By Jacques Wang
After almost a year since the release of his third major label album, Cody Johnson finally released the extended version of his Leather record on Friday. It features 13 new songs in addition to the 12 tracks from the original album.
Who is Cody Johnson?
For those who don’t know him or are unfamiliar with his music, Cody Johnson is a country singer-songwriter from Texas. Like a true Texan cowboy, Cody “Cojo” Johnson first started his career as a professional rodeo bull rider and correctional officer before releasing his first album with his Rockin’ CJB band in 2006 at the age of 19. Cojo’s music career slowly rose over the next few years, eventually making a name for himself on the country music scene as an independent artist. Cojo’s rise would lead him to sign with Warner Nashville in 2018, and their first major label album, Ain’t Nothin’ to It, would come out the following year. Cojo’s next major label album, Human: The Double Album, would see his first #1 hit in 2022 with the song “Til You Can’t,” certifying Cody Johnson as a top country hitmaker. “Til You Can’t” would also win that year’s CMA Awards for Best Single of the Year and Video of the Year.
Part of the reason why Cody Johnson has become popular in country music has to do with his musical style. In a world where bro-country and country pop are constantly dominating the genre, Cojo stands out as one of the leading traditional country artists out there. By combining outlaw country, classic country, and country rock, Cojo has created a musical style that feels traditional yet contemporary. His reliance on traditional instruments – such as the fiddle and pedal steel guitar – coupled with his emotional storytelling vocals and his authentic cowboy background make his music very reminiscent of Texas country legends like Willie Nelson and George Strait.
One Year into Leather
After the success of Human: The Double Album, Cody Johnson released his ninth album and third album with Warner Nashville, Leather, on November 3, 2023. How has this album stood out after a year? Commercially, there is no doubt that Leather has become Cojo’s most successful album so far, with its singles “The Painter” and “Dirt Cheap” reaching #1 on the country charts.
Dedicated to Cojo’s wife Brandi, “The Painter” is a romantic ballad in which the singer describes his partner as the painter of his life.
“I don’t remember / Life before she came into the picture / Brought the beauty I was missin’ with her / Showed me colors I ain’t never seen / She took chances / With every wall I built, she saw a canvas / I thank God every day for how He made her / My life was black and white but she’s the painter.”
Despite admitting in interviews that he felt he did not know how to write or sing a romantic song, this song showcases Cojo’s talents as a vocalist and country musician. His soft baritone voice and gentle delivery of romantic lyrics make every rhyme resonate with the listener. The traditional instrumentalization of the song makes the listener feel like they themselves are living in a painting. “The Painter” has since become a go-to song for country wedding playlists.
Cody Johnson’s second single off Leather, “Dirt Cheap,” best showcases his talent as a storyteller. Written by Josh Phillips, “Dirt Cheap” is an emotional ballad in which an old farmer refuses to sell his land because it represents various core moments of his life.
“‘Cause I got a little girl that used to swing right there / I still see her pink bow in her brown hair / She’s in the big city, but she still calls home / What’s she gonna do if she comes back, and we’re gone? / And over there, under that wide oak tree / Beneath the cross is where my best buddy’s buried / Lasted 13 huntin’ season runnin’ strong / Keep your money ’cause a man can’t leave his dog / And over there is where I got down on one knee / You can’t buy that kind of dirt cheap.”
Being a ranch owner and the father of two young daughters himself, this song was tailor-made for Cody Johnson. Again, his delivery of the heartfelt lyrics is enough to bring a tear to millions of listeners who have lived similar experiences. Both “The Painter” and “Dirt Cheap” are nominated for this year’s CMA Awards for Best Song of the Year. Leather itself is nominated for Best Album of the Year.
Besides the two hit singles, Leather features plenty of songs that have become fan favorites. In “That’s Texas,” for example, Cojo proudly lists the best of what his home state has to offer. The fast delivery of the lyrics showcases Cojo’s versatile vocal range. The twangy performance from his band makes this song incredibly fun to dance to. On the other side of the spectrum, if you are looking for a sad breakup song, look no further than “Watching My Old Flame.” Here, Cojo’s gentle and melancholic delivery and that electric guitar solo before the last chorus are enough to remind listeners of their stories of love gone wrong. Leather also includes “Whiskey Bent,” a duet with country/hip-hop superstar Jelly Roll that talks about seeking forgiveness and overcoming alcoholism.
Overall, Leather’s original 12 songs have proved themselves to be a success for Cody Johnson. Despite becoming a certified Nashville hitmaker, Cojo still retains his musical identity as an old-school cowboy singing about romance and hardships. The question is, how do the 13 new songs from the deluxe edition fit in with the rest?
Leather Deluxe Edition – worth the wait?
The first song Cody Johnson released from this deluxe edition was “I’m Gonna Love You,” a duet with country superstar Carrie Underwood. Like “The Painter,” “I’m Gonna Love You” is another romantic ballad in which the singers describe their love as being just as inevitable as certain guaranteed aspects of life.
“Stars are gonna light up the midnight sky / The sun’s gonna burn on the fourth of July / Tides are gonna turn with the pull of the moon / And I’m gonna love you.”
“Birds are flyin’ south when the winter comes / Snow’s gonna fall, and rivers gonna run / April’s gonna rain, and flowers gonna bloom/ And I’m gonna love you.”
Each artist sings part of the verse before joining together for a powerful chorus, singing:
“So good that it almost hurts / Steady and true as a Bible verse / My heart skips just thinkin’ of you / Go on and bet it all, baby, we can’t lose.”
Cojo and Carrie Underwood delivered a powerful ballad with their harmonizing vocals; however, this song can feel slightly underwhelming. Judging by the opening piano, the song was setting a build-up for a passionate musical number, but that intensity never fully comes. Vocally, “I’m Gonna Love You” is not a bad song, but musically, it could have been more. It feels like this song exists because the two country superstars wanted to work together. The same could be said for “Made in The USA,” a patriotic song about everyday life in America. The intro makes it seem like the song will build up for an intense chorus but has no catchy hook. For a country singer who preaches about unity and patriotism at his shows, Cody Johnson could have done more to capture that message.
Another song dropped before the full album release is “How Do You Sleep At Night?”, a catchy, rock-infused breakup song co-written by fellow country superstar Hardy. Despite being very catchy and having the potential to be Cojo’s next #1 hit, the traditional instrumentalization that Cojo is known for is barely present, and the lyrics don’t really tell a story or have a message for listeners. This is also evident in other bonus tracks, like “Damn Good Life” and “Take It Like A Man.” This leaves many fans worried that Cody Johnson is leaving behind his Texas roots to become just another generic country artist that sounds the same as everyone else.
However, I’d like to argue the same Cody Johnson that everyone knows and loves is still present and has not disappeared. For example, the first track from the deluxe edition of Leather, “Overdue,” is a slow-paced song reminiscent of the old-school country sound of the 90s and early 2000s. Cojo also delivers a new outlaw song called “Georgia Peaches” featuring a banjo, taking listeners back to his earlier days in country music. Cojo’s storytelling ballads are still featured throughout the new tracks with songs like “The Fall,” “I Wished It Was You,” and “Over Missin’ You,” with messages of resilience, seeking forgiveness, and heartache – themes that Cojo has been known to explore.
One new song that has caught everyone’s attention is “C’mon Cowgirl,” another emotional song about a father’s love and encouragement of his daughter. Seeing as he is the father of two young daughters, I found this song natural for Cody Johnson.
“The first time that I held you, I swore I’d never hold you back / But the older that you get, the more I hate the sound of that / ‘Cause anywhere you ever go and everythin’ you do / You’ll never meet a cowboy that loves you likе I do / Come on, cowgirl.”
Despite being quite cheesy, this song features plenty of relatable lyrics for many fathers and young women, such as:
“So come on, cowgirl, you’re too young to drive / I don’t carе what that license says, you best be home by 9 / Come on, cowgirl, turn that sad song off / I never liked him anyway, baby, it’s his loss / Come on, cowgirl.”
“C’mon Cowgirl” will undoubtedly become a fan favourite and one of the best songs on the deluxe edition. It could eventually be released as a radio single.
Overall, despite scoring a few hits with “I’m Gonna Love You,” “How Do You Sleep At Night,” and “C’mon Cowgirl,” I believe the deluxe edition of Leather does fall short of expectations. The 12 tracks from the original album will overshadow the new ones in the future, standing stronger on their own than the new tracks. The new songs could very much be considered a fresh album of its own, but it would then be one of Cody Johnson’s weakest projects to date.
I wouldn’t go as far as calling Cody Johnson a “sellout artist,” seeing as he has spent more than a decade trying to reach the top of the country music charts and help pave the way for more traditional artists in mainstream country. However, I do believe that Leather Deluxe Edition is walking a fine line between the Cojo we knew before as an independent artist and the one currently trying to compete with other modern country stars.
Moving forward, Cody Johnson may need to go back to his roots and bring back more of that traditional instrumentalization that made him famous in the first place. Despite Leather Deluxe Edition not living up to his previous work, Cody Johnson is still one of our time’s top traditional and modern country singers and one of Texas’ biggest music stars.
Hopefully, Cojo and his band will release more back-to-roots music in the future… maybe starting with the release of his acoustic covers of “Travelin’ Soldier” and “She’s Acting Single” on Spotify and Apple Music?