A while ago, someone sent me a link to song I’d never heard before by a guy I’d never heard of. It was a flirty and sweet sort of text, meant to make me feel pretty and hint at adventures to come. It did both of those things, but also a whole hell of a lot more.

First, it gave me a gentle nudge into country music. Or, perhaps it’s more accurate to say, back into country music.

I grew up on country. The John Denver and Kenny Rogers variety. I went through high school on pop, but also on Garth...