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After keeping us on tenterhooks for the best part of two years, Luke Combs has finally treated us to his new album, The Way I Am, a sprawling, 22-song collection of country odes.
As we outlined in previous pieces, despite Combs remaining one of the most impactful and popular artists in the contemporary country landscape, it felt like the stakes were a little higher for The Way I Am. Particularly coming off the back of his left-field Fathers & Sons concept project in 2024, which didn't do anywhere near the same numbers as his earlier records, The Way I Am felt like a “comeback” of sorts.
But the question is - did he deliver? We break down, dissect, analyse and rank each song on the new album from worst to best - or rather, from When It Rains It's Poor to God Tier.
These are all 22 songs on Luke Combs’ new album, ‘The Way I Am’, ranked from worst to best.
Seeing Someone
‘Seeing Someone’ pivots around an undeniably clever piece of wordplay, with Combs using the double entendre of “seeing someone” in the sense of dating them, and “seeing someone” meaning he can't stop seeing the ghost of his ex haunting him.
However, while we love the premise, sonically, ’Seeing Someone’ falls flat compared to other songs on The Way I Am. The hook meanders, and it lacks the infectious melodies and powerhouse vocals that we've come to expect from Combs. A miss.
One of the first singles to arrive ahead of the full album, ‘Giving Her Away’ finds Combs reflecting on the contrasting emotions felt by the groom and the father of the bridge on a wedding day. It's a touching sentiment and the songwriting team of Gary Garris, Josh Mirenda, and Josh Phillips does a brilliant job of painting a visceral image.
The reason this isn't higher on our list is the fact that, although it's not strictly a song about fatherhood, it carries a similar tone to much of Fathers & Sons. We wanted The Way I Am to feel like a fresh, original chapter in Combs’ catalogue, so to choose ‘Giving Her Away’ - a song that Combs didn't even have a hand in writing - as one of the lead singles sent the wrong message as the rollout was picking up pace.
Miss You Here
One of just two songs teased via Combs’ burner @lcombs77 Instagram account to make it on The Way I Am, ‘Miss You Here’ is cut from the same thematic cloth as iconic anthems like ‘Hurricane’, ’One Number Away’ and ’Outrunnin’ Your Memory’.
It's a solid hook, a stellar vocal performance and an all-round fine track. But in an album that's 22 songs long, with ‘Miss You Here’ arriving in the third-quarter when Combs is struggling to hold onto our attention, we need something a little more memorable. Which, admittedly, is a tad ironic, given the memory-themed subject of the song.
Kicking off both the rollout and the album at Track No. 1, ‘Back in the Saddle’ is the cornerstone of Combs’ latest era of music. It's a rowdy, hell-raising anthem that feels closer to pre-Fathers & Sons Combs. On his first two albums, the North Carolina native opted for galvanising, electric-guitar-fuelled one-two sucker-punches, such as with ‘Out There’ and ‘Memories Are Made Of’ on This One's For You.
‘Back in the Saddle’ running into ‘My Kinda Saturday Night’ feels like a return to that blueprint from Combs, with the country titan's rich drawl combining with the fiery instrumental to produce a raging battle-cry. Even so, given how much weight and importance Combs placed on this track to announce his new era, ’Back in the Saddle’ is easily outshined by ‘My Kinda Saturday Night’ in terms of oomph and verve.
A sweet, stripped-back ode to the little things, ‘Days Like These’ is reflective and heartwarming in equal measure. It's not the most eye- (or rather, ear-) catching song in the world, but it's not meant to be. It's a rose-tinted portrayal of his life right now.
Again, the only reasons it's not higher on the ranking is because Combs has some absolute heaters towards the business-end of this list, and also because, when compared to some of the more sonically and lyrically ambitious offerings on The Way I Am, ‘Days Like These’ struggles to hold its own. But a touching offering nonetheless.
Rich Man
Similarly to ‘Days Like These’, there's an uplifting, feel-good message embedded into the lyrics of ’Rich Man’ about what it means to be “wealthy” in spirit, rather than money.
It's an easygoing, philosophical reflection on what really matters in life. The melody is gentle and peaceful, mirroring the mood of the track, and we love the wisdom laced into it.
Our only bones to pick with ‘Rich Man’ are that, after a handful of lines rhyming “man” with man”, we lost a little patience with the song, and aside from this, the hook is a little forgettable.
This one really surprised us.
With an octave shift and a pop-ballad cadence, the title-track feels like the sonic love-child of Elton John and George Jones. There's pining steel and atmospheric, yearning keys, which accentuate the gravitas and emotionality of Combs’ vocal delivery.
We've always known the ‘Cold As You’ singer-songwriter has one of the most powerful voices in country music, but fans often associate this more with his rowdy, anthemic tracks like ’Beer Never Broke My Heart’. ‘The Way I Am’ is an attempt to showcase Combs’ versatility and ability to keep us in the palm of his hand over a low tempo.
As ‘The Way I Am’ progresses, though, he does start to lose us, with the narrative missing a final lyric shift or unexpected jump to match the musical crescendo. It's strong and it's sincere, but the title-track always comes with greater expectations.
Tell ‘Em About Tonight
A rousing, beers-in-the-air tribute to a wonderful evening of celebration and jubilation, ‘Tell ’Em About Tonight’ is already proving a crowd-pleasing addition to Combs’ 2026 setlist.
It's uplifting and joyful, and it feels tailor-made for the ‘Beautiful Crazy’ crooner's live show. Combs’ vocals don't sound quite as cushioned and warm as they do on other tracks, with the production sounding a little off on this one compared to the rest. Otherwise, this one would've been way higher on our The Way I Am ranking.
Alcohol of Fame
Similarly to ‘My Kinda Saturday Night’, ‘Alcohol of Fame’ feels like Combs serving up a timely reminder to fans that, even though he's a father to three sons and his days off might look a little different now, he can still thrown down as well as anyone else.
After the stripped-back, inward-facing mood of Fathers & Sons, this is a welcome dose of levity that harks back to Combs classics like ‘Don't Tempt Me’ and ‘1, 2 Many’. The title is witty, but has already been done - namely by Riley Green in 2024.
A Man Was Born
The grand finale, much like ‘Miss You Here’, ‘A Man Was Born’ was teased via Combs’ Instagram burner account. It's a pared-down, nostalgic reflection on his journey so far.
It finds Combs waxing poetic about a few mishaps and missteps from his younger years, before explaining that these difficulties and challenges shaped the man he is today. It's a sweet, philosophical message that Combs endeavours to lace throughout his discography, and feels like the perfect closer to the album.
First teased during Combs’ extensive quarantine live streams in 2020, we've been waiting on ’Sleepless in a Hotel Room’ for a minute. We'd grown accustomed to the acoustic version the ‘Fast Car’ chart-topper performed during that clip, so the more built-out version on The Way I Am takes some getting used to.
We still think the lonesome sentiment would hit harder across an intimate acoustic guitar, but nonetheless, ‘Sleepless in a Hotel Room’ is still a fantastic, evocative offering. We could do without the “woahs”, but this track remains a heater regardless.
Daytona 499
A clever play on the famous Daytona 500 race, on ’Daytona 499’ Combs laments the fact that a relationship almost made it to the finish line, but ended up falling just short.
It's peppered with racing jargon and references that aficionados will understand, but even if you don't catch all the specifics, it still paints a vibrant and distinctly American picture. With its NASCAR-themed narrative and the undulating melody, the track calls to mind Morgan Wallen and Eric Church's ‘Number 3 and Number 7’. This one's a smooth ride, and we think it deserves a music video.
The Me Part Of You
After diving into the weeds of fatherhood on Fathers & Sons, there was no way we were going to get through an entire Luke Combs album without at least one song about being a dad.
‘The Me Part Of You’ strikes a satisfying balance between the vulnerability and intimacy of Fathers & Sons stand-outs like ’Remember Him That Way’ and ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’, and the powerful, rousing melodies of Combs’ more uptempo anthems.
First performed during his Australia and New Zealand tour in January 2025, ‘I Ain't No Cowboy’ is a wonderfully Western-inspired ode to a love that just didn't last. As he contends with heartbreak, our protagonist finds himself wishing he was a cowboy, as maybe then he could've ridden off into the sunset alongside her.
It's a beautifully understated offering - with an eye-catching co-write from country music's No. 1 real-life cowboy, Cody Johnson, and Jake Mears - and the pared-down composition showcases Combs’ rich, versatile vocals. We're not crying, you are.
Like ‘I Ain't No Cowboy’, Combs debuted this while on tour Down Under at the start of 2025. ‘Wish Upon a Whiskey’ captures the same sumptuously intimate composition of ’I Ain't No Cowboy’, but the hook holds that extra level of emotion and poignance.
This is one we can see ourselves gleefully singing along to at a Combs show in the near future, and despite having been able to hear the full version as an unreleased YouTube video for over a year, the studio rendition takes things up another notch.
Combs knows his way around a story-song, and ‘15 Minutes’ is a stellar example of this. He wistfully sets the scene across the brooding yet peaceful instrumental, with Combs’ honeyed vocals radiating warmth as he drops the sucker-punch lyric and reveals he's in prison (“There's a chain gang waitin' in a long line to use this phone / Same old view, a cinder block room, same old jumpsuit on”).
Pivoting around a conversation with his mother from jail, the narrator longingly asks about the day-to-day routine at home that he misses so dearly before his 15 minutes is up.
It's a gut-wrenching song and Combs delivers it with the necessary charisma and gravitas. If it just had one big, dramatic twist during the bridge it would take ‘15 Minutes’ into the ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ echelon of Combs’ story-songs.
Can't Tell Me I'm Wrong
One of the many sensual, romantic offerings on The Way I Am, ‘Can't Tell Me I'm Wrong’ finds Combs exploring a sun-soaked, Buffett-esque, Chesney-inspired ambience.
It's got a refreshing undertone of cheekiness, with the toe-tapping, Latin guitar riff accentuating the summery feel. It's the latest instance of Combs proving to fans that he's so much more than a rowdy, beers-in-the-air hitmaker or a lovestruck balladeer.
Soon As I Get Home
Kicking off Combs’ more sensual portion of the album, ‘Soon As I Get Home’ showcases the modern country legend's ability to easily embody a swaggering, sexy protagonist.
The addition of the gang vocals throughout the hook gives this a soulful, old-timey R&B feel, with Combs crooning adoringly to his wife, Nicole, as he makes his way back home.
Seamlessly continuing the alluring, romantic vibe of ‘Soon As I Get Home’, ‘Rethink Some Things’ edges it due to its ever-so-slightly more catchy and infectious chorus.
Both tracks are stand-outs, and ’Rethink Some Things’ is establishing itself as an early fan-favourite from the project. The drums and noodling guitar give this the light-hearted, groovy feel it needs, with Combs’ enchanting vocals securing its hit-in-waiting status.
Ever Mine (ft. Alison Krauss)
Like ‘Sleepless in a Hotel Room’, Combs first teased ’Ever Mine‘ during his COVID-19 lockdown sessions on social media. This bittersweet track features subtle vocals from Allison Krauss, and was penned with Hailey Whitters and Charlie Worsham.
It plays as a letter from a soldier to his love back home, and features a deeply evocative and visceral array of imagery, as he underlines that, regardless of how their story ends on earth, they forever belong to one another. The wistful, banjo-driven composition has us wondering if this was initially intended to appear on Combs’ scrapped bluegrass album, alongside ‘The Great Divide’ with Billy Strings.
Either way, it's a powerful offering, and one of the most enchanting, spellbinding tracks on the project. Given how long we'd been waiting for this one, expectations were through the roof, but somehow, this studio version far exceeds them.
A key track for Combs’ The Way I Am era and the song that inspired his 2026 tour, ‘My Kinda Saturday Night’ is undeniably fun, frivolous and feisty. It's a honky-tonkin’ earworm, and we love it when Combs sounds like he's genuinely having a good time.
There's no question that's the case here, with the traditional country instrumental coalescing with Combs’ compelling, raspy vocals to produce a certified country banger. We have no doubt we'll be dancing along to this one for many years to come.
A low-key and largely underrated ode, ‘Be By You’ just fires on ever cylinder. Released shortly before the full drop of The Way I Am, ‘Be By You’ is unassuming and laid-back, but features one of Combs’ most lustrous vocal performances on the album.
His guttural drawl is warm and enchanting throughout, while the swaying, rhythmic instrumental helps to create the mellow, hazy atmosphere. There's also a brilliant play on words in the titular lyric, with Combs interchanging “by you” with “bayou”.
With an album that contains such an extensive variety of different moods, textures and arrangements, it's difficult to land on one that stands above the rest. But for us, that song is ‘Be By You’, with ‘My Kinda Saturday Night’ and ‘Ever Mine’ hot on its heels.
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