Slow Down Summer

In a press release, Rhett stated: "I wrote this song from the point of view of two people who are in love during senior year of high school, I envisioned them headed off to different schools and they're starting to understand that the moment the weather starts to change, they've got a 99-percent chance this relationship is not going to work. I know that myself and a lot of people have been there before, wishing the fireworks stage doesn't have to end."^[2]

Carena Liptak of ABC Audio wrote that the lyrics "follow a couple who are soaking up every minute of their summer love together, knowing that when the weather cools, so will their relationship."^[3] Chris Parton of Sounds Like Nashville described the storyline as "two lovers locked in a summer they'll never forget—but knowing all too well their time together will soon end".^[4]

The song includes instrumentation from a 14-piece string section as well as a piano melody.^[5] It is written in the key of B major, with a tempo of 156 beats per minute.^[6]

Billy Dukes of Taste of Country opined that the track is "a nostalgic summer love song that stings just like it should".^[7]

The music video was released on December 3, 2021, and directed by P. Tracy. It described a story of "two young people holding on to the last moments of a summer together, as they prepare to embark on a new season apart".^[8] It features as Rhett plays the piano in different seasons.^[9]