Dustin Lynch Shares Positivity in New Album, ‘Blue In The Sky’
The skies are all blue for Dustin Lynch, and he’s sharing the sunshine. The country hitmaker released his new studio album, Blue In The Sky, on February 11. Produced by Zach Crowell, the project explores the subjects of life, love, and even heartbreak, through a positive lens. The album making process began at Lynch’s home during the heart of the pandemic, which greatly influenced the project.
“This cycle of creativity, writing and recording was all pretty much done from the house up until late 2021,” Lynch shared with Sounds Like Nashville and other media outlets. “It’s why I named it ‘Blue In The Sky.’ A lot of these songs reminded me of what I like to do outside of music, which is hang with my friends on the boat or out at the farm.”
In addition to dealing with the pandemic and focusing on life at home, Lynch also went through a breakup during the creation of the album. That experience, as well as how he coped with it, is also reflected in the album’s 12 tracks.
“I was in a relationship and my girlfriend moved in with me because we didn’t know if the world was going to end,” says Lynch. “We learned how to live together, we break up, I get through those weeds, embrace going out with the boys again, and I come out of the other side of that relationship knowing a lot more about what I want out of life and, I think, a little bit better idea about who I need in my life. I’m in a very positive, optimistic place on what’s out there for me.”
That positive attitude is exemplified in the album’s lead track and Lynch’s brand new single, “Party Mode.” Beginning with a twangy, energetic intro, the tune finds Lynch singing from the perspective of a man going through the demise of a relationship. Instead of letting it get him down, however, Lynch goes into “Party Mode,” singing about “neon lights” and haunting “honky tonks ’til they close.”
“I think with ‘Party Mode,’ that song came into my life when I was that character, and I think I still am,” Lynch says of the song. “I’m still post-breakup, just having fun. A lot of times that fun involves cocktails and bars, and that’s okay.”
For the song’s second track, listeners are greeted with his six-week No. 1, “Thinking ‘Bout You” (feat. MacKenzie Porter). The album then segues into the high-energy, Thomas Rhett-penned “Stars Like Confetti.” While all these songs feature a mix of country and modern elements, Lynch goes full country on “Something That Makes You Smile,” a positive-minded song about enjoying life. Then there’s “Break It On A Beach,” an upbeat tune in which Lynch laments a breakup that occurred in a beautiful place.
Lynch also enlisted a couple of country music friends for the album, tapping Chris Lane for “Tequila On A Boat,” a summer-ready tune that features the album title in the first verse. Riley Green joins Lynch on “Huntin’ Land,” a tongue-in-cheek tune in which Lynch sings about staying with a woman because “her daddy’s got huntin’ land.” The project ends with two undeniably authentic tracks, “Pasadena” and “Not Every Cowboy.” Overall, Lynch says the album reflects the positive aspects of his life and signals the meteoric rise of his career.
“I’m really happy,” he shares. “I think what I’m happiest most about is becoming a better communicator and more comfortable standing up for my gut and my instincts, artistically. A little bit of that, I think, had to be earned. . . It takes time living. No regrets at all. The timing and the rise of my career is all for a reason, and it’s very exciting right now. I feel like the momentum’s never been higher for us.”
