In 2024, Luke Combs gave us one of the most poignant Grammy performances of all time when he teamed up with Tracy Chapman for a duet of “Fast Car.” In June, he provided a deeply vulnerable glimpse into fatherhood with his fifth studio album, Fathers & Sons. Now the “Beautiful Crazy” singer is kicking off the new year with a tour of New Zealand and Australia. And recently, he shared yet another heartbreaking ballad with his New Zealand audience.
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Is He Teasing a New Album?
New Zealand country music fans filled Auckland’s Eden Park Friday (Jan. 17) for Luke Combs’ first stop along his Down Under tour. As it’s already Saturday (Jan. 18) in New Zealand, the former Entertainer of the Year is gearing up for his second show at Eden Park.
According to concert footage circulating on social media, Combs is delivering all the tried-and-true favorites, including “Beer Never Broke My Heart” and “Love You Anyway.” However, he also debuted a previously unreleased song, seemingly titled “Ain’t No Cowboy.”
The mournful ballad finds Combs’ narrator lamenting the loss of a relationship and regretting not fighting harder for the woman he loves: Ain’t no cowboy, but I wish I was / We would’ve rode off together / In the setting sun / Instead of watching her / Ride right out of my mind.
This isn’t the first time that the “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma” hitmaker has hinted at new music in 2025. He shared a snippet of an unreleased song titled “More Less Than Perfect” in a New Year’s Eve social media post. “Who should I duet this with?” Combs asked in the caption.
Fans will no doubt keep their eyes peeled for news of a follow-up to 2024’s Fathers & Sons.
[RELATED: Luke Combs, Megan Moroney to Headline Boston Calling 2025 With Rotating Main Stage]
How Luke Combs Inspired a New Brooks & Dunn Album
Who says you can’t go home? Last year, ’90s country duo Brooks & Dunn released Reboot II, the follow-up to their 2019 album Reboot. Both records feature re-recording of the Grammy winners’ hits, including “Neon Moon” and “Boot Scootin’ Boogie,” with other country artists. Luke Combs made an appearance in “Brand New Man,” on Reboot, which gave Brooks & Dunn their first No. 1 album in nearly a decade.
During a recent appearance on Audacy’s Friday Night Takeover with Rob + Holly, Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn credited Combs and Kacey Musgraves with inspiring the project.
“Luke was doing ‘Brand New Man’ at his show and he just wanted to do it like we did it… he liked the song and liked playing it like that,” Brooks said.
Featured image by Suzanne Cordeiro/Shutterstock
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