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Kelsea Ballerini debuted a wistful new track from her highly-anticipated upcoming album on Friday morning (July 15). “Love is a Cowboy” sees the award-winning singer-songwriter compare a love interest to “wild horses in your chest,” trying to “tame the wild, wild west” and “ropin’ the wind,” as the cowboy leaves her feeling blue. Ballerini wrote in her Instagram caption as she debuted the song on Friday: “I feel so giddy, proud, and lucky to share this next season together.”
Ballerini’s latest offering from Subject To Change follows “HEARTFIRST,” her “very warm, very breezy-feeling, very settled” single that released earlier this year. Setting the tone for the entire project, Ballerini said her upcoming record is “different than anything I’ve ever done, and it’s heavily influenced by… ‘90s female country.”
Before she announced her album title and release date, Ballerini dropped a few major hints, including with mysterious emails and clues on TikTok. When asked on Sunday (July 10) whether another single could release soon, Ballerini paused to think before responding: “Not ‘no.’ …And not after this time next week. K bye!”
Subject To Change marks “a season of becoming, healing, loving, dancing and feeling.” It’s set to release on September 23. Ballerini confirmed the long-awaited details on her social media channels earlier this week. She revealed that she’d been giving subtle signs at the album title that went largely unnoticed. She even seemed to tease on TikTok that it would release in September (her birthday month) as she zoomed in on a charm on her necklace she wore.
Listen to “Love is a Cowboy” here: