JACKSON DEAN - Heavens To Betsy- Big Machine Records

With each song he’s released this year, “Big Blue Sky,” “Train,” and now “Heavens To Betsy,” Jackson Dean has delivered his biggest fan favorites while turning the page of his next chapter with an aura that pulls poetically into flashes of Southern Rock soundscapes and country music ideals, culminating now in the huge announcement of his sophomore album, On The Back Of My Dreams.

Originally appearing on Live From The Ryman and as part of his Apple Music Sessions, the studio release of “Heavens To Betsy” has not only been met with amped excitement from his fans, but unbridled enthusiasm from radio execs who have been clamoring for the song since its debut during his radio tour.

Impacting as his next official radio single on August 19^th, co-written by Jackson, Benjy Davis, and Driver Williams, the song allows the natural rasp of Dean’s emotionally edged vocal to fully grip the lyrics as they tug heartstrings through a poignant tale of afterlife regrets while trying to reach the one you wronged with humble apologies. 

Sung as an open letter from the main character to his estranged daughter, Dean strikes mournful tones into the regret-filled admission of past bad decisions and their long-lasting effect as the father figure seeks forgiving solace in the fact that he’s now sober and holds an internal anger for the way that his past demons put her through hell and took a toll on her.

Dean uses precision in the guide of his voice so that each next note matches the struggled battle of emotions, masterfully placing the lyrics against the brooding instrumentational build to the chorus:

“And I bet you’re just as surprised as I am
They’d ever let a sinner like me in
And I know I didn’t do
Enough watching over you
But I will until I see you again
If you’ll let me”

Though it’s never defined whether she received the message and offered forgiveness, is that really what a song like this is about? Is he even sitting on the outskirts of heaven looking down or is he just simply trapped within the loneliness of life’s later years with his past haunting him as he faces the proverbial mirror?

Building strong connection through philosophical characters has been a trait of Jackson Dean’s over these past few releases, endearingly holding the listener within the similarities to their own shortcomings and effectively opening internal dialogs that carry the ability to shift the direction of their life’s path toward the straight and narrow. 

“I still sometimes get a lump in my throat singing ‘Betsy’ because I’ve seen that dynamic play out too many times. Breaks my heart that when people let their demons get the best of them, it’s usually their loved ones that end up with the most scars,” added Dean. “I hope this song serves as a reminder that it’s never too late to right your wrongs and inspires folks to look things square in the eye and say it out loud.”

(Review Written By: Jeffrey Kurtis/Artwork c/o Big Machine Records)