Ashley Cooke knows her true worth, and she’s telling it like it is in her newest single, “the hell you are,” available everywhere now. Written alongside Chase McGill, Emily Weisband, and Joe Fox, this radio-ready tune will take up residence on the singer/songwriter’s next album and follow up to 2023’s Shot in the Dark.
A fiery breakup anthem, “the hell you are” finds Cooke calling out a man on his lies. “You love blurring lines, it’s the only thing that’s clear / I ain’t saying you’re the devil, but you talk a lot like him / So when you’re on my shoulder / I ain’t listening,” Cooke sings throughout one of the verses,” revealing that she’s not playing the fool. She can clearly see behind a man’s empty promises.
Offering listeners a clever lyrical twist, Cooke channels a bit of wordplay, providing a double meaning for the title phrase during the end of the chorus. While airing out her frustrations and sharing the skepticism she has in her love interest, but soon-to-be ex, Cooke changes direction. She turns to the man in her life, pointing the finger at his character, singing the words: “you don’t even know the hell you are.”
“You say you’re comin’ over, and you’re swearing that you’re sober / All the hell you are / You’re almost convincing when you’re telling me you’re different / Yeah, the hell you are / All that truth about your lies is you’re heaven on the eyes / But when it comes to the heart / You don’t even know the hell you are,” Cooke sings, emphasizing her words while offering up plenty of sass and attitude in her delivery.
In a press release, Cooke opened up about the meaning behind “the hell you are.” She said, “This song is that moment of clarity when you finally put your foot down on what you deserve. It’s calling someone out for their actions not matching their words and deciding to be done believing that it’ll be different this time.”
Sonically, the highly relatable “the hell you are” showcases Cooke going slightly in a new direction away from her sunny pop melodies and modern country leanings. “The hell you are” takes a step toward the old western sounds with its galloping melody, electric guitar riffs, fiddle, and fluttering banjo.
In addition to the song drop, Cooke put pictures to the lyrics, debuting a visual for the track. The video features her setting up a dinner and waiting by the phone for a call from her presumed boyfriend. Instead of a romantic dinner for two, she blows out the candles and enjoys a girl’s night away from her man. Between throwing rose petals and spaghetti across the table, Cooke realizes more and more that she’s better off without him. At the very end of the clip, the boyfriend turns up, knocking on the door to apologize for being tardy. But, it’s too late and Cooke’s pals are there to have her back as she chooses to walk away.
“The hell you are” follows previous releases like “the f word,” and “All I Forgot” featuring Joe Jonas as well as Cooke’s country ballad “Your Place,” which gave the 28-year-old singer her first top hit. Additionally, Ashley Cooke is currently on the road playing select shows with Parker McCollum, Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, and Dustin Lynch through November.
