Chris Young released the deluxe version of his eighth studio album, Famous Friends, with RCA Records Nashville, on 3rd June 2022. Â
Nineteen of the twenty tracks are Young co-writes, and many have achieved awards for the Nashville artist, including Billboard’s Country Airplay Song of the Year in 2021 for ‘Famous Friends’, which also won Collaborative Video of the Year at the CMT Music Awards in the same year, as well 3 CMA nominations and 7 ACMA nominations.
Young’s deluxe album features an additional six tracks, including the Grammy nominated (and all around phenomenal) ‘Think of You’ with Cassadee Pope and I’m Comin’ Over, both of which reached number one in the US Country charts.
The famous friends on the album include actual friends, Kane Brown, Lauren Alaina, Old Dominion, Jimmie Allen, Cassadee Pope and Mitchell Tenpenny. Duets prove popular for Young, his ‘Sober Saturday Night’ in 2016 with Vince Gill also reached the top spot. Â
I don’t think I’ve ever listened to an album of twenty songs that wasn’t a greatest hits collection. Young has enjoyed constant chart success since his self-titled debut, Chris Young in 2006. Had the pandemic not occurred, affecting album launches, I wonder if a deluxe edition would have been released? Certainly, this is a good start for newcomers to Young’s music, who might be seeing one of his live shows for the first time this year. For more seasoned fans it’s a chance to add an update to Famous Friends to a collection. Ideal for a road trip across state lines, too, if you need ninety minutes of non-stop Young to listen to.
Chris Young does own a stage with his confident, easy, likeable manner and recognisable baritone voice and a sound edged with a contemporary traditionalism.  He’s heading back to the UK for The Long Road Festival in August, and a run of tour dates around the country.Â
Click the link to read a full EF Country review of the first 14 tracks on the original Famous Friends album.  Of the new songs, ‘Everybody Needs a Song’, which features Old Dominion, takes a time-old Country tradition of naming classic songs in the lyrics and breathes fresh life into an effervescent and energetic song that has ‘hand-out-the-window’ vibes whilst ‘Music Note’, which features Jimmie Allen is classic ‘Chris Young’ with those treacle-tinged tones singing about the music that inspired them and marvelling (unnecessarily) as to how they’ve managed to make money out of doing something they love. It’s a mid-tempo anthem full of gravitas and soul that hits you right where it needs to.
Perhaps the best of the new songs is ‘If I Knew What Was Good for Me’, in which the chorus explodes in real ‘Sober Saturday Night’ style. Darker tones and a darker subject matter leads to Young screaming, ‘Damn, this is messed up’ before a chorus and searing guitar solo. Power, drama and passion all in one three minute package. This is the Chris Young we know and love and if these are the songs he’s written most recently, since the original version of the album came out, then Young’s next album might well be one of his best.
Track list: 1. Raised On Country 2. Famous Friends (feat. Kane Brown) 3. Town Ain’t Big Enough (feat. Lauren Alaina) 4. Drowning 5. Rescue Me 6. Break Like You Do 7. At The End Of A Bar (feat. Mitchell Tenpenny) 8. Love Looks Good On You 9. One Of Them Nights 10. When You’re Drinking 11. Cross Every Line 12. Hold My Beer Watch This 13. Best Seat in the House 14. Tonight We’re Dancing 15. Everybody Needs a Song (with Old Dominion) 16. If I Knew What Was Good for Me 17. Music Note (with Jimmie Allen) 18. Like a Slow Song 19. Think of You (with Cassadee Pope) (Acoustic Version) 20. I’m Comin’ Over (Acoustic Version) Record Label: Sony Music Nashville Release Date: Friday June 3rd Buy ‘Famous Friends’ Deluxe Edition now
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