David J pours on the romance like thick maple syrup. “Traffic on a Backround,” which he co-wrote with Beau Baily and Lukas Klingensmith, hits the sultry groove into overdrive. It’s seductive and addicting, his voice charming even the audience. “Last thing I want to do is say goodbye to you,” he sings. “I know your daddy’s waiting…”

He goes on to reveal his real intentions with the smooth-talkin’ chorus. “I start to pray we hit a little traffic on a backroad,” he whispers. “So we can make a little magic in a back row, fog up the window / I hope this country road never talks me home.”

When the song was written, snow blanketed Nashville. “[This song] came out of one of the most fun writing sessions I’ve ever had. The vibes were just incredible,”  he says. “This is a slightly different sound coming from me, and I’m very excited that my fans seem to like it from what they’ve heard so far. It’s merging influences from hip-hop, pop, and country – which is the music I grew up on – so I’m pumped to bring everything together in this song.”

David J spins his tires between genres, stalling out before gunning it down the strip of dirt road. “So, we can throw it in park, lean that seat back / And get to gettin’ stuck,” he sings. “It’s rush hour out here in the sticks / Looks like you backed it up, hey.”

Listen to “Traffic on a Backroad” below.

Drawing inspiration from the likes of Sam Hunt and Justin Bieber, David J released his six-song debut EP Lost My Heartbreak in 2022. Somewhat of a TikTok star (now boasting more than 700,000 followers), he shows signs of becoming a bonafide country star. So far, he’s supported artists on tour stops for Drake White, Mitchell Tenpenny, and Blake Shelton, among many others. His streaming numbers don’t lie either; the title track to his EP nears 25 million streams.