Rodeo rider turned country music traditionalist Cody Johnson just announced his next recording project, Human: The Double Album (COJO Music/Warner Music Nashville). The 18-song collection arrives digitally on Oct. 18 and includes covers of Willie Nelson, Vince Gill and Conway Twitty.
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The Nelson selection, "Sad Songs and Waltzes," was shared earlier this year as a Nelson and Johnson collaboration. Johnson also adds his own spin to "Son of a Ramblin' Man," a song written by Gill and originally recorded with the Del McCoury Band for Sweet Pea's 2006 album These Days. The Twitty take, "I Don't Know a Thing About Love," is a No. 1 hit from 1984 written by Harlan Howard.
Johnson's upcoming double album also features outside writes by the likes of Chris Janson and Eric Paslay. As reported by Music Row, they're the sorts of songs that others in Nashville might've considered "too country for country."
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"It's so hard to watch the fight to get the cowboy back on the radio, so I told them to bring those songs to me because that's who I am and the lifestyle I live," Johnson said (as quoted by Music Row). "There was too much good out there to let go of, so I just said, 'We're going to cut all of them.' There are ones I wrote on, there are ones I didn't write on and there are ones that I wish I'd written. I addressed things personally with this music and when people listen to Human, they are going to hear a lot more of me being me. I am finally comfortable with myself and able to share that with my fans."
Two songs from the double album, "Treasure" and Gill's "Son of a Ramblin' Man," hit streaming services on Friday (Sept. 3).
Human: The Double Album Track List
Part 1
1. "Human" (Tony Lane, Travis Meadows)
2. "Honky Tonk Hardwood Floors" (Carson Chamberlain, Wyatt McCubbin, Michael White)
3. "Sad Songs and Waltzes" (Willie Nelson)
4. "'Til You Can't" (Matt Rogers, Ben Stennis)
5. "God Bless the Boy (Cori's Song)" (Barrett Baber, Terri Jo Box, Scott Sean White)
6. "Known for Loving You" (Cody Johnson, Ben Hayslip, Trent Willmon)
7. "Driveway" (Lindsay Rimes, Rogers)
8. "Son of a Ramblin' Man" (Vince Gill)
9. "I Always Wanted To" (Tom Douglas, Allen Shamblin, Jordyn Shellhart)
Part 2
1. "I Don't Know a Thing About Love" (Harlan Howard)
2. "Longer Than She Did" (Eric Paslay, Paul Sykes, Matt Stell)
3. "Made a Home" (Johnson, Jesse Raub, White)
4. "Let's Build a Fire" (Chris Janson, Mitch Oglesby)
5. "When It Comes to You" (Jeremy Bussey, Lane)
6. "Treasure" (Rogers)
7. "Stronger" (Jared Elledge, Dustin Miller, Willmon)
8. "Cowboy Scale of 1 to 10" (Johnson, David Frasier, Willmon)
9. "By Your Grace" (Johnson)
