Dustin Bird has a few surprises up his sleeve with his latest single “Cowboy Stay”.
In the first few seconds of his latest single, “Cowboy Stay”, you may think you know what you’re getting yourself into. Starting with an almost morose mix of gentle piano, acoustic guitar and fiddle, you think you’re stepping into a traditional, slow country song.
But hold on tight – this cowboy is going to take you on a ride! You’ll go from expecting a sad, emotional ballad to cheering along to a rousing, thrilling anthem.
Bird’s soft, almost whispery tone gets the story started, inviting you into a world evoking images of rising suns, Montana mornings and blue skies. It’s almost deceptively sad, and you don’t know whether you’re heading into a romantic ditty or a heartbreak ballad.
And that’s when the first surprise comes.
At the end of the first verse, when the instruments drop away and it’s just Bird’s voice singing “you could make a Cowboy Stay”, the listener is immediately hit with the pulsing EDM-like beat and poppy electronic plucks of the chorus.
It’s definitely unique to go from such traditional country sound to a dance like beat, but it absolutely works.
You know right away that Dustin Bird is an artist who isn’t afraid to take risks.
“Cowboy Stay” is about a love that makes you want to change everything you‘ve known about yourself to stay with “the one”. “My tumbleweed heart, is planting down roots, its all because of you” he sings in the second verse, before heading into the chorus:
“You could make a cowboy stay, hang up his hat, kick off his boots, never wanna climb back up on his horse, and ride away”
Listen To Our Chat With Dustin Bird
“’Cowboy Stay’ tells the story of love as old as love itself. The wild type, a little rough around the edges, finding that someone who (for the first time) causes a willingness to radically change their perspective and embrace all that love has to offer” Bird says of the song.
The song also acts as a kind of sequel to his 2021 single “Get Go”, about a love that he hasn’t met yet. In “Cowboy Stay”, they’ve met, and they’ll do anything to stay together.
With every chorus and verse a new layer of sound is added, much like a relationship itself – the longer it lasts, the more complex it gets. The production becomes fuller, and Birds voice goes from a whisper to a belt.
The bridge reigns things in a bit, highlighting a crisp falsetto, but then another surprise – the unexpected but enthusiastic key change for the final chorus. Even when listening by yourself, you may let out an audible cheer, after being caught up in the exciting emotion of the song.
RELATED: We played a game of “Cowboy Stay or Cowboy Go” with Dustin …
With over 2.2 million streams to his name, Bird is certainly making his mark in the Canadian country world. His debut album, 2021’s Unscripted, landed in the iTunes Top 10, and he’s not afraid to push boundaries as a songwriter and producer for not only himself, but other artists as well.
In this day and age, it’s rare to find a song that surprises you with its overall sound. I genuinely felt this song took me on a ride, from traditional to current, from past to future, from melancholy to joy.
It proves Dustin Bird is one of the more unique and experimental country artists right now, and he’ll be an exciting one to watch and see what he does next.
Stream “Cowboy Stay” By Dustin Bird
Scott Sykes
Scott has been a lover of music his whole life, but being born and raised in small town Ontario helped solidify his love of Country music specifically. Drawn to the musicality and storytelling of Country Music, one of his passions is spreading the word about all the great talent Canada has to offer in this genre. Scott has an extending performing career, having acted in many theatre productions, sketch comedy, music videos and TV, and has hosted multiple global corporation seminars and awards ceremonies. While he is a classically trained pianist, he leaves music to the professionals, and basks in all their musical glory! A day without music is a waste of day, he believes, and can usually be found cranking some of his favourite Canadian artists like James Barker Band, Madeline Merlo, and Brett Kissel, and artists like Kip Moore and Ashley McBryde from south of the border on a daily basis.
