Miranda Lambert isn’t just making another album—she’s reminding us why she’s the most awarded artist in Academy of Country Music Awards history. On Oct. 2, the country powerhouse drops Crisco, a 12-track collection that refuses to stay in one lane.
What makes this album feel different is its unapologetic sprawl. There’s the’70s-inspired groove of the title track, the wit and wisdom fueling“Two Things Can Be True”and“Whiskey Business,”and a pair of serious collaborators in Chris Stapleton on the Grammy-nominated“A Song to Sing.”Lambert even takes on a Jim Croce classic, adding her own voice to“I’ll Have to Say I Love You in a Song.”Produced by Lambert and Jesse Frasure, the record taps into a roster of songwriting talent—Natalie Hemby, Ashley Monroe, Waylon Payne, Aaron Raitiere, and Josh Osborne—who clearly understood the vision.
What’s telling is Lambert’s own framing.“I’ve always loved every corner of country music,”she said.“The heartbreak songs, the honky-tonk songs, the songs that make you think and the songs that make you dance. Making this record reminded me that those things don’t have to be separated.”That’s the whole thesis right there: Crisco isn’t trying to be one thing. It’s honest, it’s fun, and it trusts the songs to go wherever they need to.
Seven of Lambert’s albums have already debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart—Wildcard and The Weight of These Wings among them—so the bar is already sky-high. But there’s momentum building beyond her own releases. As a cowriter and coproducer on Ella Langley’s“Choosin’Texas,”Lambert helped craft a song that’s spent 10 weeks atop the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 and 28 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart. That’s not just a hit; that’s cultural penetration.
Mark Oct. 2 on your calendar. And if you want a preview, Lambert’s dropping“Till the Going’s Gone”on June 26.
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Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
