Album Review: Cowboy Up

Kaylee Bell’s latest album Cowboy Up, released in late September, already feels like a country classic. Full and rich like a slow-cooked barbecue, it’s the kind of record that leaves you hungry for more. The songs are hooky and heartfelt, bursting with energy and Bell’s signature blend of polish and authenticity. The title track, Cowboy Up, has already clocked close to 2.5 million Spotify streams – and it’s easy to hear why. It’s an irresistible barn-stomper that feels like a good old hall party, the kind where everyone’s up dancing before the first chorus lands.

Now based in Nashville, the heartland of country music, Bell has absorbed the flavour of the American South – there are lyrical nods to Tennessee and “south of the border” – but her roots in rural Aotearoa remain evident. There’s still that sense of groundedness and honest, sleeves-rolled-up storytelling that made her such a refreshing voice in the first place.

Cowboy Up also benefits from a first-rate team of musicians and producers who give the album its big, cinematic sound. Most of the record was produced by Nashville-based Tom Jordan, whom Bell flew out to work with, while the title track was produced by Travis Heidelman. The project also features songwriting contributions from Jol Mulholland and Brooke Singer, bringing together creative voices from both sides of the Pacific. Recorded between Nashville and New Zealand, the tracks shimmer with pedal steel, fiddle, and electric guitar. Crisp, modern production keeps Bell’s voice front and centre, blending the polish of Music City with the soul of homegrown country.

The songwriting shows real maturity. These are songs of lived experience – of love, family, work, and the courage to keep showing up. Heartbeat, one of the album’s most affecting tracks, captures the moment she first hears her baby’s heartbeat: “I’m a little bit scared if I tell the truth / but I know I’ll be fine when I’m looking at you.” It’s simple and tender, yet deeply moving in its honesty.

There’s also the standout Song for Shania, a tribute to Shania Twain, one of Bell’s idols, where she sings, “You showed me I could be a mother / I could be a wife / I could be a rock star at the same time.” It’s an anthem of empowerment that bridges generations of country women.

Cowboy Up is Kaylee Bell at her most assured – confident, relatable, and full of heart. A record that proves country music, like a great story, only gets better with time.