Midwest contemporary Americana singer-songwriter Kenny Hotopp recently released his newest studio album, The South Looks Good on You, on January 30th.
The project explores ideas of authenticity and lived experience as his career and artistic direction continues to evolve. Blending folk, blues, and country, Hotopp centers his music around connection.
With notable southern guitar licks that reel the listener in, the second track, “Better Days,” ties in nicely with the title of the collection. With its rhythmic beat and positive message, the number delivers the message that happier days are always up ahead. “Seasons change / In their own time / Rains and hurricanes won’t make me change my mind,” he sings.
Another standout track comes in at number five in “Last Goodbye,” which offers an almost jazzy, night club vibe, showing off some versatility.
Melodic piano heard behind the lyrics serves as a supplement to Hotopp’s wistful writing. The line, “And now I’m sixty-five miles outside Milwaukee / And I can’t keep you off my mind / Rain on my window always makes me miss you / So I don’t wanna be alone tonight,” displays a relatable longing that’s inevitable within the human condition.
Coming in at number ten is the title track, “South Looks Good On You,” which hits at a slow pace, touching on growth and having pride in someone in your personal life. Hotopp sings, “Sweet tea and Mississippi soul / Now I’m thankful for the memories you left behind / I’m so proud of the woman that you’ve become.”
Putting a bow on the reflective twelve-track collection is “When I Was 17.”
The song pulls on the heartstrings with a nostalgic tone, as well as the sentimental reflection that it paints. “We drive off into the sunset / And we stay until the stars come out / And we lay there on the hood of my car / And tell you what it’s all about,” is one of the lines that sets the scene for the fond memories that Hotopp reflects on as he wrote this song. Another notable line lies in a verse and states, “I wish that you would’ve met me / Oh when I was 17.”
Kenny Hotopp’s The South Looks Good on You was preceded by his debut album The Whippoorwills Cry (2024), as well as the EP’s Redemption Road (2020) and Truth Be Told (2023). It was recorded at Hilltop Studios in Nashville with a host of local artists lending their talents to the record. He has upcoming shows in his home state of Wisconsin scheduled for March and beyond.
