Chris Young 'Famous Friends (Deluxe Edition)' Album Review

In August of 2021, Chris Young released his eighth studio album titled Famous Friends. The album is a stand-up collection featuring tracks with Kane Brown, Lauren Alaina, and Mitchell Tenpenny. Today, June 3rd, 2022, just two months short of a year from the initial release,

Famous Friends (Deluxe Edition) has dropped. This collection is the first 14 songs on the original Famous Friends plus an additional six power-packed tracks.

Each song has something unique about them yet holds that special vibe and emotional performance that Young is known for. The 15th track in the collection, titled “Everybody Needs a Song” features Old Dominion. This inspirational song reminds listeners that music influences everybody in every moment, regardless of where the day is heading.

“If I Knew What Was Good For Me” is easily the most emotional delivery of the six additional tracks. Young sings his laments of losing love and experiencing regret. Next, he hits his audience with “Music Note" featuring Jimmie Allen: A tune all about how lucky and grateful Young is to be living out his dreams in the music industry.

Song 18, "Like a Slow Song," is the wildcard setting the mood within the first measure of the vibey intro. The last two tracks are everything listeners didn’t even know they needed and more. The acoustic versions of “Think of You (with Cassadee Pope)” and “I’m Comin’ Over” are smoother than butter on the ears. The tracks, which Young’s audience already knows every word to, are shown in their most stripped-back version making the instrumentation and vocals a little rawer than their previously released, polished forms.

Although the additions lean toward the slower side, the production and Young’s vocals are still large and in charge. The final six tracks truly make this collection that much better just like the sprinkles on top of an ice cream sundae. Famous Friends was sitting pretty to start with, but the Deluxe Edition pushes Young straight to the top.

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