Written by J. Dylan White

Albums grappling with reflections on family, fame and morality typically come in the latter portion of an artist’s career. For four-time Grammy Award-nominated Luke Combs, that album comes amid the height of his commercial success.

“The Way I Am,” Combs’ sixth studio LP, is a raw, meaningful self-portrait that stretches 73 minutes across a 22-track marathon. The album doubles down on Combs’ signature blend of rowdy anthems and tender ballads. 

The lead single, “Back in the Saddle,” kickstarts the album with an aggressive, in-your-face anthem as Combs announces he is “back in the saddle like some old cowboy who dug his way out of his grave.” With a hard, driving boot-stomp backing, the track is like a defiant shot out of a cannon. 

“My Kinda Saturday Night” follows with a hard twang hook initiating the verses of this honky-tonk romp. It’s a short, feel-good crowd-pleaser tailored for live performances.

Striking a delicate and trademark balance, “Days Like These” immediately puts the brakes on the whirlwind start with a soulful acoustic track showcasing Combs’ emotional range. “If I got you and you got me / We got everything we need / ‘Cause even if it grew on trees / Money can’t buy days like these.”

A memorable entry on the album, “15 Minutes” tells the story of someone in prison making a phone call to their mother, evoking a sense of reflection and a greater appreciation for the relationships and opportunities in life. 

The title track is one of the longer songs on the record, stretching over four minutes. The song doesn’t contain the emotional punch of its predecessors but features Combs’ falsetto near the closing, which is a unique and unexpected addition.

“Wish Upon a Whiskey” ramps up from a sparse, piano-backed introduction into a rounded country ballad. Combs laments in the chorus, “All my prayers, they always hit the ceiling / So I do the only thing that don’t make me feel empty / Pull that bottle out and wish upon a whiskey.”

While many country songs revolve around alcohol consumption, this depiction is much drearier as the vice here is viewed, in the eyes of the narrator, as their means of salvation and escape. 

“Seeing Someone” is an example of Combs’ thoughtful storytelling by subverting the audience’s expectations. Telling the story of someone trying to move on from a prior relationship, Combs sings that he has been seeing someone, only to be revealed that it’s the memories, presented like a ghost or spirit, of his previous lover.

“Sleepless in a Hotel Room” was released in January 2026 as a single and possesses the catchy hooks to earn the distinction. Bursting with a full, rounded sound and an easygoing, infectious melody, this is one of the most memorable songs on the album.

The appropriately folksy track “Ever Mine” features Alison Krauss, a 27-time Grammy Award-winning bluegrass artist and longtime Robert Plant collaborator. Krauss’ vocals weave seamlessly with Combs’ in the choruses.

“Miss You Here” has the big-sound production associated with Combs’ other smash hits like 2024’s triple-platinum “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma,” and focuses on longing and regret from a previous relationship. Continuing the string of infectious and memorable melodic hooks, the untapped hit potential is shocking.

“Tell ‘Em About Tonight” is a raw and self-aware reflection from Combs about fame and the career of a country music artist. Opening with the lines, “Someday these lights are gonna fade / Some other good ol’ boy’ll be on this stage,” Combs focuses on the fleeting nature of fame. 

“Be By You” is the seventh promotional single released for the album, and is a breezy, simple track reflecting on wanting to always be with a lover.

“The Me Part of You” is a coming-of-age story that reflects on a younger man, presumably a father’s son, making some of the same mistakes and choices the older man did while learning the same lessons associated with those choices. Similar in vision to Brad Paisley’s song “Anything Like Me,” Combs delivers the message with his signature grandiose execution and driving guitars.

“Rich Man” is an example of poignant country storytelling as it centers on a conversation between a businessman in a suit and another man in overalls at a bar. Using simple imagery and ideas, Combs circles around to the idea that a family makes a person rich and that material wealth is fleeting.

“A Man Was Born” closes the album with a reflection on situations in the narrator’s life that are growing experiences as a young man, leading to his development into an adult. Given the themes of youth, family and wisdom the album centers around, “A Man Was Born” is the perfect closer.

With such an extended runtime, there are a number of songs that would have been better served as a B-side or a release on a deluxe edition of “The Way I Am” because they don’t move the needle in the project’s entirety.

Tracks like “Daytona 499,” “Alcohol of Fame,” “Soon As I Get Home,” “Rethink Some Things,” “I Ain’t No Cowboy” and “Can’t Tell Me I’m Wrong” are all competently produced and are enjoyable entries in the album, but they aren’t strictly necessary and detract from the primary focus of the work present on the album.

Trimming nearly 20 minutes of runtime and concentrating the heartland wisdom and hooks into a leaner 14 tracks could make it a career-defining statement. But while the length could test a listener’s attention span, it rewards those who stick around with some of Combs’ most poignant storytelling yet.