REVIEW: Miranda Lambert and Jake Worthington Bring Texan Charm to a Bad Day with “Hello Shitty Day”

“Hello Shitty Day” will make any bad day, well, a little less shitty.

On September 27th of last year, rising Texan singer-songwriter Jake Worthington released his single, “Hello Shitty Day,” featuring revered country star Miranda Lambert. Produced by award-winning producer Joey Moi and written by songwriting veterans Lambert, Jessie Jo Dillon, Dean Dillion and Jesse Frasure– the cheek & tongue track pokes fun at how a bad, no-good-weather day rolls in just when things are going well. Thinking Worthington’s voice would be the perfect fit for the country ballad, Lambert pitched him the song and helped bring this exciting collaboration to fruition.

Speaking about having “Hello Shitty Day” pitched to him and his collaboration with Lambert in a video posted on his socials, Worthington says,

“It’s tough to describe the honour of having songwriters I look up to consider my voice a vehicle for songs like this one,” Worthington continues. “To have an artistic and creative force like Miranda join in, well that’s just a dream come true.” (Worthington, PR team).

The track was also unveiled prior to the announcement that Jake Worthington signed with Miranda’s joint venture with Big Loud, Big Loud Texas– making him now signed to both Big Loud (Nashville) and Big Loud Texas.

Featured: Miranda Lambert. PC: James Macari.
Featured: Jake Worthington. PC: Brayln Kelly Smith.

For those unfamiliar with Worthington, he has been making a steady rise in the neotraditional space for quite some time now. Raised on the music of classic country legends such as Haggard, Jones and Price, their influence is clear on his self-titled debut record. With a voice reminiscent of times past, he delivers the clencher “State You Left Me In” and the inviting “Single At The Same Time”– with both tracks having surpassed 1.4M+ and 1.2M+ streams respectfully on Spotify. As a performer, he has previously opened for some of today’s biggest country stars, including Cody Johnson, Riley Green and ERNEST. This year, he’s heading on tour with fellow neotraditional country riser Zach Top (I Never Lie)– making Worthington an exciting name to watch.

Lambert, a star in her own right with a career spanning more than two decades, had a prolific past year– including having released her first LP in two years, Postcards From Texas, via her new joint label venture with Big Loud, Big Loud Texas. The multi-GRAMMY award-winning singer-songwriter also signed Dylan Gossett Jr., a Texan talent who has been rapidly making a name for himself.

Therefore, this collaboration between Worthington and Lambert could not be delivered at a more perfect time.

Featured: Official cover art for Miranda & Jake's single, "Hello Shitty Day". PC: Brayln Kelly Smith and Jess Hood. Courtesy of Big Loud Records.

With clear influences of 90s country, “Hello, Shitty Day” will have listeners feeling less alone on those grim days the sunshine seems to evade. 

Lyrically, the bad day ballad is chock-full of natural imagery that paints the rainy day scene on which the track was written. The strong track also makes a handful of references to country bar and honkytonk staples, such as old jukeboxes and whiskey– creating a familiarity that many country fans can appreciate. Sonically, the song boasts an instrumental opener featuring the piano, which seemingly imitates the sound of raindrops falling and sets the tone for the rest of the track. There’s also the presence of the fiddle, further cementing that neotraditional sound. Worthington and Lambert’s voices also complement one another well.

THE VERDICT

Overall, “Hello Shitty Day” is a fun, lighthearted song and a tasteful way to commemorate a bad day. Neotraditional country fans are encouraged to listen to the track on their preferred streaming platform. 

Listen to "Hello Shitty Day" Now:

Stay in the Know with Miranda Lambert:

Stay in the Know with Jake Worthington:

Works Cited

Hood, Jess. Smith, Brayln Kelly. “Featured: Official cover art for Miranda & Jake’s single, “Hello, Shitty Day.” PC: Brayln Kelly Smith and Jess Hood. Courtesy of Big Loud Records”. Courtesy of PR team. Accessed Oct 10 2024.

Macari, James. “Featured: Miranda Lambert. PC: James Macari.”. Courtesy of PR team. Accessed Oct 10 2024.

PR team. “”Hello Shitty Day”: Jake Worthington and Miranda Lambert’s Classic Texas Bad Day Ballad Out Now.” Oct 10 2024. Press Release.

Smith, Bralyn Kelly. “Featured: Jake Worthington. PC: Brayln Kelly Smith”. Courtesy of PR team. Accessed Oct 10 2024.

Worthington, Jake. @jdw_music. “The story behind our song…” Instagram, Sept 18 2024, <https://www.instagram.com/reel/DAEqVhkSUwH/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link>.

Worthington, Jake. Lambert, Miranda. “Hello Shitty Day.” Spotify, Big Loud Texas, under exclusive license to Mercury Records/Republic Records, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc. Sept 27 2024.<https://open.spotify.com/track/4aQxac535ve7JhAbyeBAT6?si=d115c2f452224d7a>.

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