KIP MOORE

                                                               "Damn Love" 

                                                                MCA Nashville

Upon announcing that his fifth studio album Damn Love would be releasing on April 28, 2023, country superstar Kip Moore offered up the first taste of his new album by sharing its title track.

Co-written by Jason Gantt, Jaren Johnston, and James McNair, the tempo driven cut intriguingly borrows 1980’s synth heavy production through its crescendo building intro before it gives way to the fine line between genres that has always defined Kip Moore, blurring through country music know how and rock like tilts to encompass his naturally raspy, rugged around the edges vocal.

Wrapping his distinguishable voice into lyrics that perfectly take us through the many different facets of love, Moore describes the wide array of feelings you get with it as being young, crazy & stupid, wild and reckless, and fire and gasoline.

Though those descriptive adjectives offer a blanket of relatable feelings, when he hits on more specific scenarios of love, he paints pictures of familiarity while adding depth to each of the emotions:

“Don't know no better, got the tattoo to prove it”

“It's climbin' out your window, it's 17, it's pickin' her up in your pickup truck”

“It's a goodbye kiss and taillights. It's phone calls and late nights”

What he does so well with this song, though, is that he doesn’t only focus on the good stuff that arrives with the butterfly feelings, but he also strikes realism into the heartbreaking downside to expertly cover all the bases when he revels that “damn love” will kill, hurt, and mess you up, perfectly juxtaposing each vast side of the emotions when he emphatically states, “it’s the best and the worst friend!”

By masterfully exploring all sides, this ultimately isn’t only a song about the paces that falling in love will put you through, but it’s also an encouraging reminder that tells of how you keep getting back up to try again no matter how many times love knocks you down because love is the missing piece that makes us whole when we can get it right.

Kip Moore has walked his own path since breaking out with “Something About Truck,” unapologetically taking risks within his signature rock edged country style to always keep his music fresh and exciting with each new chapter. That trait continues with “Damn Love” as it instantly has you wanting more the minute that its final notes are struck, skillfully heightening the anticipation for what’s still to come at the end of April.

(Review Written By: Jeffrey Kurtis)

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