Chase Rice is kind of a wildcard in Nashville. You might remember him as the guy from Survivor: Nicaragua or the dude who co-wrote "Cruise" for Florida Georgia Line, which basically kickstarted the whole bro-country era. But if you haven't listened to songs by Chase Rice lately, you’re missing a massive shift in his career. He’s gone from singing about tailgates and girls in cutoff jeans to some of the most stripped-back, gritty, and frankly, uncomfortable music coming out of the mainstream country scene. It’s a weird trajectory. Most artists find a lane that makes them millions and they stay there forever, but Rice decided to blow the whole thing up and start over with I Hate Cowboys & All Dogs Go To Hell.
The Evolution of the Chase Rice Sound
Early on, it was all about the vibe. If you look at "Ready Set Roll" or "Gonna Wanna Tonight," those tracks were engineered for summer festivals. They were loud. They were catchy. They were exactly what 2014 demanded. Rice has been pretty open about the fact that he was just trying to keep his head above water back then. He needed hits. He got them. But there’s a massive gap between a hit and a legacy.
Then everything changed.
The shift didn't happen overnight, but you can hear the seeds of it in The Album (2020) and eventually the 2023 release that redefined him. He stopped using click tracks. He ditched the over-produced synth layers. He started recording with a live band in his living room. It sounds different because it is different. When you listen to a track like "Bench Seat," it doesn't sound like it was made in a high-tech studio on Music Row. It sounds like a guy sitting on a porch, mourning a friend. That’s the nuance people usually miss when they categorize him as just another radio singer.
Why "Bench Seat" Changed Everything
If we’re talking about the most impactful songs by Chase Rice, "Bench Seat" has to be at the top of the list. It’s a gut-punch. The song tells the story of a man saved from the brink of suicide by his dog. It’s based on a real-life situation involving one of Rice's childhood friends.
What makes it work isn't just the lyrics; it's the restraint. Old Chase would have probably added a huge drum fill or a soaring chorus to make it "radio-friendly." New Chase lets the silence sit there. It’s heavy. It’s honest. It’s the kind of song that makes you pull over to the side of the road if it catches you at the right time. He told Taste of Country that he finally felt like he was writing songs that mattered, rather than just songs that sold.
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The "Cruise" Connection and the Bro-Country Label
You can't talk about his discography without mentioning the elephant in the room. He co-wrote "Cruise." That song is a monster. It’s the highest-certified country single of all time for a reason. It changed the industry. But for Rice, it was both a blessing and a bit of a curse.
For years, he was pigeonholed. People expected him to just keep churning out party tracks. And he did, for a while. "Eyes On You" was a massive #1 hit, and while it’s a great song, it still lived in that polished, pop-country world. The struggle for an artist who starts with a massive commercial footprint is trying to convince the audience—and the critics—that they have something deeper to say. It took him nearly a decade to shed the "party guy" image.
Breaking the Mold with "I Hate Cowboys"
The title track of his 2023 album is a perfect example of his new direction. "I Hate Cowboys" isn't actually about hating cowboys. It’s about the envy a man feels when a "real" cowboy walks into a bar and steals the attention of every woman in the room, including the narrator’s girl. It’s self-deprecating. It’s clever. It’s got this Western-swing-meets-Bruce-Springsteen energy that feels way more authentic to his North Carolina roots than his earlier stuff ever did.
Honestly, it’s refreshing. In a world of polished TikTok country, Rice is leaning into the imperfections. His voice sounds raspier. The guitars are dirtier. It’s art.
The Influence of His Father
Much of the depth found in recent songs by Chase Rice comes from a place of grief. His father, Daniel Rice, passed away unexpectedly when Chase was in his early twenties. For a long time, he didn't really tackle that loss head-on in his music. He was too busy being a star.
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But on I Hate Cowboys & All Dogs Go To Hell, his father is everywhere. The album cover is actually a photo of his dad. The song "For a Day" is a heartbreaking "what if" scenario about having just twenty-four more hours with him. It’s not a radio hit. It’ll never be a club anthem. But it’s arguably the best thing he’s ever written. It shows a level of vulnerability that usually takes artists forty years to find. He found it in his thirties.
Must-Listen Tracks for New Fans
If you’re just getting into his catalog, don't just stick to the Spotify "This Is Chase Rice" playlist. You have to dig a bit deeper to see the full picture.
- "Way Down Yonder": This one is all about the groove. It’s swampy, dark, and feels like a chase scene in a movie. It shows off his ability to create an atmosphere without relying on pop tropes.
- "Life Part of Livin'": A simple, acoustic-driven track that reflects on the ups and downs of life. It’s got a very "guy with a guitar" feel that reminds me of early Eric Church.
- "Drinkin' Beer. Talkin' God. Amen.": This one features Florida Georgia Line, and while it's more commercial, it served as a bridge between his old sound and his new philosophy. It’s about slowing down.
- "Bad Day To Be A Beer": Okay, he still has some fun. This is a throwback to the high-energy stuff, proving he hasn't completely lost his sense of humor or his ability to soundtrack a Saturday night.
The Technical Shift: No More Click Tracks
This is a bit nerdy, but it matters. Most modern country music is recorded to a "click track"—a digital metronome that keeps the timing perfect. It makes editing easy, but it can also make music feel stiff and lifeless. For his recent projects, Rice and his producer, Oscar Charles, decided to ditch the click.
They recorded to tape. If the drummer sped up a little bit because he was feeling the energy of the chorus, they kept it. If Rice’s voice cracked, they kept it. This "imperfect" approach is why his newer songs feel so much more alive. They breathe. It’s a risky move in an era where everyone is obsessed with digital perfection, but for Rice, it was the only way to find his soul again.
What People Get Wrong About Chase Rice
There’s this misconception that he’s just an "ex-reality star" or an "ex-football player" (he played at UNC, by the way) who happened to fall into music. That’s a lazy take. You don't survive in Nashville for over a decade by accident. You don't reinvent your entire sound and get critical acclaim from places like Rolling Stone and Billboard just by being lucky.
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He’s a songwriter first. Whether he was writing "Cruise" or "Bench Seat," the craft was always there. The difference now is that he’s stopped writing what he thinks people want to hear and started writing what he needs to say.
The Independent Spirit
Even though he’s had major label backing, Rice often operates like an indie artist. He’s vocal about his frustrations with the industry. He’s been known to scrap entire projects if they don't feel right. That stubbornness is exactly why his recent music is so good. He’s not chasing the #1 spot on the charts anymore; he’s chasing the "that’s the truth" feeling.
Actionable Ways to Experience the Music
If you really want to understand the current state of songs by Chase Rice, you need to change how you consume them. Music like this isn't meant for tiny phone speakers while you're scrolling through social media.
- Listen to I Hate Cowboys & All Dogs Go To Hell in order. It’s a cohesive piece of art, not just a collection of singles. The way the tracks flow tells a story of growth and reckoning.
- Watch the "Bench Seat" short film. It’s not just a music video; it’s a cinematic experience that gives the song even more weight. It captures the reality of mental health struggles and the bond between humans and animals in a way that's genuinely moving.
- Catch a live show. Rice is a different beast on stage. He’s high energy, but he also has these quiet, intimate moments in his set now that would have been impossible five years ago.
- Follow his "The Album" documentary series. He’s been pretty transparent about the recording process, and seeing the behind-the-scenes work that went into his sonic shift adds a lot of context to the lyrics.
The reality is that Chase Rice is currently in his prime. He’s moved past the gimmicks and the flashy production. What’s left is a songwriter who isn't afraid to be quiet, isn't afraid to be sad, and isn't afraid to be himself. Whether you're a fan of his early party anthems or his new Americana-leaning storytelling, there's no denying that he’s become one of the most interesting figures in modern country music. He’s proved that you can always start over, no matter how many hits you have in the rearview mirror.