| 100 Proof Neon | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 29, 2022 | |||
| Studio | Blackbird Studio (Berry Hill, Tennessee) | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 37:36 | |||
| Label | Little Will-E Records | |||
| Producer | Ronnie Dunn | |||
| Ronnie Dunn chronology | ||||
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| Singles from 100 Proof Neon | ||||
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100 Proof Neon is the fifth solo studio album by American country music artist Ronnie Dunn. The album was released on July 29, 2022, via Little Will-E Records (LWR). It is the first album to be solely produced by Dunn since his 2011 debut solo album Ronnie Dunn .
Dunn first teased the album in February 2022, [1] describing the album as a return to form and that it would "pull from that signature 80's and 90's country sound we all know and love from Brooks & Dunn." [1] He stated that the tone of the record was heavily inspired by his early years performing honk-tonks and dance halls in Texas and Oklahoma. [1] "The dance floor dictated your success in those places," Dunn said in an interview with Billboard . "They didn't care if it was the best band or not—they looked at the tab at the end of the night, and that's the band they hired back." [2]
Dunn also noted that the COVID-19 pandemic gave him the time and space to finally make the kind of record he'd always wanted to. [3] That creative freedom led to the project being rooted in classic country. [2]
In May 2022, Dunn officially announced the July 29 release date. [4] The album was issued on Little Will-E Records (LWR). [2]
Dunn co-wrote seven of the album's eleven tracks, including the two songs written solely by Dunn: "Two Steppers, Waltzes, and Shuffles" and "Road to Abilene" with the latter featuring fellow Texas native Parker McCollum. [2] "Road to Abilene" draws heavily from Dunn's own college days in Abilene, Texas, when he attended Abilene Christian University. [2] "We used to call it the belt buckle of the Baptist Belt of West Texas...I just got into painting this picture of the music scene in Abilene and dodging the religious, church ethos of the school I went to—and trying to paint pictures of that eternal wind that blows." [2] Dunn also collaborated with Jake Worthington on "Honky Tonk Town" with Dunn praising Worthington's authenticity, even comparing his voice to Lefty Frizzell. [2] Dunn also covered "The Blade," the title track to Ashley Monroe's Grammy-nominated album The Blade written by Marc Beeson, Jamie Floyd, and Allen Shamblin. [2] [5]
The album was released in the midst of the Brooks & Dunn Reboot Tour, with Dunn hinting at the possibility of a more "intimate solo tour." [6] He also revealed that he was already working on sixth solo studio album which was to be a more cowboy-themed album inspired by rodeos and western story telling. [6]
On February 11, 2022, Dunn released the first single, "Broken Neon Hearts." [1] The single was described by Whiskey Riff's Casey Young as a "straight up honky tonk heater." [1] It was written by Dunn alongside Matt Willis and Thomas Perkins. [3] Alongside announcing the album's release date, Dunn released the promotional single "Honky Tonk Town" which featured Jake Worthington. [4]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Broken Neon Hearts" |
| 3:21 |
| 2. | "Honky Tonk Town" (featuring Jake Worthington) |
| 2:59 |
| 3. | "Two Steppers, Waltzes, and Shuffles" |
| 3:03 |
| 4. | "She's Why I Drink Whiskey" |
| 3:31 |
| 5. | "Where the Neon Lies" |
| 3:57 |
| 6. | "The Blade" |
| 3:30 |
| 7. | "If Love Ever Comes My Way Again" | 3:10 | |
| 8. | "Somethin' I Can't Have" | 3:42 | |
| 9. | "Honk Tonk Skin" |
| 3:10 |
| 10. | "Road to Abilene" (featuring Parker McCollum) |
| 4:00 |
| 11. | "Good Bartender" | 3:08 | |
| Total length: | 37:36 | ||
| Chart (2022) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Top Country Albums (Billboard) [7] | 49 |