Coal (song)

Gossett had not recorded the full version of "Coal" when he first teased it on social media, so after its success on TikTok, he recorded it on a small microphone and a laptop in his bedroom. It was released independently on July 27, 2023, and later reissued when Gossett signed to Big Loud Texas and Mercury Records. In an interview with Holler, Gossett explained that he wrote the song in 2021 to help him overcome personal struggles, stating "Coal's a very personal song. It's funny because sometimes I'll see comments saying I look like a happy guy - and I am, I'm a goofy, happy dude. But at that point in my life, about two and a half years ago, I just felt like I was stuck in a rut, where nothing was really working. I was just throwing stuff at the wall, and nothing would stick. I started it with the main line, 'If pressure makes diamonds / How the hell am I still coal?' And then the rest of the song came in 20-25 minutes." During the interview, Gossett also declared the song one of his favorites to perform live because of the audience reaction. ==Content==

"Coal" is an acoustic guitar-driven ballad about a narrator lamenting a failed relationship brought to a end as a result of his alcoholism. In the chorus, he likens himself to coal, and questions how, despite all of the pressure he's been under in his life, he has yet to turn into a diamond. ==Critical reception==

In an end-of-the-year article covering 2023 in country music, Jon Caramanica of the New York Times dubbed the single "one of the year’s best country songs," while praising Gossett's "ruggedly plaintive voice" and "emotionally detailed" writing. ==Charts==