The Showdown: Jerrod Niemann vs. Randy Houser

Hunter Hayes won his fifth straight Showdown song battle over the weekend, clearing the stage for two new competitors to square off on Monday and Tuesday. It'll be two great friends going at one another, as Jerrod Niemann and Randy Houser try to get their new songs to the top.

Niemann just released "Blue Bandana" on Friday. The mid-tempo nostalgic love song is a subtle tribute to his fans, he says. It's got a great summer vibe that plays well as the festival season reaches its halfway point.

Houser's "We Went" is a deviation from his last few singles, but the first taste from this new album is still signature Houser. It's a bad boy rocker that finds room for the Mississippi native's big country voice. The song has a head start on Niemann's, but both have passionate fan bases that should make this Showdown epic.

Listen to clips of both Niemann and Houser’s songs and vote for your favorite here. You can vote once every hour until this Showdown ends on Wednesday 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 Wednesday.

Listen to Jerrod Niemann, “Blue Bandana”

Listen to Randy Houser, “We Went”

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.