Riley Green is back with his second full-length album, Ain’t My Last Rodeo.
Green has been quite busy over the past year. Between touring with Luke Combs on his 2023 tour and appearing on Justin Moore’s Everybody Get Along, it seemed inevitable for the I Wish Grandpas Never Died singer to release an album at some point this year.
The 2020 ACM New Male Artist of the Year Winner announced the album back on August 28. Since then, Green has released multiple tracks in anticipation of the new album. These include a cover of Tim McGraw‘s Damn Country Music, a re-release of Different Round Here and the final pre-released song, They Don’t Make ‘Em Like That No More.
Ain’t My Last Rodeo boasts two high-profile features. Those two are Luke Combs on the re-release of Green’s 2019 smash hit, Different ‘Round Here and Jelly Roll on the brand new song, Copenhagen In A Cadillac.
The former is essentially the same song as the 2019 version production-wise. The only difference is Combs taking over on the second verse and chorus. The track is already doing well for the tour mates, sitting at #36 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.
The latter is sure to be a success for the duo. With great chemistry between the pair, some fun instrumentals and an interesting concept, it’s sure to resonate with many listeners. Here, Green and Jelly Roll express how they don’t fit every single country checkbox, and they’re fine with that.
In an interview with Music Row, Green noted how he took his time crafting the album and described it as “cohesive.”
“This is really the first time I was able to really take my time, write and record songs that t really felt like a cohesive album—I’m really proud of it and want to thank the fans for all of their encouragement—I hope y’all enjoy it.”
Cohesive is ultimately an extremely accurate term to use here on Ain’t My Last Rodeo. Green co-wrote every track excluding the Damn Country Music cover. Along with Green, some legendary Nashville writers such as Rhett Atkins (Workin’ On Me), Josh Thompson (Mississippi Or Me) and Chris DuBois (Ain’t Like I Can Hide It) appear as co-writers on the 12-track album.
The pseudo title track, My Last Rodeo, is the only solo write by Green here, and it can be felt throughout the song. To me, it’s the lyrical highlight of the album. It takes the classic concept of a father giving his son advice, but it’s elevated tenfold by some great imagery, idioms and advice given by Green throughout. The sparse, acoustic production lets the story take center stage, while the light hints of steel throughout feel so complimentary on this heartfelt track.
Listen to Mississippi Or Me, Different Round Here (feat. Luke Combs) and Copenhagen In A Cadillac (feat. Jelly Roll) here: