Parker McCollum Premieres Acoustic ‘To Be Loved By You’ Performance
Check out the edgy acoustic energy of this brokenhearted gem.
Newcomer Parker McCollum puts a fresh spin on an old-school country theme with his new single, “To Be Loved By You,” adding some edge to a done-me-wrong ballad. And with a captivating new acoustic performance, he shows off its timeless bones.
Premiering on Sounds Like Nashville today (April 28), the clip finds the Texan riser exploring the wasteland of a relationship on the rocks. With a wounded-but-resolute vocal delivery and a stripped down band behind him — just a piano and acoustic guitar — McCollum unloads the soul-crushing weight of a toxic love life … and wonders what to do next. It’s got the feel of a classic, tear-in-your-beer anthem — and with his trucker cap and pastel-striped shirt, McCollum looks every inch the part (like ’70s star Jerry Reed). But by adding a some tempo to his plaintive lyrics, he gives heartbreak a fresh blast of energy.
“I originally wrote ‘To Be Loved By You’ with Rhett Akins as kind of a slow ballad but when we got in the studio with Jon Randall we tried to push the envelope with the tempo,” McCollum tells Sounds Like Nashville. “It’s cool to hear the different versions of the song and I’m excited to share this acoustic video.”
“So why are you always angry / Why are you always quiet / Why do you sleep alone, when I know you don’t like it? / Maybe you might be different / Would it kill you to tell me the truth / What in the hell does a man have to do / To be loved by you,” goes the chorus.
After rising up in the vibrant live-music and songwriting scene of Texas, Parker McCollum broke out last year with the Platinum-certified Number One, “Pretty Heart” — a refreshing radio hit which broke the mold using introspective, done-her-wrong lyrics. McCollum keeps the emotional heat on in the radio version of “To Be Loved By You,” which is out now alongside his 2020 EP, Hollywood Gold.
