JOSH ROSS

                                                                "Red Flags"

                                                                Universal Music Canada

Is there any artist on the circuit right now that is hotter than Canadian country breakout sensation Josh Ross?

With his first single of 2023, “Trouble,” which followed the incredibly well-received “On A Different Night,” Ross catapulted to the forefront of several renowned lists that all hailed him as one to watch as he earned heavy rotation at SiriusXM’s The Highway.

He now returns with the next piece of this intriguing puzzle with “Red Flags.”

On again/off again relationship songs are nothing really new to country music, however, Ross taps into a side of them that I can’t remember hearing in recent years as he faces the mirror to truly explore the fact that it takes two to ruin a relationship and turn it toxic, and that maybe they’re just not compatible because they’re each other’s “red flags.”

The moodiness of the ultra-modern vibe within the instrumentation, which features a pop infused backbeat pumping the simplicity of the melody, slides snuggly against Ross’ incredible voice to really allow him to embed the feelings through its tilts as he embodies confusion, tough truthfulness, and anxiousness.

Lamenting that while she’s still calling him to come over, which is what sets the entire tone of the song in motion as we’re driven into the struggle that they’re both battling of letting go, the honesty of the situation is that they really should be calling it off instead of calling each other; a point that he later ponders through the very mature idea of “just 'cause we want it, doesn't mean we should,” and the bold truth, “Some things ain't meant to be, like you and me.”

While twists and turns of the heart are never easy to navigate because of the familiarness that you’re trying to let go of, Ross never commits to going over to her house to see her, but he does use the chorus to explain himself through a series of valid questions as he lifts his voice to match the punch of each word:

“What if I'm bad for you?

What if you're worse for me?

How many times do we have to go back and forth for one of us to see

That nobody's right in this, we both got s**t

We both brought our own baggage

What if we're both, what if we're both, red flags?”

Josh Ross is already confirmed for three major tours this spring and summer – with Lee Brice in April, Chase Rice in May, and Nickelback and Brantley Gilbert in June. If you can’t catch him on the road to see what all the noise surrounding him is all about, then just turn on your radio and listen for “Red Flags.” This song is built for the top 40 and it will surely hit its intended mark as the next push that will continue to move Ross toward the major success that’s getting closer and closer with each step.

(Review Written By: Jeffrey Kurtis)

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