Oh What a Beautiful World

Oh What a Beautiful World
Studio album by Willie Nelson
Released	April 25, 2025
Studio	East Iris (Nashville) Blackbird (Nashville)
Genre	Country
Length	47:00
Label	Legacy
Producer	Buddy Cannon
Willie Nelson chronology
Last Leaf on the Tree (2024) Oh What a Beautiful World (2025) Workin' Man (2025)
Singles from Oh What a Beautiful World
"Oh What a Beautiful World" Released: April 12, 2025

Oh What a Beautiful World is the 77th solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Willie Nelson. It was released on April 25, 2025, through Legacy Recordings. ^[1] Produced by Buddy Cannon, the album contains twelve songs written or co-written by Rodney Crowell, who performs harmony vocals on the lead single and title track. ^[2] The album was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Country Album at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards. ^[3]

Background

Nelson's first studio recording of a Crowell song came with "'Til I Gain Control Again" on the 1983 Waylon Jennings duet album Take It to the Limit , ^[4] although he had previously performed the song in concert as on the 1978 album Willie and Family Live . Over the next four decades, Nelson continued to record Crowell songs (prominently on 2024 album The Border ) and he personally chose the twelve songs for this album. ^[5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Mojo	[6]
Pitchfork	6.8/10 [7]

No Depression praised the "radiant" album and Nelson's performances of Crowell's "emotionally resonant" songs." ^[8] Hot Press noted that "Crowell's canon mines classic Nelson territory", adding that the album is "a splendid record." ^[9]

Track listing

Oh What A Beautiful World track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"What Kind of Love"	Rodney Crowell Roy Orbison Will Jennings	3:41
2.	"Banks of the Old Bandera"	Crowell	3:26
3.	"The Fly Boy & The Kid"	Crowell	3:51
4.	"Forty Miles From Nowhere"	Crowell	4:28
5.	"I Wouldn't Be Me Without You"	Crowell	3:56
6.	"Making Memories of Us"	Crowell	4:11
7.	"Oh What a Beautiful World" (featuring Rodney Crowell)	Crowell	4:00
8.	"Open Season On My Heart"	Crowell James T. Slater	3:52
9.	"Shame on the Moon"	Crowell	4:27
10.	"She's Back In Town"	Crowell	3:21
11.	"Still Learning How to Fly"	Crowell	4:00
12.	"Stuff That Works"	Crowell Guy Clark	4:00
Total length:			47:15

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal. ^[10]

• Willie Nelson – lead vocals, Trigger
• Wyatt Beard – background vocals
• Jim "Moose" Brown – organ, piano, Wurlitzer piano
• Buddy Cannon – production, background vocals
• Melonie Cannon – background vocals
• Tony Castle – mixing, engineering
• Rodney Crowell – lead and harmony vocals on "Oh What a Beautiful World"
• Fred Eltringham – drums, percussion
• Andrew Mendelson – mastering
• James Mitchell – electric guitar
• Mickey Raphael – harmonica
• Bobby Terry – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, steel guitar, additional engineering
• Michael Walter – engineering assistance
• Glenn Worf – bass guitar, double bass

Charts

Chart performance for Oh What a Beautiful World

Chart (2025)	Peak position
Croatian International Albums (HDU) [11]	4
Scottish Albums (OCC) [12]	42
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [13]	36
UK Albums Sales (OCC) [14]	49
UK Americana Albums (OCC) [15]	11
UK Country Albums (OCC) [16]	1
US Top Album Sales (Billboard) [17]	16

References

1. Jones, Abby (March 14, 2024). "Willie Nelson Announces 154th Album Oh What A Beautiful World". Stereogum . Retrieved March 12, 2025.
2. Krueger, Jonah (March 14, 2024). "Willie Nelson Announces New Album Oh What a Beautiful World, Shares Title Track: Stream". Consequence . Retrieved March 12, 2025.
3. "2026 GRAMMYS: See The Full Nominations List". GRAMMY.com. November 7, 2025. Retrieved November 7, 2025.
4. Todd, Nate (March 12, 2025). "Willie Nelson Announces New Album 'Oh What A Beautiful World' & Shares Duet With Rodney Crowell". JamBase . Retrieved March 12, 2025.
5. Kreps, Daniel (March 12, 2025). "Willie Nelson to Reinterpret the Songs of Rodney Crowell on New Album". Rolling Stone . Retrieved March 12, 2025.
6. "Willie Nelson – Oh What a Beautiful World". Mojo . July 2025. p. 87.
7. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (May 5, 2025). "Willie Nelson: Oh What a Beautiful World Review". Pitchfork . Retrieved July 30, 2025.
8. Carrigan, Henry. "Album Review: The Beauty of Willie Nelson and Rodney Crowell's World of Songs". No Depression . Retrieved April 24, 2025.
9. Russell, Will (April 25, 2025). "Album Review: Willie Nelson - Oh What a Beautiful World". Hot Press . Retrieved April 25, 2025.
10. "Oh What A Beautiful World / Willie Nelson / Credits". Tidal . Retrieved June 22, 2025.
11. "Lista prodaje (strano) 19. tjedan 2025. (05.05.2025. - 11.05.2025.)" (in Croatian). Top lista. May 19, 2025. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
12. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 3, 2025.
13. "Swisscharts.com – Willie Nelson – Oh What a Beautiful World". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
14. "Official Albums Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company . Retrieved May 6, 2025.
15. "Official Americana Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
16. "Official Country Artists Albums Chart Top 20". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
17. "Willie Nelson Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved May 6, 2025.