If heartbreak had a sense of humor it would sound a whole lot like Maddye Trew’s latest single, “Single Of The Year.” Equal parts clever, cheeky, and charmingly self-deprecating, this tune is an anthem for the perpetually un-partnered- and it’s having WAY too much fun with it. Right from the top, some playful dobro lets you know this isn’t your average tear-in-my-beer country ballad. Instead, it’s more like a wink-and-finger-guns from across the dive bar. Paired with some delightfully casual stick-on-the-rim drumming, the arrangement feels like it was brewed in a mason jar full of laughs. You can practically hear the smirks behind the studio mics- and in fact, you do: the song closes with some lighthearted vocal outtakes that confirm what we suspected all along- this was a joyride from take one. Lyrically, Maddye turns romantic disaster into country gold. “All my friends are tying the knot, and I’m over here just tyin’ one on,” she sings, as if clinking a bottle of PBR to her own misfortune. It’s a masterclass in spinning silver linings from rusted-out relationship wreckage. Maddye leans all the way into the sass with her vocal, seasoning each phrase with just the right blend of playfulness and poignancy. Her sing-song melodies skip along like a tipsy line dancer- unapologetically confident even while recounting every failed date and fizzled spark. Her ability to laugh at love gone wrong feels like a breath of fresh barroom air in a genre that often leans heavy on the sorrow. And honestly? If heartbreak sounded this fun more often, we’d all be fighting for runner-up. So here’s to Maddye- she may not be walking down the aisle, but with this single, she might well be strutting straight up the charts.
