Cody Johnson Reveals the Trick He Uses to Pick Which Songs to Record

Cody Johnson is giving fans insight into how the sausage is made. Speaking to On the Record, the singer revealed how he picks which songs to record.

“Writing a song, blank sheet of paper, that’s a whole different side of your brain,” he said. “Listening to a song and figuring out what you can make of it or whether it does fit is a completely different side of your brain.”

When he first started picking outside songs to record, Johnson said he’d learn potential tracks on his guitar and play them for his loved ones.

“I’d say, ‘Hey, check out this song I wrote the other day.’ And I’d play it and they’d go, ‘God almighty, that’s incredible. [I’d say,] ‘You think I wrote that?’ [They’d respond,] ‘Yeah, it sounds like you,’” he recalled. “And I go, ‘Well, perfect, because if you believe I wrote it, then I’ve picked the right one.’”

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Cody Johnson Teases His New Album

Now, with years under his belt, Johnson said the “process has gotten easier.” In fact, Johnson said that he can now hear a song and quickly become convinced that it’s “straight up and down me.”

That’s rarely the case, however, when someone comes to Johnson with a song that they’ve written with him in mind.

“It’s trying too hard. It doesn’t contain the authenticity that it needs to have in order for it to be me,” he explained. “Most of the stuff I pick is just stuff that’s been sitting around that nobody else wanted.”

While working on his forthcoming LP, Johnson said that people have been surprised by some of his selections.

“There are a few songs that the people in the room are like, ‘I would’ve never thought you would’ve picked that one,’” he said. “And then you cut it and they’re like, ‘Oh my God, it was you.’”

It’s not the first time he’s spoken out about his LP on the way. Back in November, Johnson told Country Countdown USA that he’s “pretty much done with an album.” He added that he hopes to release the LP in 2026.

Photo by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic