“Mickey Guyton's 'House on Fire' review: Country singer paves the way”

Mickey Guyton has been hailed as one of country music's most important voices since long before the release of her stunning debut in 2021 Remember her name. Her incisive 2020 singles “What Are You Gonna Tell Her” and “Black Like Me” challenged the genre and its listeners with difficult questions about gender and race, even catching the attention of Beyoncé, who told her fellow Texan upon release from ” Cowboy Carter to thank Guyton for opening doors for black women in the country.

On their second album House on fireGuyton continues to break new ground and deliver on her promise, delivering a collection of songs that effortlessly transport her into her dance-pop era. She mixes country meanings with upbeat production in “My Side of the Country” and “Make It Me,” two songs she co-wrote with former Florida Georgia Line singer Tyler Hubbard. “We have short beds and big boys in cowboy boots/We wear Levi's, take slow drives on Sundays too,” she sings in the single “My Side of the Country” over jangly fancy guitars. In the lead-in “Make It Me,” she shouts “Jack and Coke” and tries to convince her lover of her appeal: “If you wanna spend the night with somebody/Make it me.” Both are certified bangers, tailor-made for the dance floor.

But while there's a clear party spirit throughout the album – “Make 'Em Like You” is another irresistible shot of ABBA country – other tracks are more cutting, such as the searing indictment of a discarded lover, “Little Man”. “Baby, if you don’t give a fuck, I can meet you more than halfway,” Guyton pleads, before finally realizing that she’s the only one growing up in this relationship. She returns to the idea of ​​finding a “real man” in “Deserve,” ideally a man who will put her first and not lose himself in his own image.

“I Still Do” closes with Guyton’s best performance on the LP. It's a simmering promise of dedication and commitment, and a reminder of Guyton's naturally soulful voice and the pipes that drive it. House on fire – as well as a “country album” in 2024 like Post Malone’s F-1 trillion – leans a little too much towards dancing at times, but it's hard not to succumb to his charm. In a time that many hope will be one of joy, Guyton provides the soundtrack.