Fans have already gotten a strong sample of what Luke Combs has to offer on The Way I Am, out Friday (March 20).
The country superstar has released eight of the 22 tracks, with “Days Like These” and “Sleepless in a Hotel Room” taking up space simultaneously in the top 10 of Billboard’s Country Airplay chart (the accomplishment made Combs the first artist to achieve the feat since Morgan Wallen in 2023). Additionally, “Sleepless in a Hotel Room” and “Be By You” are lodged at No. 3 and No. 4 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.
After releasing what could very loosely be considered concept albums with 2022’s Growin’ Up, 2023’s Getting’ Old and 2024’s Fathers & Sons, Combs has returned to a collection that showcases all sides of his personality, including as a vulnerable husband (“The Way I Am”) and loving father (“The Me Part of You”), but also sees him taking on different personas that couldn’t be further from his true self, such as an inmate who is serving a life sentence (“15 Minutes”). As such, the album gives fans a broader range than some of his past albums, but feels occasionally generic if it weren’t for his powerful, instantly recognizable growl that simply levels up every song he touches. Ultimately, there is something here for every fan and a song to fit almost every mood.
Combs, who produced the album with longtime collaborators Jonathan Singleton and Chip Matthews, also indulges in some cowboy imagery (“I Ain’t No Cowboy”), but saves plenty of slots to to kick out the jams and get the party started on such rowdy numbers as “My Kinda Saturday Night” and “Back in the Saddle.” As usual, he co-wrote almost all the songs on the album, only covering three songs penned by other writers.
Combs will support the album with a global stadium tour that starts Saturday at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium and includes stops in Sweden, France, the Netherlands, Ireland and Scotland before ending with three nights at London’s Wembley Stadium in early August.
Below is a ranking of the 22 songs on the long-awaited set.