For her first outing as a solo artist, Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles enlisted a powerhouse team, as “That Girl” finds the country artist toying with understated pop sensibilities courtesy of producer Rick Rubin and co-writer Butch Walker. Rubin’s beat is subtle yet pronounced, allowing Nettles’ vocals to rightfully remain the focus on her debut single. Here, Nettles’ narrator calls a woman to tell her that her man has been doing them both wrong: “I don’t want to be that girl/With your guy/To fool you/Make you cry,” she confesses. There’s a sultry, mysterious quality to Nettles’ story, enhanced by faint hand claps that tie the production together. “That Girl” is a powerful statement that’s even wise enough to reference Dolly Parton’s famed other-woman tale: “It wasn’t my name on his lips/No, he didn’t call for me/He didn’t say Jolene.”
