Beloved Up-and-Coming Country Star Nails Cover of Toby Keith's Iconic Party Song 'Red Solo Cup'
Growing up with a '90s country-loving mom, Toby Keithwas a staple in our house. I vividly remember being obsessed with the music video for "How Do You Like Me Now?!" and crying when she refused to take me to his show. Though my taste in music has changed, I still have a soft spot for those '90s country crooners.
I think a majority of current country fans also have the same affinity for the "old golden days" of country, and this generation of singers is doing everything they can to honor that era and keep the spirit alive. On July 1, just in time for Fourth of July celebrations, budding country star Emily Ann Roberts dropped her version of "Red Solo Cup."
Toby Keith Covered: Nashville Sessions, released by Apple Music, featured not only Roberts but also other budding household names like Tyler Hubbard, Kameron Marlowe, and Jackson Dean.
Roberts actually teased the cover during one of her viral social media videos, where she began singing some of the song while showing off her latest corseted red, white, and blue top that she was working on.
@emilyann_music ♬ original sound - Emily Ann Roberts
As a self-proclaimed "Yeehaw-Memaw," Roberts often shares her homemaking skills, including crochet, gardening, cooking, and various crafts.
Emily Ann Roberts' "Red Solo Cup" Cover Earns Fan Praise
Roberts' take on the now-classic track is as lighthearted and fun as the original, only laced with her powerhouse vocals and a slightly quicker pace. The subtle changes really resonated with her audience.
@emilyann_music Red Solo Cup - Emily Ann Edition !!! I’ve always been a big @Toby Keith fan so I was thrilled when @Apple Music asked me to be a part of this project! Go stream this now for all your bbqs, tailgates, fairs, & festivals only on Apple Music 🤍
♬ Red Solo Cup (Apple Music Sessions) - Emily Ann Roberts
"Something about the way Emily sings the word 'party' really scratches my brain in the best way," said one follower.
"This makes me so happy," added another.
"Toby Keith would love this! Great song, great cover," complimented another.
The song has not been released on Spotify as of publication, but it is available through Apple Music.
The Surprising History Behind Toby Keith's "Red Solo Cup"
This famously "stupid" song was never actually intended to be recorded. Someone played the song for Keith, which was written by Jim Beavers and his brother Brett, alongside the Warren Brothers, Brett and Brad Warren, according to The Boot.
"'Red Solo Cup' is like a squirrel loose in a church house. We can play it in an office and then play five other songs, give it an hour, walk out, and you'd hear the receptionist singing it," the outlet reported Keith saying. "It's like nursery rhyme stupid."
Even one of the song's writers agreed it was absurd.
"It's absolutely ridiculous," Jim Beavers told The Boot. "I can also say, having been a writer for 10 years and written hundreds of songs, I don't know a song that more people bring up in more instances than this song about a red solo cup. I don't know why, it hits something somewhere. It is the craziest, weirdest song you've ever heard."
Now the famous (or infamous, depending on your POV) song has a brand new life, and that in and of itself is worth raising our red solo cups to.