Corey Kent Reveals How A Black Bandana Became The Heart Of His Sophomore Album [Exclusive]

Throughout the past 15 years of his career, Corey Kent has worn a black bandana on stage to symbolize his perseverance and refusal to back down when everyone else quits. Instead of waving the white flag when times got tough, he raised his black bandana. Now, that same accessory and the mentality behind it has become the inspiration and title track to his sophomore album, out today, September 6, via Sony Music Nashville. 

The Meaning Behind The Black Bandana

When the Oklahoma native first set out to create this record, he intended to name it Bixby, after his hometown. However, the project ended up going a different direction after experiencing a “lightbulb moment” during a writer’s retreat on his Texas ranch. He was in this serene setting with friend and fellow songwriter, Brett Tyler, who also co-wrote his No. 1, Platinum-certified hit, “Wild As Her.” Tyler was the one who had a spark of inspiration while discussing goals for the next record and looking at the black bandana Kent often wears around his neck.

“We started talking about what this meant to me and why I wear it and there was a light bulb moment,” Kent told Country Now. “I wish we could have filmed it. All four of us, it was me, Rocky Block, Jordan Dozzi and Brett Tyler were writing and there was this moment where we all literally looked at each other and realized that the exact opposite of a black bandana was a white flag. And we were like, ‘Man, this is perfect.’ This embodies the whole journey up to this point for me of all the times that we could have given up, all the times that it would have been easier to throw in the towel and for some reason, we didn’t. My wife didn’t give up. I didn’t give up.”

Highlights His “Never Give Up” Mentality Throughout The Project

Kent and his wife, Dayna, have made many scarifies over the years in order to keep his dream afloat. Through all the moves and side jobs, he has maintained the never-give-up mentality that the black bandana symbolizes, which has allowed him to achieve more than he ever thought possible. With this in mind, they took that sentiment and penned the song that would sum up the entire album. 

“I’m pretty intentional about the kind of brand and stamp in country music that I want to make, and it felt like we had to use this as something that sets us apart from maybe the next new artist,” he explained. “This is my story. This is a visual symbolic representation of it something that people can remember and so that’s why we changed the record to ‘Black Bandana.’ I started moving all the songs around and putting certain songs that were supposed to be on this record, now they’re going to be on the next record. And certain songs that didn’t even exist a couple weeks before the end of tracking are now on the ‘Black Bandana’ record. So it was kind of a last-second shuffling of the cards, but I think we got it right and I’m really proud of the unique record that we just made.”

He starts of the 10-song journey with the fan-favorite, “Ain’t Gonna Lie” and continues with the soulful country anthem, “Damn Good Country Song” before delivering powerful reflections on life with songs like “Never Ready,” “Now Or Never” feat. Lauren Alaina and more. The album comes to a close with “So Far,” a tune that further documents all the highs and lows that have gone into making his musical dreams come true, and how much this “uphill climb” has impacted Kent. Sonically, these songs showcase his Rock ‘N’ Roll-infused country spirit by drawing influence from acts such as The Eagles, Keith Richards, Turnpike Troubadours, and more.

Kent Opens Up About The Importance Of Outside Cuts

The father of three is responsible for co-writing most of the songs, but there were a few outside cuts that hit so close to home to him and were vital in telling his story. A big part of Kent’s musical journey was being a songwriter for other artists back when he lived in Nashville. During that time, he gained a deep appreciation for the efforts of songwriters. Now that he is in the midst of his own flourishing career as an artist, Kent has never forgotten those tireless days of trying to get an artist to cut his song and because of that, he places a high value on the best song wins method. 

“Whether I wrote it or whether I heard it and some other artist or writer wrote it, just the best song wins, period…To be honest with you, I just heard some great songs and I felt like they deserved a shot on the record. So we cut them and I’m really pleased with how they turned out.”

The result of all his intentional songwriting sessions that captured elements of his real life as a husband, father, and singer/songwriter, is a project that shows fans a collection that is Kent’s most personal and unfiltered work to date. He pours out his emotions, reflecting on the highs and lows of navigating life through his 20s and now as a 30-year-old.

Corey Kent is also gearing up to launch his headlining Black Bandana Tour in support of the project. Kicking off on Sept. 21, the trek will bring Kent across both the U.S. and U.K. with stops in New York, Boston, Atlanta, Dublin, London and more into early 2025.