Madison Hillman has released “Bigger Than It Ought to Be,” a new country blues single that draws on a friendly local rivalry over Gulfport-area landmarks, according to a press release.

The release follows Hillman’s recent chart breakthrough with “The Courthouse Clock,” which debuted at No. 27 on the Top 40. That earlier song centered on time, memory and the role a hometown landmark can play across generations.

“Bigger Than It Ought to Be” takes a more playful approach to local attachment. The song was inspired by the attention surrounding Gulfport’s Magnolia Sand Dollar and a competing larger monument, the release said. Rather than argue over which landmark deserves recognition, the song considers why communities take pride in unusual roadside features and familiar public objects.

Hillman said the song is intended as an affectionate look at how places gain meaning over time.

“Sometimes something starts out as just concrete or paint or a funny thing beside the road, and then enough years pass and it belongs to everybody,” Hillman said in the release. “I liked the idea that both towns could be proud and nobody had to lose.”

The track is built around acoustic guitar, bottleneck slide and an easygoing rhythm, according to the announcement. Its lyrics use water towers, painted walls, courthouse clocks and roadside monuments as examples of ordinary objects that become local symbols through photographs, stories and repeated visits.

Hillman, who grew up in Oxford, Mississippi, has developed a style rooted in Delta blues guitar traditions and singer-songwriter storytelling. Her work often incorporates slide guitar, restrained percussion and place-based narratives influenced by Mississippi music and everyday life.

The new single continues Hillman’s run of songs focused on Mississippi settings. Following the response to “The Courthouse Clock,” she said she has become more confident that songs grounded in specific local experiences can connect with wider audiences without removing those details.

“Bigger Than It Ought to Be” is now available on streaming platforms.