Denim & Rhinestones is the ninth studio album by American country music singer Carrie Underwood. The album was released on June 10, 2022, through Capitol Records Nashville. The album was recorded throughout the years of 2021 and 2022, with production from David Garcia, who previously produced Cry Pretty (2018) and My Savior (2021), with co-production from Underwood as well.
The cover and release date for the album were first revealed on April 7, 2022. Underwood revealed the tracklist for the album through social media the following day. The album contains twelve tracks, eleven of which were co-written by Underwood.
On March 18, Underwood first spoke about the atmosphere of the album, saying, "I feel like people are going to hear everything and [get] some warm fuzzies and hopefully it'll just make people happy to listen to. It's a very 'sing into your hairbrush, in your house, in your room' kind of album." She later elaborated, saying, "When I walked in to start making this album, it was like, what do you want to do? My co-producer and co-writer, David Garcia, was like, 'What do you want to do?' And I was like, 'I just want to have fun."
In April, Underwood spoke about the album's title track, saying, "The song 'Denim & Rhinestones' is super fun, with a bit of a retro vibe – we just go together, like a sweet tea and a lemon, like denim and rhinestones. You have these things that are great on their own and then you put them together and they just fit. That's how this album feels."
When the album's trailer aired on April 8, Underwood said, "We cover a lot of ground on this album. We have a lot of songs that have a bit of a “throwback” feel, but they sound super fresh. I grew up listening to so many different kinds of music and that is extremely evident in this body of work. These are musical influences that are all in me and working their way out, and I just decided this time not to get in their way. I think this whole album ended up being a big reflection of me as a person and as an artist." When asked about lead single, "Ghost Story", Underwood praised songwriters Josh Kear, Hillary Lindsey, and David Garcia, saying, "They are such talented, amazing songwriters who know me so well. From the first time I heard it I knew I had to record it."
Like jet black in a Cadillac
Like Tennessee and a bottle of Jack
Dolly and a tape deck on the way back
To home sweet home
Like mama and the kitchen
Cooking supper on the stove
Like a sweet tea and a lemon
We go together like
[Chorus]
Denim and rhinestones
You're the smooth and I'm the shine
We're the neon dancing all night
Denim and rhinestones
You're the cool and I'm the fire
No, we're never going out of style
[Verse 2]
Like a classic jean jacket
Sparkle on the back, gotta have it
So good, so right, you can't go wrong
When you slip it on
Like you and me, nothing missing
Even on our own
But when our lips get to kissing
We're fitting together like
[Chorus]
Denim and rhinestones
You're the smooth and I'm the shine
We're the neon dancing all night
Denim and rhinestones
You're the cool and I'm the fire
No, we're never going out of style
Woah oh, woah yeah yeah yeah
[Bridge]
Like the quarter and a jukebox slot
Like the key that turns a lock
Some things don't get any better
Than when they go together
[Chorus]
Denim and rhinestones
You're the smooth and I'm the shine
We're the neon dancing all night
Denim and rhinestones (Yeah)
You're the cool and I'm the fire
No, we're never going out of style
[Outro]
Like denim and denim and denim and rhinestones
Ooh-ooh, yeah
Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh
Like denim and denim and denim and rhinestones