Cody Johnson marked the beginning of a new chapter on Friday (June 26).

The reigning Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year released Banks Of The Trinity, his highly-anticipated, 16-track studio record that includes “Horseback,” “Hello Lonesome,” “Fool Proof” with Brothers Osborne, “Take Me Back (Leave Me There),” “I Want You” and more. The record brings Johnson back to his Texas hometown. He said of the title track when he announced the project, “when I heard the song ‘Banks Of The Trinity’ for the first time, it was like a portrait flashed in my head of memories I thought I’d forgotten. It took me straight back home to Sebastopol, Texas, where I grew up on the river.

“That’s why I chose a photo of Lawrence’s Grocery Store for the album cover,” he continued. “As a kid, I used to ride my bike two miles down an old dirt road just to get a cream soda and a Blue Bell ice cream bar. I’d sit there and listen to the old men talk for a while before heading back home with a basket of groceries. This record is my way of going back to those dirt roads. I can’t wait for you to come with me on that journey back.”

1- Horseback- Writers: Randy Montana, Wyatt McCubbin, Paul Sikes

2- Hello Lonesome- Writers: Jimmy Yeary, Seth Mosley, Matt Rogers

3- Fool Proof (featuring Brothers Osborne)- Writers: Jeff Hyde, Jason Scott, Jared Conrad

4- Take Me Back (Leave Me There) -Writers: Kelly Archer, Troy Cartwright, Pete Good

5- Banks of the Trinity -Writers: Rodney Clawson, Chris Tompkins, Josh Kear

6- I Want You - Writers: Tom Douglas, Tony Lane, Matt Rogers

7- I Have -Writers: Matt Schuster, Devin Dawson, Adam Yaron

8- Bible For A Boy (For Jaycee) -Writers: Lydia Vaughn, Beau Bailey, Josh Phillips, Joe Fox, Andrew Stoelzing

9- Kissing A Married Woman -Writers: Beau Bailey, Josh Phillips, Brock Berryhill, Cole Miracle

10- Every Man -Writers: Travis Meadows, Gordie Sampson, Drew Kennedy

11- Motel Miss You -Writers: Ryan Larkins, Seth Mosley, Emma-Lee

12- Shoot The Bull (featuring Luke Combs) -Writers: Ray Fulcher, Casey Brown, Josh Phillips, Drew Parker

13- Cricket On A Hook -Writers: Josh Phillips, Mark Holman, Jeremy Stover

14- Time Bomb - Writers: Cody Johnson, Trent Willmon, Noe Quintanilla, Codrick Murphy

15- Thank Somebody Country -Writers: Jordan Schmidt, Chase McGill, Trannie Anderson, Michael Hardy

16- Yippy Ty Oh Hey Hey -Writer: Cody Johnson

Johnson’s Banks Of The Trinity follows his cover of a ‘70s classic by late legend Merle Haggard, “Footlights,” plus his 25-track deluxe edition of Leather. The massive extended project arrived in late 2024. Johnson, who took the stage on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon this week, delivered his newest album shortly after he appeared in the televised CMA Fest concert special. The Country Music Association’s annual event, hailed the longest-running country festival in the world, took place earlier this month in Nashville, Tennessee.

Johnson performed on the main stage at Nissan Stadium, along with other artists who appeared in the three-hour special: Bailey Zimmerman, Blake Shelton, The Band Perry, Brothers Osborne, Carly Pearce, Deana Carter, Ella Langley, Fetty Wap, Florida Georgia Line, Gretchen Wilson, HARDY, Jason Aldean, Jelly Roll, Jordan Davis, Keith Urban, Lainey Wilson, Luke Bryan, Michael McDonald, Molly Tuttle, The Red Clay Strays, Ricky Skaggs, Riley Green, Russell Dickerson, Shaboozey, Shay Morgan, Stephen Wilson Jr., Tim McGraw, Tucker Wetmore and Zach Top. Country star Riley Green and Good Morning America’s Lara Spencer co-hosted the special, which aired pn ABC. It’s now available to stream on Hulu.

Find Johnson’s new album on iHeartRadio here.

Dan Zuko