If Lady A want to become country music’s feel-good trio, that’d be just fine. “Summer State of Mind” recalls their most recent No. 1 hit “Champagne Night,” but a softer approach to production better fits the mood and season.
Sam Ellis (who co-wrote “Summer State of Mind” with Lady A’s Dave Haywood and Hillary Scott, plus Laura Veltz) produced this bop, and he gave Scott and Charles Kelley plenty of room to interpret the breezy lyrics.
“I’m the ice, you’re the Yeti / I’m the boat stereo, you’re the Petty,” Kelley sings to open the song. Hit songs always have a hallmark, and that’s it for this beachy jam.
Light mandolin plays with a quasi-reggae guitar strum to keep the beat until the drums kick in for the chorus. The rhythm section doesn’t interrupt the flirty back-and-forth between the two singers, however. In this way, “Summer State of Mind” is a throwback for Lady A, as early on in their careers, Scott and Kelley’s exchanges begged for an “are they or aren’t they?” conversation. Not as much passion is needed to sell the smile for this new track — all that’s required is a willingness to enjoy something simple.
Did You Know?: This August, Lady A will begin the Request Line Tour, where they’ll allow fans to shape their setlist for every show by requesting songs.
Listen to Lady A’s “Summer State of Mind”
Lady A’s “Summer State of Mind” Lyrics:
Summer, summer / Summer, summer state of mind / Summer state of mind.
I’m the ice, you’re the Yeti / I’m the boat stereo, you’re the Petty / I’m the dance floor, you’re confetti / Always up when I’m down / Always ready / You can take a worry, flip it into a song / I don’t even notice until I’m singing a long / I forget that there was ever anything wrong / How do you do it babe?
Chorus:
You put the Ray-Bans over my eyes / You put the blue back up in my sky / I’m the beach, you’re the breeze / You put me in my summer state of mind (summer, summer) / Doesn’t matter if it’s 10 below, like a magic trick, flip a switch, off I go / You’re my five o’clock somewhere, always on time / Summer state of mind / Summer, summer state of mind / Summer state of mind.
You turn this kitchen into a tiki bar / It’s like June and July go wherever you are / And wherever you are is where I wanna be / When you’re shine is shining on me.
Repeat Chorus
Whoa you can take a worry, flip it into a song / I don’t even notice until I’m singing along / I forget that there was ever anything wrong / How do you do it babe?
Repeat Chorus
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