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."
(Ooh, ah, ooh)
(Ooh, ah, ooh)
[Verse 1]
He'll get you comin' apart at the seams
When he calls you, "Baby"
He'll get you hangin' on every little stitch
That his lips are sayin'
He's cool, too good to be true
Looks so good on you
You gotta try him on
But don't cut the tags off if you take him home
[Chorus]
That velvet heartbreak
Crush you like a fool on a Friday night
Saturday morning mistake
Pullin' the wool over your eyes
It's a love you and leave ya, double shot of tequila
Black mascara tears drippin' on ice
So smooth, until it ain't
That velvet heartbreak
[Verse 2]
It's like a dress in the store that you can't afford
But you gotta have it
It's gonna be a discount rack, can't take it back
Waiting to happen
Yeah, it's on you (Ooh), do what you wanna do
But just know what you're gettin' into (Ooh)
If you slip it on (Ooh, if you slip it on)
The new wears off and it won't take long
[Chorus]
That velvet heartbreak
Crush you like a fool on a Friday night
Saturday mornin' mistake
Pullin' the wool over your eyes
It's a love you and leave ya, double shot of tequila
Black mascara tears drippin' on ice
So smooth, until it ain't
That velvet heartbreak
[Bridge]
That heartbreak
It's that velvet heartbreak
[Chorus]
Crush you like a fool on a Friday night
Saturday mornin' mistake
Pullin' the wool over your eyes
It's a love you and leave ya, double shot of tequila
Black mascara tears drippin' on ice
So smooth, until it ain't
That velvet heartbreak
[Outro]
It's a love ya then a leave ya (Mm)
Double shot of a velvet heartbreak
Too good to be true, yeah
Smooth, 'til it ain't
It's a velvet heartbreak