Miranda Lambert and Ella Langley released their new collaborative song Snakeskin Boots
on Friday, October 2, serving as the opening track for Lambert’s 11th major-label studio album, Crisco.
Country music powerhouse Miranda Lambert announced the forthcoming duet ahead of its release, confirming that Ella Langley would join her on the record’s opening track.
Cinematic Western Soundscapes Meet Disco Influences on Crisco
Opening with a high-desert whistle, a plucked Spanish-guitar melody, and ominous church bells, Rolling Stone notes that the 12-track project draws inspiration from Sergio Leone spaghetti Westerns. Lambert co-produced the project with Jesse Frasure, shaping a retro-Western collaboration built around the dramatic sweep of vintage cinematic scores.
The album explores connections between country music and disco, though critics note it avoids feeling like a stunt project. Instead, it mirrors daring pivots like Dolly Parton’s 1978 dance-ready record Heartbreaker.
Across the project, she includes a lone cover of Jim Croce’s 1974 posthumous hit I’ll Have to Say I Love You in a Song,
offering a gorgeous rendering that drives the album’s roots even deeper into the 1970s.
Creative Partnership Between Miranda Lambert and Ella Langley
The collaboration on Snakeskin Boots
builds on a deep professional history between the two artists. Lambert previously co-produced Langley’s sophomore album, Dandelion, and sang on Butterfly Season.
The pair also co-wrote Choosin’ Texas,
which achieved record-setting success on the Billboard charts.
We wrote ‘Snakeskin Boots’ with Ella in mind. She and I are kindred spirits, and when we were working on her album, I realized how many retro influences we share. To me, this song is kind of Thelma and Louise if they didn’t drive off the cliff. It’s two badass women getting away with something, and she’s the perfect partner for that.
Miranda Lambert, via Whiskey Riff
Co-writers Lambert and Langley were both baffled by its immediate success as the project landed across streaming platforms.
Overcoming Creative Burnout in the Recording Process
Bringing the record together required working through difficult creative blocks. Speaking on Apple Music Country / The Kelleigh Bannen Show, Lambert revealed that she experienced severe creative burnout, recalling that she sat in tears staring at a blank page before the album’s title concept spontaneously emerged.
Crisco, well, that came out of nowhere, how fun!
Miranda Lambert, via KNUE
That spontaneous spark gave momentum to an album designed to showcase her storytelling, wanderer, romantic, troublemaker, traditionalist, and dreamer personas all at once.