Miranda Lambert Announces ‘Palomino’ Album, Shares ‘Strange’

Just a few days after being crowned this year’s ACM Entertainer of the Year, country superstar Miranda Lambert has some big news. On April 29 she’ll release her next studio album, Palomino, and today (March 10) shares a new track from the concept-driven project dedicated to her own wandering spirit.

Described as “a journey of one woman questing for happiness and the folks she meets along the way,” Palomino marks Lambert’s 10 album overall — and she’s giving fans a taste with the track “Strange.” A raw roots rocker with a true-to-yourself attitude and driving beat, the strutting jam features lyrics about the ever-increasing confusion and weirdness of today’s world.

“Have a smoke, buy a round / Get on a jet liner going anywhere bound / Pick a string, sing the blues / Dance a hole in your shoes / Do anything to keep you sane / ‘Cause times like these make me feel strange / Times like these make me feel strange,” goes the chorus.

In total, Palomino will include 15 tracks, each one co-wrote by Lambert (except for one cover of a Mick Jagger tune). Lambert also serves as co-producer with Luke Dick and Jon Randall, and the project features a collabs with The B-52s, Sarah Buxton and The McCrary Sisters.

In a statement, Lambert says she began work during the lockdown period of 2020, exploring the world through music since there was no actual traveling.

“The making of this record has been one of the most fun and creative experiences of my career,” she explains. “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 had previously shared the set’s “If I Was a Cowboy,” which is now her current radio single. The track is inside country radio’s Top 20, and Palomino also includes fully-produced songs from her Grammy-nominated previous album, The Marfa Tapes (“In His Arms,” “Geraldene,” “Waxahachie”).

All told, the project will actually mark Lambert’s third album in two years, after she teamed up with Jack Ingram and Jon Randall for The Marfa Tapes and her Pistol Annies trio for the Hell of a Holiday Christmas album, both in 2021. Her last solo studio set was 2019’s Grammy-winning Wildcard. Up next for the superstar is her co-headlining The Bandwagon Tour with Little Big Town, starting May 6 in Houston, Texas.

Palomino Track Listing:
(songwriters in parentheses)

1. Actin’ Up (Miranda Lambert, Luke Dick, Jon Randall)
2. Scenes (Miranda Lambert, Luke Dick, Natalie Hemby)
3. In His Arms (Miranda Lambert, Jack Ingram, Jon Randall)
4. Geraldene (Miranda Lambert, Jack Ingram, Jon Randall)
5. Tourist (Miranda Lambert, Luke Dick, Natalie Hemby)
6. Music City Queen feat. The B-52’s (Miranda Lambert, Luke Dick, Natalie Hemby)
7. Strange (Miranda Lambert, Luke Dick, Natalie Hemby)
8. Wandering Spirit (Mick Jagger, James Rippeto)
9. I’ll Be Lovin’ You (Miranda Lambert, Luke Dick, Jon Randall)
10. That’s What Makes the Jukebox Play (Miranda Lambert, Luke Dick, Natalie Hemby)
11. Country Money (Miranda Lambert, Aaron Raitiere, Mikey Reaves)
12. If I Was a Cowboy (Miranda Lambert, Jesse Frasure)
13. Waxahachie (Miranda Lambert, Jack Ingram, Jon Randall)
14. Pursuit of Happiness (Miranda Lambert, Luke Dick, Natalie Hemby)
15. Carousel (Miranda Lambert, Luke Dick, Natalie Hemby)

Produced by Jon Randall, Luke Dick and Miranda Lambert
Additional Production by Mikey Reaves on “Country Money”