Hear Miranda Lambert and Ella Langley’s Daring New Duet ‘Snakeskin Boots’

Today, Friday, Oct. 2, Miranda Lambert has unveiled her long-awaited album Crisco, kicking off the 12-track collection with “Snakeskin Boots,” a daring collaboration with hitmaker Ella Langley.

Written by Lambert, Jesse Frasure, Kris Wilkinson, Natalie Hemby and Brendan McLoughlin, the song immediately transports listeners into a cinematic, old-school Western world. A 30-second intro built around mandolin and the crackle of what sounds like a vintage recording sets the scene before Lambert and Langley trade lines in the opening verse, eventually joining together in string of seamless harmonies on the chorus.

With Lambert and co-producer Jesse Frasure pulling from the sounds of the era of late-’60s cinematic Westerns, the track blends a vintage flair with a modern edge that could easily soundtrack a Quentin Tarantino film.

The midtempo track intensifies with a larger-than-life energy of its rebellious main character who is always ready to make her escape. The mysterious woman is depicted as someone who is equal parts seductive and dangerous while remaining completely in control. She lives fast, stays one step ahead and refuses to be tied down. At the center of it all are her snakeskin boots, which become a symbol of her independence.

“If the good all die young/ She gonna slip the hangman’s noose/ Stealin’ diamonds/ In her snakeskin boots/ If you ask her /How she shook the devil loose/ Boy, I’m faster/ In my snakeskin, snakeskin boots,” the female hitmakers sing.

“Snakeskin Boots” also make its world premiere at Country radio on Oct. 2.

The three-time GRAMMY winner revealed that the new single was originally written with Langley’s vocals in mind. Given their history of collaborating on songwriting, production and now multiple duets, it’s safe to say that Lambert is accurate in describing the two of them as “kindred spirits.”

Their creative partnership previously included co-writing Langley’s historic single “Choosin’ Texas,” while Lambert also served as an executive producer and co-producer on the Alabama native’s latest album, Dandelion. “Snakeskin Boots,” it’s now Lambert’s turn to showcase the magic the two create together on her own album, Crisco.

“When we were working on her album, I realized how many retro influences we share,” Lambert explains. “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.”

Crisco marks a new musical era for Miranda Lambert, showcasing her ability to push the boundaries of her creativity by blending classic country sounds with elements of disco-inspired energy through stories of heartbreak and hope, highways and honky-tonks, rhinestones and roller skates.

“We weren’t trying to make a retro record, but we channeled a feeling and this is where the music led us,” Lambert said of the collection.

“I hope when people listen to Crisco, it feels familiar while also feeling fresh,” she adds. “They can grab onto something that feels nostalgic, put their roller skates on and go on the journey with us.”

In addition to Langley, the just-released project also finds Lambert reuniting with longtime friend Chris Stapleton on the GRAMMY-nominated “A Song To Sing” and honoring one of her songwriting heroes with a new interpretation of Jim Croce’s “I’ll Have To Say I Love You In A Song.”

Lambert commemorated the album release by taking the stage at Nashville’s newest venue, The Truth, on Thursday, Oct. 1. The sold-out, one-night-only show featured the country star with a 12-piece string section, marking the first time her band has performed with strings on stage.

The Nashville stop is the first of two release-week shows. On Tuesday, Oct. 6, Lambert will return home to Texas for a second one-night-only show at Billy Bob’s Texas in Fort Worth.