If you’ve ever wondered what it would sound like if a cowboy with a heart of gold and a twinkle in his eye wrote a feminist anthem disguised as a honky-tonk double entendre, Rusty Jackson’s “She Likes to be on Top” is exactly that.
On the surface, it sounds like your standard country toe-tapper, complete with a sly grin and just enough innuendo to make your grandma blush. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll find something unexpectedly earnest: a celebration of strong, confident women told through the lens of classic country swagger. It’s not pandering, it’s not preachy; it’s just proud. And cheeky. And probably a little tipsy.
This is a song that struts confidently into the bar with a swagger borrowed from classic country but a sense of humor and self-awareness very much of the present day. It knows exactly what you think it’s about (and yes, that’s part of the fun) but it also surprises you by being genuinely earnest. Somehow, against all odds, the song walks the tightrope between playful and respectful without falling face-first into cringe.
Recorded in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho under the production of Ben Vogel, the track sounds clean, professional, and far too polished to belong to someone who just wrote a song called “She Likes to be on Top.” The guitars twang, the rhythm section rolls, and Rusty’s voice glides over it all with that same kind of charming confidence you’d expect from someone who could wink and deliver a line like “she takes the reins” without making you want to roll your eyes into another dimension.
This is the thing: the song works because it means it. It’s not just trying to be funny or cute. It’s actually celebrating strong, assertive women; but in a way that doesn’t feel like a TED Talk. It’s charming, not pandering. And that’s depressingly rare.
With upcoming gigs like his show at Spokane’s historic Bing Crosby Theater, Rusty Jackson is not just doing the small-town circuit for the sake of it; he’s building a sound and a persona that suggests he knows exactly what kind of artist he wants to be: someone who respects tradition but isn’t afraid to poke a little fun at it along the way.
In lesser hands, this could have easily been a novelty song with the shelf life of a punchline. But instead, Rusty Jackson’s “She Likes to be on Top” pulls off a rare balancing act: he manages to write a song that’s funny, fun, and full of heart, while still tipping his hat to the women who take charge and ride tall in the saddle. It’s the kind of track that makes you smile, tap your boots, and maybe… just maybe, rethink who’s really running the show.
And if that’s not the most country thing ever, I don’t know what is.
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About the Author
A tenured media critic known working as a ghost writer, freelance critic for publications in the US and former lead writer of Atop The Treehouse. Reviews music, film and TV shows for media aggregators.
