Whitney Duncan – “The Bed That You Made”

Songwriters: Whitney Duncan, Hillary Lindsay, and John Shanks

Whitney Duncan has all the ingredients to be a star – stellar looks, a good voice, some attitude and overall marketability. Unfortunately, her first single “When I Said I Would” didn’t really play up to her strengths, but rather drowned them in an overly loud production. Luckily, “The Bed That You Made” is the complete opposite.

Written by Duncan, John Shanks, and all-star Hillary Lindsey, the song treads on the same familiar territory as fellow blonde-lookers Carrie Underwood, Kellie Pickler, and Taylor Swift, with a nice kiss-off to a wrong-doing lover. But instead of being completely blunt, Duncan and her co-writers create some nice imagery, including the catchy hook – “How does it feel to be feelin’ that way/Lying in the bed that you made.” The clever little double-entendre comparing the self-made bed to his self-made loneliness is refreshing, and really sets the song apart.

The production of “The Bed That You Made” works just as well as the hook. Things start out a little rough with a somewhat silly clap-along beat, but luckily a nice dose of dobro comes in to save the day. Her vocals are more in line with Heidi Newfield’s soulful, bluesy style rather than Pickler’s sugar-coated twang, and she tackles the song with just the right amount of confident sass.

Surprisingly, the arrangement of the song doesn’t bring to mind Underwood or Swift, but rather Lucinda Williams’ “Can’t Let Go,” and that’s where Duncan succeeds. She manages to be contemporary country, but doesn’t follow the rules set by her peers. Of course, the jury is still out on Duncan, but hopefully she continues to utilize her talents and release thoughtful material. If she does, she has the potential to reach the heights of another blonde former Nashville Star contestant.

Listen: Whitney Duncan – “The Bed That You Made”