Country singer Luke Combs released a new album on March 20 called “The Way I Am.” This album includes 22 songs, totaling one hour and 13 minutes. This album is one of his longest yet and is produced by Combs, Chip Matthews and Jonathan Singleton.
Combs wrote this album about vulnerability, fatherhood, the passage of time and balancing fame with real life. It has nostalgic storytelling with thoughtful themes of exploring personal growth, regret and the wisdom Combs has gained from life’s challenges.
“Tell ‘Em About Tonight” is one of his most popular songs on the album so far because it reflects on his career and family. The song is particularly notable because it celebrates his connection with fans.
Another one of the best songs on the album is “Be By You.” This song is about his wife, Nicole Combs, and about his desire to be by her side constantly. This song shows his love for his wife through lyrics like, “No makeup baby, nothing beats that view / I guess what it comes down to is I just wanna be by you.”
“Ever Mine” is also a great song off the new album. It is about the heartfelt perspective of a soldier writing a letter to his wife while serving in war. This song explains how soldiers focus on memory to get through hard times. The song can really hit home for someone if they have gone through something like this. Although “Ever Mine” does not relate to Combs himself, the song shows his respect for those serving his country.
Some of the worst songs on the album are “Little Country Boys,” “All I Ever Do Is Leave” and “Plant A Seed.” These songs lack tempo, are sentimentally overloading and sound the same as each other.
Specifically, “Little Country Boys” lacks the rock energy from his older songs like “Beer Never Broke My Heart” (2019), “Cold As You” (2020), “1, 2 Many” (2019), “When It Rains It Pours” (2017), “She Got The Best Of Me” (2018), “Hurricane” (2016) and “Ain’t No Love In Oklahoma” (2024). This energy makes listeners want to listen to these songs over and over again.
“All I Ever Do Is Leave” is another that pales in comparison to the rest of the album. This song is lyrically unoriginal compared to Combs’ earlier work, with its lyrics conveying the same meaning.
“Plant A Seed” is not Combs’ best work either. This song is about the rapid passage of time and the emotional journey of being a dad. It comes off as too soft and overly father-focused compared to his earlier party anthems.
Overall, this album is a big and bright return to commercial country radio. Combs talks a lot about reflecting on fame, family, fatherhood and self doubt in it, allowing fans to understand his life more in a poignant way.
