACM song of the year, 2024) and the drinking song "Bar None." The album Learn the Hard Way balances wordy, hook-driven melodies with old-fashioned structures and contemporary ear candy. The songwriting combines homespun wit and emotional specificity influenced by John Prine. Davis keeps a list of words to use in songs and focuses on precise, playful lyrical phrasing.

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