She Leads, He Follows: Rusty Jackson’s Playful Tribute in “She Likes to be on Top”

There’s a particular kind of grin that creeps in when a country song gets it just right. Not just the sound, but the spirit. That’s what happened the first time I heard Rusty Jackson’s “She Likes to be on Top.” Not a loud grin, not a loud song. But it settled in with ease, the way good country always does.

Rusty’s voice carries that easy warmth that doesn’t push or plead. It just tells the truth, with a little grit and a wink tucked into the edges. The song is playful, yes, and the title will turn heads, but it’s the clever storytelling that makes it stick. There’s nothing forced about the humor. It’s baked into the structure, the phrasing, the melody that rolls along without ever losing pace.

Ben Vogel’s fingerprints are all over the sound and that’s a good thing. Everything fits like it was built in the same room because it was. The guitars have the right swing, the rhythm keeps things grounded, and there’s space for Rusty’s voice to do what it does best: make the moment feel real.

It’s a song about a woman who leads, and a man who admires that, not just tolerates it. The confidence, the charm, the heat, all of it delivered with affection, not arrogance. There’s something refreshing about how it doesn’t try to turn strength into a joke or a warning. It just lets it be attractive.

There’s no big crescendo, no dramatic turn. Just a songwriter comfortable in his skin, having fun, and tipping his hat to the kind of woman you don’t forget. It’s not trying to change the world, but it sure knows how to make you tap your foot and hit replay.

Rusty Jackson might still be carving his name into the scene, but with songs like this, he’s doing it in pen.

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