Extending ‘Crisco,’ but there’s a catch.
Other than Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert has remained what can only be described as the female country artist of the 2000s. With 40 ACM Awards, 14 CMA Awards, three Grammys, 11 #1 singles and seven #1 albums, the Texas native has built a legacy few artists in the genre, let alone female artists, can compete with.
Recently, she’s been experiencing nothing short of a career resurgence thanks to her newfound friendship with Ella Langley. Of course, this is because she not only produced her sophomore album, Dandelion, but also co-wrote her history-making all-genre #1 hit, “Choosin’ Texas,” and appeared on “Butterfly Season” with Langley.
While Langley has been helping her connect with a new generation of country fans, this is still Miranda Lambert we’re talking about. Simply put, she’s still a force to be reckoned with in the genre, and that was put on full display once again last week when she dropped her 11th studio album, Crisco, on October 2nd.
Upon Crisco’s announcement back in June, Lambert said she wanted it to feel “nostalgic” and fun, adding that it was a unique challenge to make a song that was “familiar” and “fresh” at the same time. Of course, she was deeply inspired by the likes of Glen Campbell, Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers and that 70s and 80s time when those artists in particular were fusing in a lot of disco:
“We wanted something that feels familiar but also fresh, which is really hard to do. We leaned into all the things I grew up loving about country music – Glen Campbell, Kenny and Dolly; very ’70s and ’80s.
It’s a fun mix of all these sides of country music that I’ve never fully explored before, even down to using strings in a bigger way. I almost can’t believe I’ve made this many records without really going there, but it was magical to hear how much strings can transform a song.”
Ultimately, she did just that with the record. Between the heavily disco-inspired title track, her Grammy-nominated collaboration with Chris Stapleton, “A Song to Sing” and her highly-anticipated second team-up with Langley on “Snakeskin Boots,” she captured the glitzy nature of the ’70s and ’80s beautifully. Couple those tracks with a stellar cover of the legendary Jim Croce’s “I’ll Have To Say I Love You In A Song,” the Patsy Cline-inspired, “Two Things Can Be True” and delightfully traditional “Cowboy Curtsy,” you have a project that married together country, disco and pop sensibilities in a truly captivating way.
Though the Crisco just released on Friday, it was clear that Lambert had something more planned for the album. Taking to Instagram over the weekend, she’d upload a timer for Monday, October 5th at 11 a.m. CT teasing an addition to the album.
As it turns out, she’s extending Crisco with a cover of Rosanne Cash’s breakout 1981 #1 hit, “Seven Year Ache” with fellow Texan, Parker McCollum, but there’s a catch…
In an unconvential move, Lambert and McCollum’s cover of “Seven Year Ache” will only be available to download when you purchase Crisco in its entirety exclusively on iTunes. Further complicating things, as of now, the cover will only be available with the purchase on iTunes now until Thursday, October 8th at 11:59 p.m. ET.
It should be noted, however, that Crisco is at a reduced price on iTunes compared to most new albums, currently being listed at only $5.99 instead of the standard $9.99-11.99 price range of most new releases.
As for the Cash cover itself, it marks second collaboration between the two Texans. Of course, the pair first teamed up back in 2024 on Lambert’s track from Postcards From Texas, “Santa Fe.” Additionally, the two spearheaded last year’s “Band Together Texas” benefit concert which raised over $8.5 million for flood relief efforts in Texas.
Speaking about McCollum’s artistry, the “Crisco” singer would call him a “natural,” noting how much she loves making music with him.
“I love making music with Parker because he’s the real deal. He’s such a natural artist and has that thing you can’t teach. He is authentically himself and you can feel that in his music.”
As for McCollum, he’d call Lambert one of his biggest inspirations to him — not only as an artist, but also as a Texan. Noting that she’s one of the “most incredible songwriters” and one of his favorite voices in country music history, he’d call working with her an honor.
“Miranda has always been a big inspiration to me as an artist from Texas. Not only is she one of the most incredible songwriters we’ve got but is also hands-down one of my favorite Country voices ever. I’m honored any time I get the chance to work with and learn from her.”
You can purchase Crisco and receive a download of their “Seven Year Ache” cover HERE.