Miranda Lambert knew she wanted Ella Langley to join her on a retro, Western-inspired collaboration.

The fierce, infections duet, “Snakeskin Boots,” serves as the cinematic opening track of Lambert’s 10th studio record, Crisco, which arrived on Friday (October 2). The most-awarded artist in Academy of Country Music history teamed up with husband Brendan McLoughlin, co-producer Jesse Frasure, and Natalie Hemby. Lambert’s newest duet with the “Choosin’ Texas” record-breaker unveils “a larger-than-life story of a woman who knows exactly how to make her escape,” according to a previous press release.

“We wrote ‘Snakeskin Boots’ with Ella in mind. She and I are kindred spirits, and when we were working on her album, I realized how many retro influences we share,” Lambert said in a recent statement. “To me, this song is kind of Thelma and Louise if they didn’t drive off the cliff. It’s two bada** women getting away with something, and she’s the perfect partner for that.

“We wanted this one to feel like Nancy Sinatra’s ‘Bang Bang’ with all the retro Western swagger of the late ‘60s,” Lambert added. “There was something about those cinematic moments from that era that always inspired us, and we loved the idea of building a song that could just as easily soundtrack a Quentin Tarantino film as it could fill a dance floor at Studio 54.”

Lambert leaned into classic, decades-spanning musical inspirations — including nods to late legends Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers and others — throughout the record. It started with “A Song To Sing,” a duet with Chris Stapleton that laid the groundwork for a project reflecting Lambert’s appreciation for ‘70s and ‘80s country. She and Stapleton wrote the ballad with Frasure and Jenee Fleenor.

“Crisco started with a conversation,” Lambert shared on Friday morning. “Jesse Frasure and I were talking about all these records we love and wondering why country music doesn’t reflect back into its history more often, especially when we’ve got this incredible archive of music to inspire us – from artists like Patsy Cline, Glen Campbell, Conway & Loretta, to Kenny & Dolly and so many others.”

Lambert said she and Frasure “weren’t trying to make a retro record,” but a few songs paved the way for something larger, and they “immersed themselves” into the country-disco inspiration, according to a press release. “We were channeling a feeling.”

Frasure reflected, “in twenty-five years of making records in Nashville, it was easily the most magical and moving project I’ve ever been part of. Everybody walked into the studio believing in the same vision, and you can hear that on every track.”

Since writing and releasing “A Song To Sing,” Lambert delivered the title track, “Two Things Can Be True,” “Till The Going’s Gone” and “Sunset Marquis” as she led listeners into the country-disco era. Lambert previously said that she’s “always loved every corner of country music. The heartbreak songs, the honky-tonk songs, the songs that make you think and the songs that make you dance. Making this record reminded me that those things don’t have to be separated. We followed the songs wherever they wanted to go, trusted our instincts and ended up with something that feels really fun and really honest to who I am.”

Snakeskin Boots (with Ella Langley)
Crisco
Cowgirl Curtsy
Two Things Can Be True
Cuttin’ Onions
Till The Going’s Gone
To Everything
Whiskey Business
Right Where We Left It
A Song To Sing (with Chris Stapleton)
I'll Have To Say I Love You In A Song
Sunset Marquis

Throughout Crisco, Lambert “celebrates the many worlds that have always existed within country music as it nods to the genre’s shared history with disco music,” the recent press release stated. “She explores heartbreak and hope, highways and honky-tonks, rhinestones and roller skates, creating a record that feels both timeless and refreshingly alive while embracing every side of the artist fans have come to love: the storyteller, the wanderer, the romantic, the troublemaker, the traditionalist and the dreamer.”

Lambert celebrated Crisco’s release with a One Night Only performance on Thursday night (October 1) in Nashville, Tennessee. The Texas-born hitmaker became the first artist ever to headline The Truth, a new 4,400-capacity venue located in Nashville’s Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood. Lambert’s set list included a few Crisco songs — including a solo rendition of “Snakeskin Boots,” and a surprise appearance by Stapleton on “A Song To Sing” — plus hits and deep cuts spanning her career. She performed the show with a stunning 12-piece string section.

“It was magical to hear the way strings can transform a song when we were in the studio creating this record, and I can’t wait to bring that to life in an even bigger way with our full setlist,” Lambert said in a statement when she announced the sold-out concert. “We’ve never gotten to play that way on stage, and to have the opportunity to do it for the first time at the opening of a beautiful new venue right here in Nashville is going to be really special.”

“I’ve made a lot of records with a lot of heavy subjects over the years,” Lambert reflected. “This album feels mostly lighthearted. It’s refreshing to get up on stage and sing something fun. Making this record also unlocked a ‘time to do whatever I want’ feeling. Being able to create freely without putting parameters around my art has been really, really fun. I don't think I've ever smiled that much in the studio.

“I hope when people listen to Crisco, it feels familiar while also feeling fresh,” the Grammy-winning country star added. “They can grab onto something that feels nostalgic, put their roller skates on and go on the journey with us.”

Find the full Crisco album on iHeartRadio here.

Listen to “Snakeskin Boots,” and scroll below to see some of the highlight moments from Lambert’s show in Nashville.

Scotty Davis