In late October of 2025, Joshua Slone released his debut album “Thinking Too Much,” a sixteen track alternative country album with incredible lyricism and attention to detail. The twenty year old singer songwriter gained popularity on Tik Tok before the album’s highly successful spontaneous release. As a self proclaimed acoustic lover, this album was a dream to listen to. Slone’s songwriting is wise beyond his years, full of lines that left me genuinely shocked that a guy my age was able to conceptualize his emotion with such clarity.
“Wanting More”
The opening track of the album, “Wanting More”, immediately begins with the lyric “Fall in love, fall back out/ I’m so sorry I let you down.” In one sentence, Slone has summed up the full journey of emotion that accompanies this album as a whole, a series of diligent love songs and devastating breakup testimonies. This song tells almost half of a full story. Slone reflects on something he did that resulted in the end of a relationship and how it has affected his ability to love the same way again, leaving his lover wanting more, only able to maintain romantic love as something fleeting and fast paced. This avoidant pattern of relationships has clearly taken its toll on him, demonstrated through this song being the loudest and most alternative on the album. It has an undertone of frustration and guilt that pulls the listener in right off the bat.
Standout Lyric: “So fill up the cup/ Drink me like water/ Darling, give up/ It only gets harder”
“Adeline”
This track quickly grew to become my favorite on the album. “Adeline” is a song about missing a partner, dealing with distance and change while navigating a relationship and the challenges that accompany it. Slone sings about loneliness and a lack of time, feeling homesick for a person rather than a place. This song is beautiful and earnest, a true demonstration of dedication to another person that spans space and time and having to maintain love over the phone.
Standout Lyric: “She called me with an hour drive/ I’m swerving in and out of lines/ But there’s no way in hell I’d wreck myself knowing she’s on the other side”
“If I Don’t Have You So”
Following the themes of “Adeline”, “If I Don’t Have You So” is another love song that implies a long distance relationship and how true admiration, love, and respect can thrive across any mileage. This song, however, includes a hint of desperation in its chorus. Slone begs his lover not to “leave me here with the heartbrokes.” Chronologically, this could imply separation beginning to wear on a relationship, provoking insecurity and feelings of being lost without the person you love present in your life.
Standout Lyric: “You’re the only one I love and I know I can be a rebel/ But you love just like an angel and you hurt just like a devil”
“Anna”
Anna takes an interesting turn. It begins with a much more playful sound while still having emotional and thought provoking lyricism. I would find myself dancing and singing along in the car as though it were just a lighthearted pop song about a crush, and then switching my tone completely by the bridge, tightly gripping my air microphone and letting the emotion and desperation of the song overtake my (very dramatic) performance. Slone begins the song talking about a girl he has feelings for and how she doesn’t give him the time of day. She reels him in but doesn’t stick around, making him feel like a fool for trying to chase her but unable to resist trying. By the time the bridge comes around, the rhythm slows and Slone is pleading for her to understand how she affects him and how well he could treat her, all the while feeling a deep fear of expressing his true feelings out of fear of rejection. This song is an excellent encapsulation of how the newly popular “situationship” can affect people who aren’t on the same page about where their relationship stands. While the subject matter feels very modern, Slone manages to make it sound like an old fashioned love story.
Standout Lyric: “Last weekend in the lighting/ You were sending me pics by the pool/ I know that it’s selfish/ But I hope that you think I’m cool”
“Your Place at My Place”
Despite its late October release, this song became my fourth most listened to song of 2025. There is no way to describe this song other than addicting. When Maggie Rogers, an alternative artist I’ve been a fan of for years, posted this song on her Instagram story, I was thrilled to see musicians I admire seeing the same level of talent I saw so deeply expressed through this song. Reflecting on a relationship, Slone speaks of a love that fell apart but was never forgotten or replaced, singing “No one has ever taken your place at my place.” His honesty in admitting his struggles through separation, how he wishes they could “set things straight” and doesn’t care if his partner has to “lie and say you’re into it” feels slightly shocking. Typically in a breakup, both parties try to act like they’re better off and thriving as soon as possible. Admitting his pain in such vivid detail feels like almost a vulnerable defeat, turned into a beautiful work of art that can make so many heartbroken people feel seen.
Standout Lyric: “Well I woke up late again/ Another night of getting high and staying in/ Oh God, I wonder do you ever think of when/ We were in love, it didn’t feel so different.”
“Regret It”
Regret It is a bittersweet breakup song that almost feels like a love letter. It’s an acknowledgement of the price that comes with falling in love young and growing apart, when missing someone turns to bitterness and regret. This song is painfully honest and blunt, with such strong undertones of affection and respect. It articulates how the “no contact” phenomenon of teen breakups today feels so well, all while maintaining maturity and trying to avoid stooping to childish habits. Slone’s maturity in reflecting on this relationship and its role in his life feels rare for a writer so young, making this song feel all the more wise and impactful.
Standout Lyric: “You don’t hate me, you just wish that you could blame me for another lonely day/ Oh, but love’s a scary train you can’t get off”
“I Am Yours, You Are Mine.”
This song is a pure declaration of love. There is no complication, just optimism and acceptance of the universe bringing love in after searching for it for so long. Slone sings of the hardships and mundanities of daily life, and how his love has brought him purpose and guidance. The song as a whole is slow and sweet, comforting in its relatability and simplistic devotion. The wholeness and safety that comes with confidence in romantic commitment is clear here. Combined with the clear passion Slone feels for his loved one this is the perfect love song.
Standout Lyric: “‘Cause your love’s like a heater, and I’m a/ Thousand degrees with a fever/ I’ll only fall deeper and deeper if you don’t mind”
“Demons”
The most well known track on the album, “Demons”, gained popularity on Tik Tok for its lyricism and Slone’s beautiful voice, full of emotion as he performed an acoustic version outdoors for his audience. Another love song, “Demons” discusses the dedication that comes with loving someone and taking on their demons as your own, sticking by them through good times and bad, blocking out the difficult parts of the world around and focusing on the love and safety found in another person. This message resonates with so many people in this day and age when the world feels dangerous, and we’ve been forced into isolation and encouraged to fight our battles privately and without complaint. People seek acceptance in multiple forms, not only of their flaws, but the opportunity to offer this safety to someone else they love and trust. “Demons” offers a positive outlook for this desire, proof that conquering obstacles in love and choosing someone over and over again is still in practice.
Standout Lyric: “‘Cause you look like rain and you smell like love/ Honey, I’ve been talking to the Gods above”
“Disappear”
Following the reprieve from heartbreak listeners receive during “I Am Yours, You Are Mine” and “Demons”, Slone throws us back into the deep end with the devastating lyrics of “Disappear”. Telling the story of what sounds like a textbook first love, with hesitant first kisses and family involvement and how it fell apart, this song is a gut wrenching testimony of how growth and change can affect love. Slone’s voice verges into desperation as he sings about the absence of his loved one who has now moved away and never returns home and the loneliness that has led him to drink and reminisce. A perfect breakup song for victims of long distance, “Disappear” will make those too heartbroken to move on properly feel seen and heard from the first listen.
Standout Lyric: “I haven’t moved since you moved south/ And now I’m pouring out Everclear/ You’re never here, you’re never here”
“Shark Attack”
Shark Attack was the first track I heard from Slone, and it instantly caught my attention. This song is a masterclass in metaphors and lyricism. Using the concept of a shark attack— treading deep water and being sneakily attacked from out of the blue — as a metaphor for heartbreak and the end of a relationship is already so smart, but Slone’s execution can only be described as flawless. I once read “Shark Attack” as though it were spoken word poetry to my mom across the kitchen counter in my childhood home. Her jaw continued to drop as I read my favorite lyric from the piece: “Every road leads to a cold death, if I drown or I swim it’s a code red, and if you left once I should’ve known you’d leave again.” We stared at each other in pure delight just from hearing the genius of this song spoken aloud. Not only does this song make me want to pull out a red pen and begin to annotate each line, it’s also extremely catchy. There hasn’t been one person I’ve played it for who hasn’t gotten it stuck in their head for days on end.
Standout Lyric: “Every road leads to a cold death, if I drown or I swim it’s a code red, and if you left once I should’ve known you’d leave again.”
“Last Night I Realized I’m In Love With You”
The story of a conversation that led to a revelation, “Last Night I Realized I’m In Love With You” is another masterclass in honest storytelling. Here, Slone takes the approach that —despite getting drunk with his loved one and realizing that he loves them romantically — his love for them is so deep that they can take him or leave him, and he will be satisfied no matter what as long as they are happy. This self-sacrificial choice is a sign of true love and acceptance that makes Slone appear, as usual, wise beyond his years, all while falling for someone because they bring out his younger side.
Standout Lyric: “I said “Most times I feel dead, but with your head on my legs, I feel so alive”
“To Make You Mine”
This is the “yearning” love song of 2025 that young people have been searching for. In a detailed and innocent declaration of love, Slone sings about his careful pursuit of a person he is slowly falling for and wants to give himself over to no matter what it takes. While listening to this album for the first time, I noted Slone’s reference to this song in the opening track, where he sings that he is “done working to make you mine.” Unfortunately, this leads me to believe that it is possible that this level of earnest pursuit is something Slone believes he had lost by the time in his story that he wrote “Wanting More.” While gut wrenching, this change in level of dedication to love is a common phenomenon that comes with maturity and outgrowing first loves. Often, people feel as though they will never be able to strive for love with the same innocence they did when falling in love at a young age, and they grieve that part of themselves. This song can transport any listener to a time where they felt such innocent and pure affection, a powerful tool for reflection and reminiscing on simpler times.
Standout Lyric: “And I love the way you smile/ Didn’t know you had dimples for a while/ Lately I’ve been payin’ a little more attention”
“From A Friend”
In a rare expression of arrogance, “From A Friend” captures Slone’s experience watching a love interest pursue someone new, and feeling as though he could treat them better. This song was hard for me to come around to at first, purely because of the “home-wrecking” implications, but like all other songs on the album, it won me over and I am now obsessed. It’s hard not to root for Slone when his lyricism shows such attention to detail, specifically in lines like “he might be one hell of a guy, but I see fire in your eyes when you’re with me.” There’s an interesting contrast between Slone’s intent of offering a casual opinion as a friend and his blunt honesty when detailing why he would be better for his loved one, so much so I found myself slightly shocked by the idea that he would bare his soul to someone in a relationship. Strangely, it works perfectly to pack just the right amount of an emotional punch to the listener. This song has become one of my favorites despite its possibly controversial message, an excellent display of Slone’s ability to win over the listener in every capacity with his intellect.
Standout Lyric: “Tough luck, you got a new lover/ But I got a stain you can’t cover/ I’ll never wash those sheets again/ Where you cried all your mascara off/ And woke up with a puddle on your chin”
“Somehow I Got You, Somehow You Love Me”
Slone has a gift for making self deprecation come off as vulnerable and truthful rather than pitying, and he utilizes that gift throughout this beautiful track. When he sings of disbelief that he managed to get his partner to fall for him and praises their beauty and personality, the listener doesn’t feel as though he is trying to make himself look bad. Instead, his self deprecation comes off as genuine disbelief that this love exists in his life. It’s hard not to see this stunned disbelief and not develop a soft spot for his capacity to love. This is my favorite album track to see covers of on social media, because not one person can perform it without bringing incredible amounts of personal emotion to the table.
Standout Lyric: “If the ground breaks open, and the heavens come down/ There’s just one thing I’d do/ Oh I’d hold on to you/ and I’d thank God, as it’s him that I’d meet”
“Hate It”
In this swing style breakup song, Slone takes a tone of resignation as he struggles to accept the end of his relationship. He feels like he is drowning and hates the way things ended. This song relies heavily on the raw emotion and vocal talent Slone brings to the table, both of which he excels at. This is a song you sway to with your eyes closed, beautifully slow and jam packed with profound feeling.
Standout Lyric: “‘Cause we were so close to what we wanted I can taste it/ So tell me why/ ‘Cause you’re gone and I hate it/ I hate it”
“Thinking Too Much”
The final track and the album’s namesake, “Thinking Too Much”, feels like the perfect culmination to an album based around introspection and lost love. The song ruminates on Slone’s tendency to overthink his choices and the choices of those around him, constantly reflecting on the decisions he has made and how they could hurt his loved ones. An anthem for those who have never been able to let anything go, this is the best track for a long walk while reflecting on every aspect of life with huge noise cancelling headphones and plenty of time to spare.
Standout Lyric: “I’m not gonna win/ I don’t think anyone does in this fight/ Oh, but I’d come back if I thought you would be alright”
This album has redefined the definition of good country music for me, combining intelligent lyricism with classic country music themes. I am so excited to see it performed live and for the future of Slone’s career as an artist. I have no doubt he will continue to create amazing work!