Brothers Osborne Confront Bigotry in New Song ‘Hatin’ Somebody’

Brothers Osborne cook up a funky groove with an evergreen message in their new song “Hatin’ Somebody,” which will appear on their upcoming album Skeletons. The CMA-winning duo’s third studio project, Skeletons will be released October 9th.

Built around sizzling, woozy electric and acoustic slide guitar that recall Sticky Fingers-era Rolling Stones, the swampy “Hatin’ Somebody” was penned by siblings John and TJ Osborne with Casey Beathard. It’s also a statement about bigotry and the struggle to coexist that references a personal transformation the duo’s grandfather underwent. “Stick a stubborn hillbilly in the middle of the city, gotta learn how not to throw stones/He didn’t live long enough to hear this song, but he lived long enough to know,” TJ Osborne sings.

They drive the central idea home in each chorus, singing, “Hatin’ somebody ain’t never got nobody nowhere,” before closing the song out with a freewheeling jam-band coda.

“Hatin’ Somebody” follows “All Night” as the latest release from Skeletons, which reunites the duo with producer Jay Joyce. Songwriting collaborators on the album include Hayes Carll, Craig Wiseman, and Daniel Tashian and Ian Fitchuk. Brothers Osborne’s most recent album was 2019’s Live at the Ryman, documenting a sold-out three-night series of shows at the Nashville venue.