If I Was a Cowboy

Last updated

"If I Was a Cowboy"
If I Was a Cowboy Boy.jpg
Single by Miranda Lambert
from the album Palomino
ReleasedOctober 15, 2021 (2021-10-15)
Genre Country
Length3:15
Label RCA Nashville
Songwriters
Producers
Miranda Lambert singles chronology
"Drunk (And I Don't Wanna Go Home)"
(2021)
"If I Was a Cowboy"
(2021)
"Strange"
(2022)
Music video
"If I Was a Cowboy" on YouTube

"If I Was a Cowboy" is a song by the American country music singer Miranda Lambert. It was released on October 15, 2021, as the lead single from her ninth solo studio album Palomino . The song was written by Lambert and Jesse Frasure, and produced by Lambert, Luke Dick and Jon Randall. [1]

Contents

Background

On October 8, 2021, Lambert posted a video on Instagram and teased her fans with a snippet of the song. [2] She wrote the song with Frasure, and said in a press release, "We met doing the remix of 'Tequila Does' and he and I just got together one afternoon for a write and this is what came out of it. It's funny, he's a Detroit boy and I'm an East Texan, but somehow we wrote a song about the Wild West together." [3]

Content

Emily Lee of iHeart described "If I Was a Cowboy" as "a Wild West-inspired track". [4] Angela Stefano of Taste of Country explained that the song is about "longing for life in the wild West". [5]

Critical reception

Casey Young of Whiskeyriff called the song "a country version of Beyoncé's hit "If I Were a Boy". [6] Clayton Edwards of Outsider said that it "[is] steeped in classic Western sound with a modern flair", describing the lyrics as "Lambert daydreaming about being a cowboy". [7]

Music videos

Two music videos were made. The first was released on October 15, 2021. It showcases Lambert "riding a horse, driving a vintage pickup truck", and enjoying the leisurely western life. [8] The official video, directed by Trey Fanjoy, was released on January 12, 2022. It was filmed in a small town in her home state of Texas. [9]

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for "If I Was a Cowboy"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [17] Platinum80,000
United States (RIAA) [18] Gold500,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release history for "If I Was a Cowboy"
RegionDateFormatLabelRef.
VariousOctober 15, 2021
  • Digital download
  • streaming
RCA Records Nashville [19]
United StatesOctober 18, 2021 Country radio [20]

References

  1. Vitagliano, Joe (October 19, 2021). "Miranda Lambert Takes Country Radio by Storm with New Single "If I Was a Cowboy"". American Songwriter. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  2. "Miranda Lambert To Release New Song "If I Was A Cowboy"". Music Mayhem. October 8, 2021. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  3. Hudak, Joseph (October 15, 2021). "Miranda Lambert's New Song 'If I Was a Cowboy' Is a Wild West Dream". Rolling Stone . Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  4. Lee, Emily (October 15, 2021). "Miranda Lambert Drops Wild West-Inspired Track 'If I Was A Cowboy'". iHeart. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  5. Stefano, Angela (October 15, 2021). "Miranda Lambert Reigns Supreme in New Single, 'If I Was a Cowboy'". Taste of Country. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  6. Young, Casey (October 15, 2021). "Miranda Lambert Releases Newest Single "If I Was A Cowboy"". Whiskeyriff. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  7. Edwards, Clayton (October 15, 2021). "Miranda Lambert Is as Wild as the West in Her New Single 'If I Was a Cowboy'". Outsider. Archived from the original on November 4, 2021. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  8. Martin, Annie (October 15, 2021). "Miranda Lambert sings of Wild West in new song 'If I Was a Cowboy'". UPI. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  9. Duke, Billy (January 12, 2022). "Miranda Lambert Has No Trouble Convincing in 'If I Was a Cowboy' Music Video". Taste of Country. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  10. "Miranda Lambert Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard . Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  11. "Miranda Lambert Chart History (Canada Country)". Billboard . Retrieved March 29, 2022. [ dead link ]
  12. "Miranda Lambert Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard . Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  13. "Miranda Lambert Chart History (Country Airplay)". Billboard . Retrieved June 14, 2022.
  14. "Miranda Lambert Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard . Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  15. "Country Airplay – Year-End 2022". Billboard. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  16. "Hot Country Songs – Year-End 2022". Billboard. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  17. "Canadian single certifications – Miranda Lambert – If I Was a Cowboy". Music Canada . Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  18. "American single certifications – Miranda Lambert – If I Was a Cowboy". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  19. "If I Was a Cowboy". Spotify . October 15, 2021.
  20. "Future Releases for Country Radio Stations". All Access. Archived from the original on October 18, 2021. Retrieved October 31, 2021.