Mitchel Tenpenny has quickly been making a name for himself in the country music world and it's easy to see why. The Nashville singer released his debut album Black Crow in 2015 and his second album, Linden Ave in 2017. In 2018, he was signed by Riser House/Colombia Nashville and released his self-titled EP, which featured one of his most popular songs to date, "Drunk Me."
His second album and full-length major-label debut Telling All My Secrets was released in December 2018. The album received positive reviews, debuting at No. 5 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart and No. 53 on Billboard 200. He went on to release Neon Christmas in 2020, Midtown Diaries in 2021 peaking at 23 on the US Country chart, and most recently released The Low Light Session in 2022.
Tenpenny's breakout success is surely an inspiration for other upcoming country artists who want to make it big in the industry. Here are 10 of Tenpenny's best songs so far, in no order whatsoever.
1. "Alcohol You Later"
"Alcohol You Later" is an upbeat pop-country track that pretty much scrams "drunk anthem." Tenpenny sings about knowing that a relationship isn't "technically over" if one keeps drinking, asking bartenders to keep the drinks coming. The title is a play on words and was actually pitched three times to other writers. Luckily, Michael Lotten and Sam Sumser signed up for the task and created this masterpiece with the country singer.
2. "The Way You Are"
This song definitely had to make the list due to its sweet, sweet lyrics and Tenpenny's smooth vocals. Tenpenny sings, "Sweet as magnolia/ Hundred proof in a mason jar/Don't change a thing about you/'Cause I love you just the way you are."
The song was inspired and dedicated to his fiance, Megan, and was written during the Covid-19 quarantine.
"I went downstairs i felt inspired and started writing a song about my fiance. I thought it was cool to end the record with a song that is where I'm at in life currently," Tenpenny explained. "The song is everything I think about her and I love the way she is, so it ended up being The Way You Are."
3. "To Us It Did"
Written by Tenpenny, Hardy and George Smith, "To Us It Did" recalls all those little moments that make life fun. It's an upbeat song that makes you want to drive on the backroad with the windows down and the radio turned all the way up. The song pretty much sets the mood for a great summer.
4. "Truth About You"
One of Tenpenny's most successful songs is "Truth About You," which went insanely viral on Tiktok after the singer teased it with a short video. The song was released on July 9, 2021, as the lead singer from his EP Midtown Diaries. It was defiantly an instant hit, generating over 2.5 million steams just 3 days after its release, reaching No. 27 on the US Hot Country Songs chart and 19 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.
5. "Mama Raised The Hell Out Of Me"
Be still my heart, the instant I heard this song I got goosebumps and added it to my playlist. The Tennessee native sure knows how to write a good love song. This one is dedicated to his Mom! Saying he was a "Momma's boy," the singer explained that she was an inspiration to him and his brothers growing up and needed to thank her with a song. Safe to say he won the "Best Child Award" with this one.
6. "Goner"
"Goner" very much deserves to be on this list due to its catchy guitar riffs and intense lyrics. "We were talking about different ideas and about that girl that you know you don't stand a chance with. They control everything no matter if you like it or not and that's kind of where the whole thing derived from," the singer-songwriter noted. "You're looking at her and you don't stand a chance."
He went on to say that the song was his personal take with a mix of John Mayer, Michael Jackson and himself all in one.
7. "At The End of a Bar," Ft. Chris Young
Partnering up with country superstar Chris Young, '"At The End of a Bar" was released on Young's thrid studio album, Famous Friends. The upbeat song was written by Young, Tenpenny and Chris DeStefano and showcases the powerful R&B vocals from both artists. Fun Fact, did you know Tracy Lawrence actually makes an appearance in the music video? When Tenpenny name drops "Time Marches On" at 1:25, the country legend can be seen holding a shot at the end of the bar!
"There's a million things that you can find / Bartender conversation or a pair of blue eyes / Your true love or next broken heart," The duo sing. "Maybe a party crowd on a Friday night / Long necks, long lines and neon signs, hell / Sometimes that's where it all starts / At the end of a bar."
9. "Elephant In The Room," Ft. Teddy Swims
"Elephant In The Room" is Tenpenny's latest single, released on April 29, 2022, and let me tell you, it's a bop! Described as a love story, the singer told Country Now, "'Elephant in the Roo'" is about that innate thing in us as humans when we can feel it when someone is watching us. This song is a love story about two people who have this kind of chemistry and energy happening from across the room. And everyone else can feel it too because it's so powerful."
The music video is definitely worth watching, as it features both artists fighting over the same woman, ending with a "crime of passion."
10. "Somebody Ain't You"
"Somebody Ain't You' was co-written by Tenpenny, Dallas Wilson and Thomas Archer, and is sung from the perspective of a male who is stuck in a relationship knowing he needs to end it, but can't move on. The singer stated the song was inspired by a previous relationship he had, that became toxic and he personally struggled to leave. "That's one I remember. I remember being stuck in that purgatory for a little while there back in the day," the singer told The Boot. "That song was really all about that."
Honorable Mentions: "Anything She Says," "B*tches"," "Broken Up", "Bucket List" and "Horseshoes and Hand Grenades."
Read More: Mitchell Tenpenny Turned to TikTok to Connect With Fans. It Paid Off With 'Truth About You' [Interview]
