Parker McCollum – “What a Man”
Label: MCA Nashville / Universal Music Group
Release date: September 13, 2024
Songwriters: Parker McCollum, Natalie Hemby and Jeremy Spillman
Producers: Frank Liddell and Eric Masse
Earlier this month, Parker McCollum hinted that new music was on the way, alerting his fans via social media that something would be released on Friday, September 13th.
In one video post, McCollum was seen cooking up a plot in a recording studio. “I could pursue this or…” he said in the video, apparently asking someone off-screen for advice. The faceless voice replied, “Man, I would do anything you want to do.”
“I don’t know. I want to do them all,” the artist replied before footage of him recording a track faded in.
That track was the brand new “What Kinda Man,” the star’s latest single and next radio offering. The new song offers a return to McCollum’s early sound, an endeavor he’s repeatedly hinted at with regards to his upcoming material.
“What Kinda Man” has a layered sound, with sharp acoustic and electric guitars giving way to a symphony of assertive drum and bass, and a harmonica adding texture to the neon-tinged song in the background. It’s a calculated mix that makes for a rich listen, but still evokes the stripped-down feel of the star’s early work.
Look, I stayed up all night again
I know I swore the last time would be the last time, but here I am
I’m not sure what they want from me
Pull yourself together, I was thinking of you
Ah baby, here we go again
You know that it is harder to go down this path than it looks
Have mercy on Parker McCollum’s rough and violent behavior. In “What Kinda Man,” the star reflects on his wild tendencies, staying out all night and letting it rip.
It is not what he strives for, but as he sings: “It is harder to go down this path than it looks.“He admits he’s been like this for quite some time. He’s never found anyone or a reason to settle down, and he assumes he’ll stay like this for the rest of his life – “Wilder than a bat out of hell / Derailed and racing through the city.” That is, until…
But then you come in and float in the air
And you look at me across the room
Forget what kind of man I am. What kind of man do you need?
The artist sings about meeting someone who makes him want to be different, who makes him want to strive to be the man they need.
Suddenly he pulls himself together, goes back to church and sets off on the right path. He has finally found that special person for whom it is worth improving and sings: “I know damn well what I gotta do / I gotta have you, I just can’t stand to lose you / Ah baby, here we go again / You know I’ll love you if you let me to the end of the line.”
Yes, I’ve been running for so damn long
There is no woman who could calm me down
Wilder than a bat from hell
Derailed and raced through the city
But then you come in and float in the air
And you look at me across the room
Forget what kind of man I am. What kind of man do you need?
What kind of man do you need?
What kind of man do you need?
What did Parker McCollum say about “What Kinda Man”?
Already in May 2024, the artist confirmed his fifth studio album, the successor to the 2023 album. Never enoughwas “halfway done.” He confidently added that he would “compare these songs to anything I’ve ever written.”
He expressed his excitement in a statement about his upcoming work: “I couldn’t be more excited to share this new music with the world, especially this new single ‘What Kinda Man’.”
He added: “Lately I’ve been getting back to that sound and my roots. I think this new song is my way of rekindling that and creating something that feels like home for me and my fans. I hope the world loves it.”
The full lyrics to “What Kinda Man” by Parker McCollum can be found below:
Look, I stayed up all night again
I know I swore the last time would be the last time, but here I am
I’m not sure what they want from me
Pull yourself together, I was thinking of you
Ah baby, here we go again
You know that it is harder to go down this path than it looks
Yes, I’ve been running for so damn long
There is no woman who could calm me down
Wilder than a bat from hell
Derailed and raced through the city
But then you come in and float in the air
And you look at me across the room
Forget what kind of man I am. What kind of man do you need?
I swore I would never step back again
Back inside the Union Valley Church
But here I am standing north of Oklahoma
Trying to wash away my sins
I know damn well what I should do
I have to have you, I just can’t bear to lose you
Ah baby, here we go again
You know I’ll love you if you let me to the end of the line
Yes, I’ve been running for so damn long
There is no woman who could calm me down
Wilder than a bat from hell
Derailed and raced through the city
But then you come in and float in the air
And you look at me across the room
Forget what kind of man I am. What kind of man do you need?
What kind of man do you need?
What kind of man do you need?
I’ve been running for so damn long
There is no woman who could calm me down
Wilder than a bat from hell
Derailed and raced through the city
But then you come in and float in the air
And you look at me across the room
Forget what kind of man I am. What kind of man do you need?
Forget what kind of man I am. What kind of man do you need?
What kind of man do you need?
What kind of man do you need?
—
For more information about Parker McCollum, see below:
