Evan Paul is the host of Taste of Country Nights, a syndicated radio show heard on more than 100 country radio stations nationwide, every night from 7PM to midnight. He plays the best new country music and interviews today's top stars, like Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, Brantley Gilbert, Lady A, Maren Morris, Miranda Lambert + more! 

2022 is coming in as hot as a fresh basket of Grandma's biscuits as far as country music is concerned. Usually in December, releases slow down for the holidays, and then in January, we see the pedal hit the metal.

And man is that pedal down!

Maren Morris' "Circles Around This Town" hit the radio airwaves this week. This is off of a new project that is finished for a March release. This song is co-written by Maren and it details her move to Nashville from Texas in search of her big break to make it as a country star. This song is great in that it takes you along on the journey with her, and I think this will be a huge hit.

Luke Combs' "Doin' This" was first shown to us at the 2021 CMA Awards as a live debut. Since then, the song has hit the air on your local radio stations with a bang. It is a great inside look into Luke's rise to success and what would he be doing if he wasn't where he was today, career-wise. I think this will be yet another No. 1 song on country radio for Luke very soon.

Old Dominion's "No Hard Feelings" is off of their album Time, Tequila and Therapy, which came out in October 2021. I'm a big fan of anything Old Dominion does, but this one is amazing. It takes you on a roller coaster of emotions that occur after a breakup, but in the end, it's appreciative of the time spent together with, you guessed it, no hard feelings.

Here are some other songs that just hit country radio in January 2022:

Chris Young Feat. Mitchell Tenpenny, “At the End of the Bar”
Eli Young Band, “Love Talking”
Ernest (Feat. Morgan Wallen), “Flower Shops”
Gabby Barrett, “Pick Me Up”
Jason Aldean, “Trouble With a Heartbreak”
Joe Nichols, “Good Day for Living”
Kane Brown, “Whiskey Sour”
Lady A, “What a Song Can Do”
Luke Combs, "Doin' This"
Maren Morris, “Circles Around This Town”
Old Dominion, “No Hard Feelings”
Parmalee, “Take My Name”

What is your favorite new country song on the radio for January 2022?

Top Country Songs of 2021, Ranked

You'll find much more than just the Top 10 Country Songs of 2021 on this list. Enjoy the 21 best country songs of the year, based on Taste of Country staff and country music fan opinion, plus commercial data (sales, streaming, airplay).

To be considered, the song must have been released in 2021 or have actively charted for a portion of the year (see "Wine, Beer, Whiskey"). New artists including Lainey Wilson, Larry Fleet and Morgan Wade crack the top songs list, while hitmakers including Thomas Rhett, Jason Aldean and Luke Combs make the Top 10.

Let us know your favorite song of 2021 on Twitter, or email us at staff@tasteofcountry.com.

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