A slow and painful heartbreak ballad for your Wednesday. This new single from Jamey Johnson and emerging country artist Lily Meloa is the definition of sad country songs that make me so incredibly happy. Today, Meola released a slow, heartbreaking ballad with the outlaw legend Jamey Johnson titled “Never Want This To Change.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lily Meola (@lilymeola) While this is not the first time the Johnson and Meloa have worked together, this is the first time they have worked together in years. Johnson noted that he first sang with Meola in 2014. “It’s a great song, and Lily is a great singer and a great writer. There is something different about it and I really didn’t expect it, even after the other songs of hers I have heard. It just caught me by surprise. Lily and I recorded ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’ for my Christmas EP that I did in 2014. I have always been impressed with her singing.” Over a decade later, the two were reunited in the studio for this beautiful heartbreaker. Meola noted that this song started as a poem that later became a song. Meola described the song as the feeling of meeting someone, knowing it might not work out, and wanting to “freeze time just so you can live in that moment with them forever.” You can hear that loud and clear in the chorus of the tune. Meola’s imagery gives the song a rom-com feel, and the feeling she describes jumps out of the speaker into the listeners’ ears. “I’m good with the seasons The snow and the rain The moon and its phases The toppling waves I know there’s a reason Nothing stays the same But I never want this to change” Meola thanked Johnson immensely for appearing on the song, as she admires him as an artist and person. She also jokes, “he’s got a voice that sounds like God has favorites.” You can say that louder for the people in the back. Johnson echoed similar sentiments, claiming Meola is one of the best duet partners he’s ever had. While Meola has been in music for many years, her sound has not stuck to one genre specifically, blending pop, country, and jazz elements. Johnson notes that jazz is where he thinks she shines. “She asked me to sing on this one and I couldn’t wait. Of course, I didn’t think adding me to it was going to make it any better, because it was already pretty good. I am humbled and grateful that she asked. She is one of my favorite duet partners. She is so easy to sing with, especially live, but even in the studio, she just makes everything so much fun and laid back and just easy. While she’s a great pop singer, musically she reminds me more of a jazz singer. She is somebody who can find little partials and notes where even great singers might miss. She reminds me of somebody like Ella Fitzgerald, a very smart, gifted musician.” While she might not be categorized as a traditional country artist, there is no denying that her vocal range is out of this world, and this duet with Johnson follows the recipe to make a sad and slow country ballad, with the slight moan of a steel guitar and a twang. I must admit I didn’t know what to expect when I saw this pairing, but it surprised me in the best way. Check it out for yourself. The post Jamey Johnson Joins Emerging Artist, Lily Meola, For Heartbreak Ballad “Never Want This To Change” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.