Cole Swindell is kicking off the weekend with a heartbreak song that doubles as a party anthem. The country hitmaker released “Drinkaby” on Friday (January 27), marking the first track from his upcoming deluxe album.
“My new song, ‘Drinkaby,’ is a breakup song, I guess, but it also sounds like a party song. So, (it’s) a fun, uptempo breakup song, if there is such thing,” Swindell said of the song, written by Jon Pardi, HARDY and Hunter Phelps. “I knew the first time I heard ‘Drinkaby’ that I had to record it. It’s just a fun, uptempo song, a breakup song. You know, not every one of those are uptempo and fun, and I just pictured it being a show opener. I cannot wait to start playing it live.”
“Drinkaby” marks the first of three new tracks to release from the extended version of Swindell’s fourth studio album, Stereotype, which released last year. The long-awaited project originally included 13 tracks, including the title track, the romantic “I’m Gonna Let Her,” “Single Saturday Night,” “Some Habits,” “Down to the Bar” featuring HARDY, and “Never Say Never,” with Lainey Wilson. Perhaps the biggest song from the album, however, is “She Had Me at Heads Carolina,” inspired by Jo Dee Messina’s ‘90s smash-hit, “Heads Carolina, Tails California.” Swindell featured Messina as a bartender in his “She Had Me at Heads Carolina” music video, and teamed up with her on a remixed version of the track late last year.
“It’s been a while since I released my last album, so it’s hard to put into words how much it means to me to get this album Stereotype out there,” Swindell said when he released Stereotype in April 2022. “So much has changed in the world and even in my own life the past few years. I think all that has given me a chance to evaluate what’s really important in life and made me stronger. I believe this album reflects that in the most positive ways. I feel through all of the highs and lows and feeling every emotion in the last three years I think the fans are going to find there is a song on here for everyone, at least I hope so. I always want my songs to make a difference like they did for me in writing some of them.”
Now, Swindell is gearing up to release his deluxe edition, Stereotype Broken, one year later. The collection is set to release on April 28.
“My 4th studio album has done so much for us this past year,” Swindell said on Friday. I felt we had a few more songs that deserved to be part of the project and I can’t wait for y’all to hear them.”