It’s not uncommon for artists to release a deluxe version of their latest country album, before moving on to their next musical chapter. Usually, the deluxe album is a continuation of the previous record. But these three recent deluxe albums all happen to be better than the original record.
Videos by American Songwriter
‘Whirlwind (Deluxe)’ by Lainey Wilson
In 2024, Lainey Wilson released Whirlwind, a 14-track record that includes “Hang Tight Honey” and “4X4XU”. One year later, Wilson dropped Whirlwind (Deluxe), five new songs to add to Whirlwind, before moving on to her next record.
Whirlwind already had enough good songs, both singles and album cuts. But it’s Whirlwind (Deluxe) that includes “Somewhere Over Laredo“, a song that became her ninth No. 1 single.
Whirlwind (Deluxe) also includes “King Ranch, King George, King James” and “Peave, Love and Cowboys”, two of the stand-out tracks on the deluxe version.
‘Leather: Deluxe Edition’ by Cody Johnson
Cody Johnson’s 2023 Leather includes “The Painter” and “Dirt Cheap”, two massive singles for him. But it wasn’t until Leather: Deluxe Edition, out in 2024, when Johnson released his “I’m Gonna Love You” duet with Carrie Underwood.
“I’m Gonna Love You” was recorded in time for Leather. But Johnson deferred to Underwood’s timing in choosing when to release the power ballad.
“Whenever you are working with a star of Carrie’s caliber, there’s a lot of logistics that goes into that as far as timing,” Johnson explains. “There was a lot of logistics just to even make sure that we could record the song, period. But I’ve loved this song for a really long time.”
Unlike most deluxe albums, Johnson’s Leather: Deluxe Edition has 13 new songs, in addition to the 12 on Leather. His Leather: Deluxe Edition also includes “The Fall”, another hit single that follows “I’m Gonna Love You”.
‘Denim & Rhinestones (Deluxe Edition)’ by Carrie Underwood
It’s likely that Underwood wanted to wait to release “I’m Gonna Love You” because of her own music. After releasing Denim & Rhinestones in 2022, Underwood released Denim & Rhinestones (Deluxe Edition) the following year.
Denim & Rhinestones includes both “Ghost Story” and “Hate My Heart”. The deluxe version features six new songs, including “Out Of That Truck”, a Top 10 single for Underwood. Denim & Rhinestones (Deluxe Edition) also features a live version of “She Don’t Know”, a staple in Underwood’s live shows.
“I kind of just didn’t want it to end,” Underwood tells Today, explaining the reason for the deluxe edition. “So we decided to add some tracks that kind of fit in the family of Denim & Rhinestones and … it’s just more. More denim, more rhinestones, more fringe, more sparkles, more all of it.”
Photo by Jason Davis/Getty Images
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