Fresh off of her first Entertainer of the Year win at the 2022 Academy of Country Music Awards, Miranda Lambert is gearing up to share a collection of brand new music.

The Texas native has confirmed plans to release her eighth studio album Palomino later this year. It will be her first full-length record since her critically-acclaimed 2019 LP Wildcard. Over the past three years, she's released a string of impressive side projects, including The Marfa Tapesher May 2021 collaborative acoustic record with Jon Randall and Jack Ingram, and Hell of a Holiday, the Pistol Annies' first Christmas album, which was released in October 2021.

In recent interviews, Lambert has been sharing insight into the inspiration and stories that brought her latest record to life. Read on to learn what we know so far about Palomino.

The Title

Lambert's new album is titled Palomino. The word refers to a horse with a golden coloring, and pops up in the lyrics of her new song "Actin' Up," which is also the first track on Palomino.

"I want to see the desert / From a painted palomino," Lambert sings. "Senorita need to have a little fun / I’m actin’ up / I’m actin’ up." 

On March 10, Lambert gave her debut performance of "Actin' Up" during her live set at the Country 2 Country Festival in London.

The Release Date

Palomino is set for release on April 29 and is available for pre-order now in both CD and vinyl formats.

The Record Label

Palomino will be released on Sony Music Entertainment's RCA Nashville and Lambert's own imprint with the label, Vanner Records. Lambert also released her 2016 double album The Weight of These Wings and 2019 record Wildcard via her Vanner Records imprint.

The Producer

Lambert decided to switch things up for this record, opting to self-produce Palomino alongside her Marfa Tapes cohorts Jon Randall and Luke Dick. This will be the first time Lambert will be listed as a producer on a major label solo album in her entire career.

The Album Cover

miranda lambert palomino album cover
Vanner Records/RCA Records Nashville
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The Single

On March 10, 2022, Miranda Lambert released her current single "Strange" to coincide with the announcement of Palomino. The song reminds listeners that it's okay to spend time doing what you love, especially during the hard times.

"When people hear 'Strange,' I hope that they feel like they can take a breath and feel a little lighter on their feet," Lambert recently told Apple Music. "It's a song that we wrote about letting go a little bit and even though things can get weird around you to find your happy place in music and pick your guitars rolling away from the troubles. And I hope that people feel a little bit lighter on their feet and lighthearted when they hear this song."
On Oct. 15, 2021, Lambert released a new single, "If I Was a Cowboy." The surprise release served as the first hint of more new music to come. Although fans didn't know it at the time, "If I Was a Cowboy" was actually the lead single from Palomino. So far, the song has reached the Top 20 on country radio.

The Songs

Palomino features 15 songs, including three re-recordings of tracks originally featured on The Marfa Tapes. Lambert's latest project was born out of a creative period during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The making of this record has been one of the most fun and creative experiences of my career,” Lambert said in a statement. “Luke Dick, Natalie Hemby, and I went out to my farm in Tennessee in 2020 and started writing songs. We figured while we have time let’s get out to the country and see what happens. The first one we wrote was ‘Tourist’ and that set us on a path to create something with a bit of a theme. Since we couldn’t travel at the time, we decided to go on a journey through songs. I hope y’all are ready to travel with us wandering spirits and meet some cool characters with great stories.”

Lambert has said that working alongside Randall and Dick, her longtime friends and creative collaborators, made the record come together organically.

"Jon Randall and Luke Dick, when we made Palomino together, it just felt right," Lambert told Apple Music. "It just felt like friends getting together, creating art, and doing what we were meant to do. And it's so much more we're fun when you get to do it with your friends."

The record includes 14 original tracks, as well as a cover of The Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger's 1993 solo track "Wandering Spirit." Lambert also recruited The B-52's for a guest appearance on the funky track "Music City Queen," which was co-written by accomplished singer-songwriter and The Highwomen member, Natalie Hemby.

“When Natalie, who is such a bad ass singer and the kind of person who raises the cool in every room, started singing ‘Rollin’ on the river...,’ we were all like, ‘What if The B-52s sing on this?’ They loved the song," Lambert said in a statement. "They Zoomed in with Luke and Jon and sang their part, which gives me so much joy. I missed their Zoom, ‘cause I was on a plane; but to ZOOM The B-52s into your record? Yes, please.”

Miranda Lambert, Palomino Track List: 

1. "Actin' Up"
2. "Scenes"
3. "In His Arms"
4. "Geraldene"
5. "Tourist"
6. "Music City Queen" feat. The B-52’s
7. "Strange"
8. "Wandering Spirit"
9. "I'll Be Lovin’ You"
10. "That's What Makes the Jukebox Play"
11. "Country Money"
12. "If I Was a Cowboy"
13. "Waxahachie"
14. "Pursuit of Happiness"
15. "Carousel"

The Tour

Fans will get their first chance to hear songs from Palomino live when Lambert joins Little Big Town for their resurrected The Bandwagon Tour. The Cadillac Three will act as support for all of their currently scheduled dates. The trek will visit 15 cities across the U.S. after kicking off in Houston, Texas on May 6. You can find a full list of tour dates here.

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