Flo Rida, a prominent figure in hip-hop, has released a new single titled "Carrying the Club," which marks a departure into country music influences. The track features an interpolation of George Strait's 1997 country hit "Carrying Your Love With Me" and includes collaborations with emerging country artist Cooper Alan and pop-country singer Shaylen. This genre-blending effort has generated varied responses within the music community.
George Strait's original "Carrying Your Love With Me," released on April 22, 1997, was a commercial success, reaching the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and earning a Grammy nomination for Best Country Album in 1998. Cooper Alan, who has gained a significant following through social media platforms like TikTok, boasts over 750 million streams. Shaylen, who transitioned from a decade in the pop music industry to embrace her country roots, has accumulated over 2.2 million streams for her debut single "What If I Don't." The release of "Carrying the Club" continues a trend of genre fusion in the music industry, with artists like Nelly, Tim McGraw, Lil Nas X, Billy Ray Cyrus, Beyoncé, and Post Malone having previously explored similar cross-genre collaborations. "Carrying the Club" is now available on all major streaming platforms.