MACKENZIE CARPENTER

                                                                "Don't Mess With Exes"

                                                                 The Valory Music Co.

Mackenzie Carpenter blasted onto the country music scene when SiriusXM’s The Highway named her one of their prestigious ‘Highway Finds’ and placed “Can’t Nobody” into their rotation.

Proving that she was more than worthy of her new status level as an artist to watch, Carpenter has since followed her breakthrough success by earning heavy rotation with the ultra-catchy “Huntin’ Season,” and tugging on heartstrings with the prayer like lyric of “Jesus, I’m Jealous.”

She now returns with her first music of 2023, “Don’t Mess With Exes.”

Carpenter has shown us different layers of her artist makeup over her first few releases, and like what we’ve seen with “Huntin’ Season,” this song keeps her vocals in the forefront and allows them the proper amount of room to inject the lyrics with her wit and personality.

Always one to push the borders of her comfort zone, though, she skillfully smashes her signature pop country flare into a style that carries a 1970’s induced vibe to add a groove heavy/pop your hips motion to the rhythm.

Red flags are flapping in the breeze as Mackenzie delivers an open letter to a friend who’s on the verge of answering an ex-boyfriend’s text message and making a regret-filled decision.

With a very clear head in comparison to her lust blinded friend, Carpenter assumes the more mature role as she boldly spells out what’s really going on here, singing lines through the opening verse such as, “It ain’t ever just texting, it’s sending a message,” “You know what it says when you send it that late and your heart’s in a Lonestar state,” etc.

Spliced between those honest reminders that are blatantly being ignored, Mackenzie demands like a good friend ought to, “Girl put down that phone” while also telling her friend that “he’s a thorn in your desert rose.”

Though this song is tongue and cheek at times, especially with the easter egg type of Texas references spread throughout the lyrics and within the title itself, what I truly love about the cleverness of Mackenzie’s songwriting is that she isn’t just giving unwarranted advice to her friend, but hits her with a very valid reason not to make this mistake when she strikes the hook, “Don’t mess with exes…cause they’ll make a mess out of you.”

Mackenzie Carpenter continues to impress as each new song release reveals another piece to the overall puzzle of her artist makeup, while also showcasing her all-around songwriter prowess with memorable lyrics that stay with you, and in this case, wrapping them around a slower type of two-step melody that will surely light up the  hardwood floors at Friday night country dancehalls.

(Review Written By: Jeffrey Kurtis)

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