Country music sensation Miranda Lambert has inked an exciting deal with Republic Records, a prominent pop label under the Universal Music umbrella. This partnership marks a significant shift for Lambert, who spent the entirety of her 20-year career with Sony Nashville. Her first single under the new contract, titled ‘Wranglers,’ is slated for release on May 3rd, paving the way for her highly anticipated tenth solo album later this year.
Adding to the intrigue of this deal is the involvement of Big Loud Records, another label under the Universal Music umbrella. Big Loud will play a crucial role in the promotion and marketing of Lambert’s music specifically for country radio. Despite Republic’s primary focus on pop music, it has established a strong presence in the country market through its partnership with Big Loud, most notably in the joint promotion of Morgan Wallen, one of the biggest names in the genre.
Lambert expressed her enthusiasm for this new chapter in her career, stating that having a ‘new home’ has ignited a renewed sense of passion within her. She emphasized her admiration for the shared vision and understanding of her desires between herself and the teams at Republic and Big Loud. The singer-songwriter believes that this alignment will empower her to pursue her creative aspirations with even greater fervor.
The announcement of Lambert’s deal with Republic Records comes as a resolution to the speculation surrounding her future after she announced her departure from Sony Nashville 13 months ago. At the time, she expressed her desire to seek new challenges and expand her creative horizons, a sentiment that has now come to fruition with this new partnership.
Prior to her official announcement, Lambert teased her fans with a cryptic 12-second video montage of her past hits, accompanied by the message ‘Warning: Hell hath no furty like a woman scorned.’ This enigmatic post, along with a provided phone number for updates, hinted at Lambert’s impending move to a new label. The number led to a sign-up page bearing the telltale Universal Music Group tag, further fueling speculation about her potential destination.
The signing announcement photo features Lambert alongside key executives from both Republic and Big Loud, including Monte Lipman, Jim Roppo, and Seth England. Lambert is set to headline the Stagecoach Festival in the California desert on Saturday night, a performance that will be livestreamed over Prime Video. While ‘Wranglers’ will not be released until the following Friday, it remains to be seen whether Lambert might unveil new music at the festival for the live and streaming audiences or reserve it for the official release date.
Lambert’s final album with Sony was ‘Palomino,’ released two years ago. During her tenure with the label, she achieved remarkable success, scoring No. 1 hits with songs such as ‘The House That Built Me,’ ‘Heart Like Mine,’ and ‘Bluebird.’ She has also collaborated with other top country artists on chart-topping singles, including Keith Urban, Jason Aldean, and Elle King. Lambert’s exceptional talent was recognized with the prestigious Entertainer of the Year award at the ACM Awards in 2022.
In their respective statements, Republic representatives Monte Lipman and Jim Roppo hailed Lambert’s exceptional storytelling abilities and legendary performances. They expressed their excitement about the ‘very special moment’ as Lambert finalizes her upcoming album. The label is honored to be a part of this journey with her.
The involvement of Big Loud Records in Lambert’s career was a natural progression, given her close collaboration with Jon Randall. Together, they launched a new imprint under Big Loud, Big Loud Texas, to nurture and develop new talent.
Following her highly successful ‘Velvet Rodeo’ residency at Planet Hollywood, Lambert has a packed schedule of country festivals and individual dates through the end of September. In the interim period between her departure from Sony and her announcement with Republic, Lambert released an independent single titled ‘If You Were Mine,’ a duet with Leon Bridges. She also ventured into the culinary world with her cookbook, ‘Y’All Eat Yet?: Welcome to the Pretty B*tchin Kitchen,’ which made its debut at No. 3 on the New York Times bestseller list.
