Without fanfare or advanced warning, Billy Currington dropped his seventh studio project, Intuition, on Friday (Aug. 6).
The album is the first full-length project Currington has released in six years, following his June 2015 record, Summer Forever. That project included a number of straight-ahead country tracks, like the No. 1 hits “Do I Make You Wanna” and “It Don’t Hurt Like It Used To.” Even so, Currington has often shown a penchant for stylistic experimentation, particularly in recent years: In 2019, his “Details” marked an inventive turn into country-leaning soul, for example.
Still, that exploration feels like baby steps compared to the sudden departure Intuition takes into mesmerizing, dance-ready, ’80s-inflected pop, beginning with opening track “Lead Me.” The song would feel right at home on an R&B and dance-pop playlist, with very few traces of the singer’s country background in the mix.
However, fans of Keith Urban-esque, pop-infused country laced with skillful guitarwork or banjo lines might find their ears perking up at some of the songs on Intuition such as “Confess”; and Currington’s talents for country storytelling shine through on another track, “Lighthouse.”
Prior to the surprise release of his new album, Currington’s latest effort was the July 2020 release, “Seaside,” a breezy celebration of warm weather and life by the ocean. While that song fell more into the category of straightforward country, it did offer some evidence that the country singer was moving in a more atmospheric and experimental direction, pairing country lyrics with brooding, spacious production and a snap track.
Billy Currington’s Intuition Tracklist:
1. “Lead Me”
2. “Complicated”
3. “Déja Vu”
4. “Just Say”
5. “Get Close”
6. “Distraction”
7. “Words”
8. “In Love”
9. “Moon & Back”
10. “Lighthouse”
11. “Confess”
12. “Moments”
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