BY ORLA GULLA

Release date: 23^rd August 2024 

Yet again, Thomas Rhett graces us with another phenomenal album. I had a good feeling about this one, after a long – anticipated two year wait after the release of his sixth studio album ‘Where We Started’. ‘About A Woman’ is Rhett’s seventh studio album and like ‘Where We Started’, there isn’t one bad song on the album in my opinion. The album is centred around his wife, Lauren Akins and has a good mix of upbeat, feel – good tunes and slower, meaningful tracks. This album was definitely worth waiting for and I feel it will go far in the charts. ‘Beautiful as You’ has already been featured on country radio and the charts for weeks now, having been released before the rest of the hits on the album. I always love listening to Thomas Rhett not only because his hits are feel – good and upbeat, but because his lyrics are so meaningful and crafted into his songs in such a beautiful way that really makes me, as a listener, appreciate the beauty of music and song writing. 

‘About A Woman’ welcomes us back to Thomas Rhett’s upbeat musical bubble. The first track on the album is ‘Fool’ – a catchy, vibrant tune that explains his love for his wife and how they have been together since 2010. The album reminds me why I love Thomas Rhett’s music so much – his vocals are soft and energetic which perfectly fits with his lyrics and meaningful storytelling. ‘Overdrive’ is another upbeat, feel – good track that is easy to sing along to due to its catchy nature. This energetic vibe carries on through hits such as ‘Gone Country’ and ‘Beautiful As You’ which both have lovely, catchy and vibrant undertones to them. ‘Beautiful As You’ is likely to be one of the most successful tracks on the album, having been in the country charts for weeks as it was released before some of the others on the album. I feel like with Thomas Rhett’s music it doesn’t have to be relatable for me or anyone to enjoy it – he simply crafts his songs in ways which are suitable for all fans. 

There is however a mix between energetic and more slow songs on the album. I found that as I got more into the songs, they started to get deeper and more personal. ‘Can’t Love You Anymore’ is an example of this as it takes a more thought-out tone. However, between tracks six and nine I felt the music was more powerful and one of my favourites on the album is ‘Country for California’ which sounds very similar to ‘Half of Me’ which featured on Rhett’s sixth studio album, ‘Where We Started.’ I really like how the two songs sound similar as I love the laid – back, happy rhythm of Thomas Rhett songs. I also really like that on this track Thomas breaks slightly from the faster, upbeat tracks and I was able to hear his slower, more emotive voice showcasing his vocal abilities as an artist. 

I really like the first half of the album as it to me, is very authentically Thomas Rhett and not too different from his other albums. And I say that, but I was actually very surprised when I heard ‘Somethin’ Bout A Woman’ as it seemed very different from anything else I have ever heard him sing before. I found this track more rock n roll and bluesy than country. I got this vibe from ‘Boots’ too. It definitely falls into the category of rock n roll country, and actually felt a bit like a song Drake Milligan would sing. However, I like how it stands out from his older music and other tracks on the album and would love to see more of this in the future! An unexpected twist on the album is ‘Don’t Wanna Dance’ which takes Whitney Houston’s iconic ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’ and makes it his own message to his wife Lauren. I also noticed there are references to Bruce Springsteen on the album which is a nod to his musical inspirations. 

The album ends sweetly with ‘I Could Spend Forever Loving You’ which is slow but has a good beat to it. It’s a heart – warming track that finishes off his love story with his wife for the album nicely. Overall, the album is really enjoyable and energetic. As a listener I was really able to visualise certain moments on the album which reinforces Rhett’s powerful storytelling through his lyrics. Oh and please come to the UK soon Thomas Rhett!