Chase Rice hates cowboys like you hate a rival football team. It’s game recognizing game.
On Friday (Jan. 6), Rice revealed “I Hate Cowboys,” one of two songs that make up the title of his I Hate Cowboys & All Dogs Go to Hell album (Feb. 10). The new music video is nothing short of a tribute to cowboys — heck, he even worked with Cheyenne Frontier Days to grab the most captivating footage.
If the clip proves anything it’s that Rice doesn’t hate cowboys — he probably even wishes he was one. Several known rodeo stars ride bulls and broncs between shots of Rice walking around the ring, singing his song. If you look close enough, you’ll even spot Chris LeDoux.
Rice’s lyric explains that he hates cowboys because they’re always stealing his girl and he can’t do much to stop it. The power ballad is personal without feeling like the singer has ripped out a page from his diary. It’s almost amusing to hear him shrug his shoulders at some of the most iconic parts of that lifestyle.
“I hate cowboys / They think they’re scared of nothing / They run their mouths about bulls buckin’ / But eight seconds ain’t that long / I wish they’d stay their a– at home,” he sings to close verse one.
Across what Rice is calling his most authentic record yet, he strips away layers of production that often covered up what he was trying to say. The result — at least as we’ve heard it so far — has been a more dynamic mix of songs and styles.
“There’s no tracks anymore. I’m done with the track world. That was a phase of my life and it’s in the past,” he told Taste of Country to close 2022.
To introduce the song, Rice appeared on Good Morning America and explained why he chose a photo of his father for the album’s cover. As host Michael Strahan (a former football player for the New York Giants) introduced the song, the studio snickered.
“I hate Cowboys too, but it’s a different kind,” he says, referring to the rival Dallas Cowboys.
“Key West & Colorado,” “Way Down Yonder” and “If I Were Rock & Roll” are three more songs from I Hate Cowboys & All Dogs Go to Hell that Rice has already shared. He says to expect a heavy dose of the new music when he begins his Way Down Yonder Tour in March.
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Today’s country music stars owe a debt of gratitude to the legends who formed and cultivated the genre, starting in the early 20th century. These 50 classic country artists remain relevant today. Some developed a style that’s emulated on today’s country radio. Others set a bar for vocal talent or songwriting skill.