Mackenzie Carpenter Discusses Songwriting and "Jesus I'm Jealous"

Mackenzie Carpenter is shaping up to be in a league of her own. With pure talent and a strong sense of self, she is determined to create her own sound. Carpenter is known for her releases such as "Can't Nobody" and "Huntin' Season," both of which show off her glimmering personality. Having now released "Jesus I'm Jealous," Carpenter discussed the tune along with what's to come.

Hailing from Athens, GA, Carpenter grew up in a musical family. "I always dreamed of being a performer and singer. My dad is actually the one that told me 'If you're gonna actually pursue this, you need to learn how to write songs.' My brothers are the ones that taught me to play the guitar," Carpenter shares. Like most aspiring singers, she was captivated by the reality competition show American Idol. "When I was younger, I thought I would get discovered at a talent show or something," Carpenter says with a laugh. She would go on to attend Belmont University in Nashville where she got to hone in on her craft.

"I feel like it's so inspiring to be able to walk into a room and create something from nothing. There's no rules to it," Carpenter notes when asked what she loves most about songwriting. She admits that it can be daunting not knowing if people will love or hate what she has to say. She adds, "It can also be exciting. I'm a really competitive person and live for anticipation, so if I had a normal job I would probably be unhappy."

"Jesus I'm Jealous" was released on December 2nd. The introspective song allows for Carpenter's writing and vocals to culminate into something beautiful. "I showed up to this write with an idea that I'd been working with on my guitar. I just feel like I know a lot of people that thought life didn't turn out the way they thought it would," she exclaims, "This song is really about how nothing happens like you think it will, or the time you think it will." She went on to share, "We came up with the line 'Is it okay to pray at a bar?' as the top line, and I thought even if people don't like that, it'll make them wanna keep listening."

Carpenter is currently working on her debut project, set to arrive in April of 2023. "I'm going in the studio in January to record a whole new collection of songs that I'm so excited about," she tells us. This singer-songwriter also understands how meaningful it is to have people connect to her music and lyricism. "They're the ones buying tickets, they're the ones buying your shirts. That connection to the fans is so important to me."

Do you like going to concerts? You can get $20 OFF your first order at SeatGeek! Use promo code: THENASHNEWS at checkout.

To hear more of country music’s best new releases, head to our Playlists Page and follow The Nash New Releases playlist on Spotify. For the latest in country music news follow The Nash News on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok, and don’t miss our brand new newsletter!

Please note that this article may have affiliate links or The Nash News may receive compensation. We are independently owned and the opinions expressed here are our own.