Real Country Recap: Singers Delve Into Heartbreak For Song Choices

Sara Evans joined the panel as the special guest judge to cast a vote in the second round.

Written by Tammy Ragusa
Real Country Recap: Singers Delve Into Heartbreak For Song Choices
REAL COUNTRY -- "Heartbreak and Revenge" Episode 107 -- Pictured: (l-r) Jamie Floyd, Graham Bunn -- (Photo by: CJ Hicks/USA Network)

It’s hard to believe that it’s the last week of the first season of USA Network’s Real Country. Panelists Shania Twain, Jake Owen, and Travis Tritt presented an extremely talented collection of future country stars, and this night was no exception.

With three new artists on the night’s line-up, the theme of the night was “break-up songs,” and Sara Evans joined the panel as the special guest judge to cast a vote in the second round.

First under the spotlight was Jake’s pick, singer-songwriter Jamie Floyd from West Palm Beach, Florida. Having earned a Grammy nomination as a writer on Ashley Monroe’s “The Blade,” Jamie made the obvious choice for her first song.

Jake was first to speak following the performance. “I’m trying not to smile during this song because it’s a sad song, it’s ripping your heart out, but I’m sitting here smiling for you because I feel you,” he said. “I feel you singing it, I see it, you wrote this song, it came from your heart. When you walk on the stage, you have this opportunity. You have to capitalize on it, and you have to own it. I’m about to speak for all these people. You owned me on that song, and I think you owned them as well.”

Jamie also said, “My songs have gone everywhere without me so far. Like, they’ve gone on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, and I want a chance to go with them.”

With the first round of voting in the hands of the in-studio audience, Jamie received 3.3 stars.

Shania’s pick, Micah Woods from Murrieta, California was up next. Choosing a song that has been a favorite since he was six-years-old, Micah chose LeAnn Rimes’ “Blue” for his first number.

Beaming from her seat, Shania told her singer, “I’m always attracted to everything different. And when I first came to Nashville, I was not really that welcome, and what made the difference were the fans, and that’s all that mattered. So, I say different is good, and there’s no one else on country radio that sounds like you.”

Travis also had some thoughts on the nature of Nashville. “I know this can be a very clique-clique-is town,” he said. “They have specific ideas about what they want to hear and if you don’t fall in that category, then they have a tendency to shun you. That’s exactly what they did to me, and regardless of what anybody might think about your style, you seem to know what your fans will accept. At the end of the day, it’s what these people think that makes the difference.”

After voting was closed, Micah earned 3.7 stars.

The final contestant for round one was Travis’ pick, Cody Purvis of North Garden, Virginia. Before Cody sang, Travis told the audience why he chose the young man. “The first time I ever heard Cody, he stuck out because I know he feels what he sings. He told me about losing his father, and I know what that feels like. I lost my father in 2009, and there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t wish I could pick up the phone and be able to call him and talk to him. That kind of heartbreak lingers, and if you’re able to take that and put it into songs that you sing, that emotion comes across just as clear as a bell to people.”

Appropriately, Cody chose Garth Brooks’ “The Dance” for his first song. Afterward, Shania gave him some very honest feedback. “You have all the licks, you have a great tone, a lot of qualities of a talented singer, but you don’t have your own style yet, and you need to find that,” she told him.

Before Cody’s score was revealed, he was joined by Jamie and Micah. Receiving 3.3 stars, the same as Jamie, the scores were extended by a number. Jamie earned 3.34 stars while Cody received 3.32 stars, moving Jamie forward with Micah.

In round two, Sara took a seat behind the panelist’s table, and Jamie was back up with Dwight Yoakam’s “Fast As You.”

Following her performance, Sara told Jamie, “Dwight Yoakam is my all-time favorite. I know every word to that song, and you look sexy and gorgeous, and you rock. You’re a star.”

With both Sara and the fans casting their vote, Jamie’s score was held until after Micah’s performance.

When Micah returned to the stage, Shania told him, “What I love about you is you’re confident. You said, ‘I’m worried about not being accepted because I’m an outsider.’ There are no outsiders in country music. And I want you to know that before you sing for us again, country music is for everyone and all you’ve got to be is talented.”

For his second song, Micah chose Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You,” and after it, Sara told him, “I love your voice. You didn’t copy Dolly Parton, you didn’t copy Whitney Houston’s version, you completely made it your own, and it was totally heartfelt and a really cool kickass performance.”

With both performers back on stage, Jamie received 4.5 stars and Micah earned 4.3 stars, advancing Jamie to the finale and earning her $10,000, and a performance at Stagecoach Music Festival.”