"If I Was a Cowboy"
Single by Miranda Lambert
from the album Palomino
ReleasedOctober 15, 2021 (2021-10-15)
GenreCountry
Length3:15
LabelRCA Nashville
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
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]

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 mde. 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"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[17] Platinum 80,000‡
United States (RIAA)[18] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release history for "If I Was a Cowboy"
Region Date Format Label Ref.
Various October 15, 2021
  • Digital download
  • streaming
 RCA Records Nashville [19]
United States October 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. 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.
  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.


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