It turns out Martina McBride wasn't so reckless in releasing her new single. The veteran country star has unseated former Showdown champion Tara Thompson, and now faces a challenge from one of country music's hottest young talents, Sam Hunt.

McBride's new single, "Reckless," is a big change of pace from the big-message songs that she has tended to favor in the past, revealing a previously hidden wild and carefree side of the country belter. So far fans are loving it, setting her off on the right path for her first release under the auspices of a new deal with Nash Icon.

Hunt is one of the most inventive young artists in country music, and he's scored back-to-back-to-back-to-back successes with the first four singles from his debut album, Montevallo. The album's fifth radio single, "Make You Miss Me," features the inimitable spoken-word passages that make Hunt so unique, but casts him in a different role lyrically, this time as an empowered ex instead of a heartbroken former lover.

Listen to clips of both McBride and Hunt'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 Martina McBride, “Reckless”

Listen to Sam Hunt, “Make You Miss Me”

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.

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