Good things take time, sings the perky Christen Cooper in the new track, “That Kind Of Guy”. Co-written with Karen Kiley and Steve Smentek, “That Kind Of Guy” is Cooper’s latest release. Born and raised in the Intermountain region U.S.A, Cooper is quickly establishing herself to being in line as one of Nashville’s next big thing. While “That Kind Of Guy” is definitely country pop, it seems to me that there’s no limiting Cooper to just one genre. Chasing that rush of feelings when it comes to love, “That Kind Of Guy” encapsulates a breezy, perfect pop melody.
ooper shines. Sounding almost like a fairytale, on first listen the inference is that she’s singing the song via her own lens. She’s very young – I believe- and she also sounds young. That said, getting a kiss under a porchlight is part of her criteria for her kind of guy. As is not rushing to meet at the parents or ghosting. You can get where she’s going with all of this and it can be strange for listeners past a certain age to commiserate with that same checklist. Still, the idea is there and the song’s strength is its earworm chorus.
I think Cooper is also the main draw. In some moments she reminds me of Carly Rae Jepsen and in other moments, she’s a young Taylor Swift. In her press materials, she notes her influences include The Beatles and Bryan Adams. I think you can quickly get a sense that her musical wheelhouse is diverse based on the way she delivers the lyrics. She brings her personality to the table.
She isn’t just singing it in a way that doesn’t feel genuine. I don’t think this is a hobby for her. In fact, she’s written over 300 songs to date. Some of her accolades include the Nashville Songwriters Associations International “Ones to Watch” and “Recommended for Publishers Luncheon” lists. While the general public might not have that awe feeling understanding this, to me, it means that she’s easy to work with, and she gets how hard it is to write a great song.
I think “That Kind Of Guy” is that great song. I think the music elevates Cooper’s voice even more so. The blended country pop concoction is hot right now. Still, this song doesn’t sound dated. It feels and sounds fresh. I thought the guitar changeups and variations were killer and I also thought the beat flexed its equally modern muscles. After listening through thousands, if not 10s of thousands of songs over the years, it would be easy for me to brush this one aside. It would be just as easy to give someone like Cooper praise and not feel as though it would be a flash in the pan or a week from now, get another song and forget this one. “That Kind Of Guy” is a memorable song, but I think the real star is still Cooper. I think she has a great song here, but she’s yet to record her signature song. We will just have to wait.
Chadwick Easton