If we’ve got one big criticism about Luke Combs‘ new album, The Way I Am, it’s that he doesn’t need to sell us so hard that he’s still his old self.
The singer took some time off in 2025 to be with his family, after his two young sons were born in 2022 and 2023. (A third boy, Chet, joined the family in February 2026.)
Read More: Why Luke Combs Isn’t Really Touring in 2025
Combs toured less and released a 2024 album called Fathers & Sons that focused primarily on parenthood and didn’t produce any country radio singles.
Likely it felt strange and scary for Combs to step away from the grind to the extent that he did, especially after years of hitting the studio hard, and the stage even harder. That’s probably why he frontloaded songs such as “Alcohol of Fame” and “My Kind of Saturday Night” — and, most literally, “Back in the Saddle” — all the kinds of barnburners that originally raised him to superstardom.
But there’s no need for anyone to apologize for putting family first, and Combs doesn’t have to expressly say it: We know, from every track on the album, that’s he still the same talent he’s always been.
The Way I Am is a solid album from start to finish, and many of its songs are truly excellent. The most interesting aspects of this album are those that show what’s new, what’s evolved and what’s unchanged about Combs as a performer over these past few years.
Read More: 20 Luke Combs Songs That Proved ‘Em All Wrong
Listeners will find a remarkable loyalty to traditional country. Out of 22 tracks, maybe only two or three could reasonably be described as taking influence from other genres (pop and R&B, mostly). It might sound obvious that a country star sounds country, but Combs is among the few mainstream superstars who haven’t gotten a little genre-omnivorous as they’ve continued to release albums — especially ones this long!
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Another interesting point about the album’s lyrics is how Combs consistently threads themes of mental health and seeking therapy into the songs. It’s never center stage, but he normalizes mental struggles in songs such as the album’s autobiographical-presenting title track and a spooky breakup song, “Seeing Someone.” Mental health is a topic he’s also addressed in interviews, as he speaks about obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) diagnoses.
Growth and consistency are evident, about in equal measure, in The Way I Am. Keep reading as Taste of Country breaks down every track on the album and ranks them from worst to best.
Luke Combs’ The Way I Am Album: All the Songs, Ranked
No. 22: “Days Like These” — We know, we know. How could a sweet ballad about everyday gratitude possibly come in last place?! Well, something had to. This song is lovely, but it has really similar vibes to Chris Stapleton‘s “Millionaire,” which already exists. Combs fans should take heart: If this is the worst song on the track list, it’s probably a pretty great album.
No. 21: “Rethink Some Things” — Combs made it a point to write outside his current life stage on this album, which is smart. After all, not every listener is married with three kids! This song is a jam about a new relationship, but it’s not the best non-autobiographical song on the album.
No. 20: “I Ain’t No Cowboy” — PSA: Cowgirls break hearts, too! In this song, Combs doesn’t wish his lover had been content to stay in smaller pastures. He only wishes that he’d been able to match her free spirit.
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No. 19: “Daytona 499” — This is a creative way to look at a breakup, and the NASCAR crowd will appreciate the metaphor. We love how wistful this song is.
No. 18: “Wish Upon a Whiskey” — Here’s about where the songs on The Way I Am start to go from good to great. “Wish Upon a Whiskey” is actually one of the less-traditional tracks, which is funny, since the idea of drowning your sorrows in something brown and strong is such a deeply country trope.
No. 17: “Can’t Tell Me I’m Wrong” — Another song about a new relationship, this time more bubbly, catchy and fun.
No. 16: “Sleepless in a Hotel Room” — We’re betting on this song becoming a stand-out of Combs’ live shows. It’s sultry and puts Combs’ barrel-chested vocal prowess front and center.
No. 15: “Back in the Saddle” — The track that kicks off the album, and rightfully so. “Back in the Saddle” comes out swinging and makes it clear that Combs came to drop bangers and chew gum — and he’s all out of gum.
No. 14: “Soon As I Get Home” — Sexy songs still come as a little bit of a surprise from Combs, who’s better known for story songs and barnburners. But he does them, and he does them very well. “Soon As I Get Home” is sultry, smooth and offers a dose of R&B.
No. 13: “Miss You Here” — This song highlights Combs’ vocal capabilities, especially his ability to belt in his higher register. The voice you’re hearing on “Miss You Here” is the voice that sells out stadiums.
No. 12: “The Me Part of You” — The Way I Am isn’t a fatherhood album (Flip to Fathers & Sons for a full collection on that topic) but it does include one fatherhood song, and this is it. Here, Combs imagines what it’ll be like when his kids grow up and leave the nest, and he has to watch them go through the same missteps and heartbreaks that he once faced.
No. 11: “Seeing Someone” — The ghost themes and minor-chord modulations make this track a little spooky! “Seeing Someone” is about a man who’s haunted — potentially literally — by an ex.
No. 10: “Rich Man” — Country music already has several great songs with a story line like this one: Old-timer on a barstool drops some hard truth about how important family is and changes the perspective of everyone who’s around to listen. It doesn’t matter that it’s been done before — we always need more songs like this.
No. 9: “Alcohol of Fame” — Here’s another kind of song that’s been done before…and we’re not complaining that Combs is doing it again! It’s a quintessential country music party song with some top-tier wordplay in the title.
No. 8: “15 Minutes” — Combs speaks from the perspective of a prison inmate calling his mother in this powerful story song. A lot of backstory comes through in just a few lines — we learn that his dad hasn’t forgiven for him for his crime, and he’s wrestling with some big questions about faith.
No. 7: “Be By You” — Well, it only took Combs 19 tracks, but he finally got to a love song toward the back end of his album. “Be By You” is worth the wait! It’s every bit as sweet and charming as you could hope for.
No. 6: “A Man Was Born” — Coming-of-age doesn’t happen in the celebratory moments: Nope, it happens when we face near-fatal mistakes, scary situations and crises of faith. Combs delivers that lesson poignantly on “A Man Was Born,” the final track on his The Way I Am album.
No. 5: “My Kinda Saturday Night” — One of the things Luke Combs does better than nearly anybody else is embody ’90s country without ever plagiarizing. “My Kind of Saturday Night” is fresh, twangy and catchy as all get-out.
No. 4: “Giving Her Away” — We don’t think we’ve ever heard a wedding song quite like this before. It’s a message from a groom to his future fahter-in-law about everything they’ve got in common. “Giving Her Away” almost makes us wish that groom/father-of-the-bride dances were a thing.
No. 3: “The Way I Am” — Combs’ excellent title track is part mission statement, part love letter to his wife. You can tell from the very first bars, before he even opens his mouth to sing, that it’s going to be one of the most honest songs he’s ever released.
No. 2: “Ever Mine” — Combs shelved a bluegrass album in 2020, and this Alison Krauss duet makes us wish he hadn’t (we’re still holding out hope for that release, Luke!) It’s a remarkable story song about the pain of war, expressed from the perspective of a soldier’s letter to his wife back home.
No. 1: “Tell ‘Em About Tonight” — This song is one for the greatest hits album, and maybe even the epitaph. It perfectly conjures up a moment in time that Combs has shared with countless fans, when he’s onstage performing to a captivated, sold-out crowd. He hypothesizes about a time someday far in the future, when his career is done and somebody asks him about the moment from his life that makes him most proud. “I’m gonna tell ’em about my kids, I’m gonna tell ’em about my wife / And you’re damn right I’m gonna tell ’em about tonight,” Combs sings.
Top 20 Luke Combs Songs That Prove ‘Em All Wrong
Check out Luke Combs’ best songs, and the songs that changed his life when so many thought he wasn’t good enough to be a country star.
