The Showdown: Eric Church vs. Chris Stapleton

Two of the most respected singer-songwriters in country music today will square off in a new round of the Showdown.

Eric Church just won a handy victory over Hank Williams, Jr. with his latest single, "Mr. Misunderstood," which is an homage to all of the outsiders in the world. The song alternates between acoustic strumming and flat-out rocking, employing tempo and mood changes to make it one of the most musically interesting songs at country radio this year.

Chris Stapleton's recent sweep at the CMA Awards turned him from being a critically respected, but little-known Nashville hidden gem to an artist who is being talked about in every part of the country. His new single, "Nobody to Blame," is an undiluted slice of the kind of soulful traditional country that is his stock in trade, and with his newfound celebrity, he may be just the man to give a superstar like Church a run for his money.

Listen to clips of both Church and Stapleton’s songs and vote for your favorite here. You can vote once every hour until this Showdown ends on Friday at 8AM ET, so come back and vote often to be sure your artist wins. The winner of this matchup will face a new challenger on Friday.

Listen to Eric Church, “Mr. Misunderstood”

Listen to Chris Stapleton, “Nobody to Blame”

Showdown Rules: The song with the most votes wins, and the winner goes on to face a new challenger in the next Showdown. Vote as much as once per hour online. If a song wins five Showdowns in a row, it will be retired into the Taste of Country Showdown Hall of Fame to allow for new songs to compete. Some songs will be considered for a second Showdown if voter turnout is healthy in a losing effort.