Chris Lane dropped a new genre-bending track with Nelly: “Birthday Girl” is a mashup of country twang and hip-hop bump.
The “Big, Big Plans” singer and the frequent country collaborator tell the story of a girl going out on her birthday. She picks out her favorite outfit and hits the club to dance like no one is watching. It’s a feel-good song that will have any “birthday girl” cranking it up on her special day.
“‘Cause it’s your birthday, girl / The day your mama brought you into this world (Yeah) / Give what she gave you just a little more shake than you normally do / Today, you can have your cake and eat it too / Tonight’s your night (Your night) / Dance on the table, kiss a random guy (Like me) / Forget the haters watchin’ you act a fool ’til the last song / It’s your bash, get your smash and your sash on / ‘Cause it’s your birthday, girl / Happy birthday, girl,” Lane sings in the chorus, while Nelly handles vocals on the verses.
Country artists jumping into the studio with Nelly is nothing new. The “Ride Wit Me” hitmaker worked with Florida Georgia Line on “Lil’ Bit” and a popular remix of “Cruise,” and he has collaborated with Tim McGraw, Kane Brown and Jimmie Allen. Nelly even released his own country-rap project Heartland in 2021.
“Working with Nelly is a full circle moment for me. I grew up a huge fan of his music and I have enjoyed getting to know him through touring together. Doing this song is the icing on the cake,” Lane says in a statement.
Lane’s son, Dutton, is already a big fan of the song.
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Country music is well known for its collaborations, and there is no shortage of duets within the genre’s lifespan. But we’ve cut it down to 50 of the genre’s most memorable duets over the past several decades, as you’ll see here.