Willie Nelson announces new studio album ‘A Beautiful Time’

Legacy Recordings, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, will release A Beautiful Time–Willie Nelson’s new studio album (and 17th for the label)–on Friday, April 29. A Beautiful Time arrives on the artist’s 89th birthday and will be available on vinyl, CD and digital formats (including in spatial hi-res audio in Atmos and 360RA formats).

“I’ll Love You Till the Day I Die,” the first single and video from A Beautiful Time, premieres Thursday, February 10. The track, Willie’s studio performance of a new Rodney Crowell/Chris Stapleton composition, exemplifies the album’s focus on finely-crafted pop-country songwriting.

Among its many musical delights, A Beautiful Time introduces a variety of newly-written future pop-country classics including five new Willie Nelson/Buddy Cannon compositions and contributions from some of Nashville’s finest contemporary songwriters. The collection also premieres Willie’s heartfelt and insightful covers of Leonard Cohen’s “Tower of Song” and The Beatles’ “With a Little Help from My Friends.”

Produced by Willie’s longtime musical collaborator Buddy Cannon (who’s co-written six of the album’s new songs, including five with Willie), A Beautiful Time is a fully-realised new studio album showcasing Willie and Trigger (his signature guitar) playing with musicians including Jim “Moose” Brown (B-3 organ, Wurlitzer), Fred Elringham (drums), Barry Bales (upright bass), Bob Terry (electric guitar, acoustic guitar, steel guitar), James Mitchell (electric guitar) and the patented harmonic stylings of Mickey Raphael. Melonie Cannon sings backup on five of the album’s tracks.

To read more exclusive features and latest news please see our February issue here.