Songwriters: Barry Dean, Luke Laird, Brett Eldredge
For the first time ever, superstar country couple Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert are collaborating on an album – except not as the performing artists, but rather as co-producers. Indeed, the potty-mouthed party boy and the pistol-toting bad girl are helming a new project by cowboy-hatted nineties star Neal McCoy, who is best known for the number one hits “Wink” and “No Doubt About It.” The album is titled XII, and set for a January 2012 release.
Lead single “A-Ok” kicks off with a bit of catchy Andy Griffith-esque whistling, and then settles into an enjoyable nineties-style groove. To some extent, the pleasant arrangement distracts from the fact that the lyrics say nothing of any real significance, leaning on vapid optimism and shallow feel-good platitudes. Unfortunately, where the single also goes wrong is in leaning on a title hook that carries a strong inherent cheesiness factor, with each chorus culminating in a declaration that everything is “A-O….A-o…A – OKAY!” It might sound somewhat cute on the first listen, but it quickly wears thin. A few more listens in, it’s nearly cringe-inducing
“A-Ok” doesn’t hold up after a certain number of replays, which makes it a weak entry with which to launch a brand-new project, especially since it sounds more like album filler than anything else. I’ll still give the album a chance. The lead single, however, is a swing and a miss.
The 1-to-10 Country Music Review 