Leather (album)

For the similarly-titled album by Frank Zappa, see Läther.
Leather
A photo of Johnson's tattooed and dirty hand
Studio album by
Cody Johnson
ReleasedNovember 3, 2023 (2023-11-03)
GenreCountry
Length40:19
LabelWarner Music Nashville
ProducerTrent Willmon
Cody Johnson chronology
Human: The Double Album
(2021) 		Leather
(2023)
Singles from Leather
  1. "The Painter"
    Released: August 11, 2023
  2. "Dirt Cheap"
    Released: March 11, 2024
  3. "I'm Gonna Love You"
    Released: September 27, 2024

Leather is the ninth studio album and third major-label album by American country music singer Cody Johnson. It was released on November 3, 2023, via Warner Music Nashville,[1] "The Painter" was issued in August 2023 as the lead single.

Content

Johnson stated that the 12 tracks released on November 3, 2023, were the intended first part of a double album.[1] The deluxe edition was released a year later on November 1, 2024, and included a set of 13 additional tracks.[2] Johnson co-wrote three of the album's 25 tracks and it was produced by Trent Willmon.[2][3]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Entertainment Focus[4]

Matt Bjorke of Roughstock wrote that "while Cody's uptempo gems are fantastic, he really shines on ballads where he can showcase his conversational storytelling vocals", highlighting "Whiskey Bent" with Jelly Roll and "Leather".[5] Entertainment Focus's James Daykin felt that Johnson "delves into themes deeply rooted in country traditions, weaving tales of love, loss, resilience, and the enduring spirit of a cowboy" and called it "a cohesive and emotionally charged album".[4]

Leather won Album of the Year at the 58th Annual Country Music Association Awards on November 20, 2024.[6]

Track listing

Leather track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Work Boots"
2:49
2."Double Down"
3:09
3."Watching My Old Flame"
3:24
4."That's Texas"
  • Erik Dylan
  • Wyatt McCubbin
  • Andy Sheridan
2:43
5."Dirt Cheap"Josh Phillips3:59
6."Jesus Loves You"
4:51
7."Whiskey Bent" (featuring Jelly Roll)
  • Rocky Block
  • James
  • Mikey Reaves
3:16
8."Leather"
3:13
9."People in the Back"
2:39
10."Long Live Country Music" (featuring Brooks & Dunn)
3:24
11."The Painter"
  • Benjy Davis
  • Higgins
  • Ryan Larkins
3:31
12."Make Me a Mop"
3:16
Total length:40:19
Deluxe edition disc two track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Overdue"
2:45
2."The Fall"
3:17
3."How Do You Sleep at Night?"
3:13
4."Country Boy Singin' the Blues"
  • Johnson
  • Matt Rogers
  • Ben Stennis
3:52
5."Georgia Peaches"
  • Johnson
  • Jody Bartula
  • Jake Mears
3:53
6."Damn Good Life"
3:16
7."C'mon Cowgirl"
  • Aby Gutierrez
  • James
  • Jonathan Stark
3:17
8."I Wished It Was You"
  • Abend
  • Troy Cartwright
  • Davis
4:03
9."Take It Like a Man"
2:48
10."I'm Gonna Love You" (with Carrie Underwood)
3:08
11."Made in the USA"
  • Emily Falvey
  • James
  • Stennis
3:47
12."Over Missin' You"
  • Helen Cronin
  • Jesse Raub Jr.
  • Patrick Savage
  • Sean Scott White
3:28
13."The Mustang"
  • Johnson
  • Wesley Bayliss
4:56
Total length:1:26:00

Charts

Chart performance for Leather
Chart (2023) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[7] 88
Australian Country Albums (ARIA)[8] 10
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[9] 55
UK Album Downloads (OCC)[10] 51
US Billboard 200[11] 18
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[12] 5

Accolades

Year-end lists
Publication Rank List
Billboard 3 The 10 Best Country Albums of 2024[13]

References

  1. ^ a b Casey Young (July 25, 2023). "Cody Johnson Announces New Single "The Painter" Is Dropping Next Month, Confirms Deluxe Album Leather Coming This Fall". Whiskey Riff. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Lorie Hollabaugh (September 30, 2024). "Cody Johnson Bulks Up 'Leather' With 13 Extra Tracks On New Deluxe Edition". Music Row. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
  3. ^ Maxim Mower (November 3, 2023). "Leather by Cody Johnson – Lyrics & Meaning". Holler. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  4. ^ a b James Daykin (November 2, 2023). "Cody Johnson – Leather album review". Entertainment Focus. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  5. ^ Bjorke, Matt (November 3, 2023). "Album Review: Cody Johnson – Leather". Roughstock. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  6. ^ Carena Liptak (November 20, 2024). "No One Was More Pumped for Cody Johnson's CMA Win Than Jelly Roll". Taste of Country. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
  7. ^ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 13 November 2023". The ARIA Report. No. 1758. Australian Recording Industry Association. November 13, 2023. p. 6.
  8. ^ "ARIA Top 40 Country Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. November 13, 2023. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  9. ^ "Cody Johnson Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  10. ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  11. ^ "Cody Johnson Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  12. ^ "Cody Johnson Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  13. ^ "Staff Picks: 10 Best Country Albums of 2024". Billboard. December 10, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2024.