Killed the Cowboy is the sixth studio album by American country music singer Dustin Lynch, released on September 29, 2023, through Broken Bow Records. It was preceded by the release of the title track on September 8, 2023. Lynch co-wrote five of the 12 tracks on the album, which was primarily produced by Zach Crowell.
Background The album was called Lynch's most "relentlessly honest and self-inquisitive project to date" and lyrically addresses why Lynch has not "settled down and gotten married yet" and questions "what it means [for Lynch] to still be single in his late 30s". The title track lyrically talks about a woman having broken Lynch's heart as having "killed the cowboy". Lynch stated that he hoped the album would reach "single people of the world and lift them up, to let them know that you don't have to live a 'normal' life to still be happy in your own skin".
Track listing
Note "Chevrolet" contains interpolations from "Drift Away", written by Mentor Williams.
Personnel Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.
Dustin Lynch – lead vocals Zach Crowell – production, additional recording, programming, keyboards, background vocals Ben Johnson – production on "Honky Tonk Heartbreaker", programming, electric guitar, acoustic guitar Ben Phillips – production on "Chevrolet", programming, keyboards Kyle Fishman – production on "Only Girl in This Town" Nick Autry – recording Zach Wills – recording assistance Zach Kuhlman – recording assistance, mixing assistance Jacob Durrett – background vocals recording on "Only Girl in This Town" Jim Cooley – mixing Andrew Mendelson – mastering Scott Johnson – production management Nir Z – drums Aaron Sterling – drums Mark Hill – bass Jimmie Lee Sloas – bass Ilya Toshinskiy – acoustic guitar Sol Philcox-Littlefield – electric guitar Kenny Greenberg – electric guitar Devin Malone – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, mandolin Chase McGill – acoustic guitar, Dobro Jenee Fleenor – fiddle Scotty Sanders – pedal steel Devin Dawson – background vocals Ben Caver – background vocals Jordan Reynolds – background vocals Madeline Merlo – background vocals Brent Anderson – background vocals Alysse Gafkjen – photography Brad Hersh – design
Charts + Chart performance for Killed the Cowboy Chart (2023) Peak position US Top Current Album Sales (Billboard) 75
References