You’d think pairing two of the biggest voices in country music would set the world on fire.

Instead, some critics are out here pouring cold water on what was supposed to be a can’t-miss moment. Chris Stapleton and Miranda Lambert’s new duet, “A Song to Sing,” dropped with all the hype of a summer anthem, but instead of lighting up playlists, it’s catching heat for falling flat.

Saving Country Music called the track “uninspired,” giving it a 6.7 out of 10 and claiming the disco-tinged production left it sounding more like filler than fire. According to their review, the song “feels like empty music calories,” lacking grit, guts, or even much of a twang. They compared it to something from the adult contemporary aisle, not the honky-tonk barroom. That’s about as savage as it gets in the world of country music reviews.

But let’s not pretend the crowd’s leaving early. Fans flooded YouTube with glowing comments, some straight-up calling it their new wedding song. “Two of my favorite country music voices together!! It’s the best,” one person wrote. Others called the harmony “beautiful” and praised the emotional weight both singers brought to the track. So while critics may be shrugging, listeners clearly aren’t.

“A Song to Sing” was co-written by Stapleton and Lambert along with hitmakers Jesse Frasure and Jenee Fleenor, and produced by Dave Cobb. The lyrics read like something out of a love letter, wrapped in melody. “You are a part of me / Baby, you’re the heart of me / Together, we can write a song to sing,” they croon in unison. It’s tender. It’s vulnerable. And yeah, maybe it’s not the rowdy banger some expected from this duo, but not every country song has to come with beer cans flying.

Still, it’s hard to ignore that a Stapleton-Lambert duet practically begged for a harder punch. These are two of the most decorated artists in the genre today, both with reputations for real, raw storytelling. So when the biggest complaint is that the song doesn’t go deep enough or take any risks, it’s fair to wonder what could have been if they’d leaned harder into their roots.

The production, layered with soft synths and polished edges, definitely doesn’t scream “back porch jam session.” Cobb is known for bringing vintage flavor, but here it leans more Bee Gees than Brooks & Dunn. If you were expecting a boot-stompin’ barnburner, this ain’t it.

But does that make it bad? Not necessarily. It just makes it different. In a landscape where country radio keeps churning out soundalike tracks, at least this one has some texture. And if you’re listening with your heart instead of just your boots, the lyrics hit where they need to.

The bigger picture? Miranda and Chris are artists who do what they want. Stapleton could sing the phone book and still make half the room cry. Lambert’s been torching expectations since “Kerosene.” If they wanted to toss out a three-minute slow-burn love song instead of a chart-busting boot-scooter, that’s their prerogative.

And let’s be real. Sometimes critics are looking for something to dissect just because the names are that big. You drop a surprise duet with this much horsepower, and folks expect it to punch the moon. When it doesn’t, they slap the word “meh” on it. But for the fans hitting repeat, none of that matters. They just hear two voices that sound damn good together.

So call it what you want. Too soft, too polished, not country enough. Just don’t be surprised when it winds up on wedding playlists for the next ten years. Because in the end, the circle of country music isn’t just bar fights and tailgates. Sometimes it’s about love, harmony, and yes, even a little softness.

And maybe that’s the real song worth singing.