More than one year after the release of her Palomino album, Miranda Lambert is back with new music, and she's teaming up with fellow Texan and Grammy winner Leon Bridges. The two collaborate on "If You Were Mine," a longing song about lost love written by Lambert, Ashley Monroe and Jesse Frasure.
With an intoxicating electric guitar intro along with acoustic and percussion, Lambert launches into the song first, singing about looking for a loved one who got away. Bridges then joins in the second verse, and they sing together on the chorus, reciting hopeful lyrics about a potential love story with a nod to the Frio river in Texas.
"I'd make sure your stars are shining / Sure as the Frio's winding / I'd bottle you up like lightning / I'd rope the moon for you / A million times / That's what I'd do / If you were mine," they sing.
As the song continues, piano mixes with steel guitar and the soulful electric, creating a mix of both Lambert and Bridges' musical styles.
Lambert reveals via press release that she wrote the song with Bridges in mind.
"I have been a big fan of Leon for a while because he is very authentic as an artist and I love his music," Lambert says. "Since we are both from Texas, we threw in a few Texas references, of course - the Frio River being one. When we finished this song, we sent it to Leon in hopes that he would want to collaborate and we were so glad that he said yes. I have really enjoyed getting to know him and I'm happy to have him as a new friend."
Bridges added that he was "humbled" to join the song with Lambert.
"Getting in the studio with her in Nashville to sing this song together was magic," he adds. "There's nothing better than two Texans on one mic!"
Lambert announced the collaboration May 31, and fans were overjoyed by Lambert's choice to include Bridges on the tune, calling it a "dream collaboration" and the duet they needed. The two seemed to have fun in the studio while recording the track, as well. In an Instagram post, Lambert wrote that she and Bridges "Talked about Tex Mex, BBQ, tequila and recorded a song together." In a TikTok video shared by Lambert, the two singers share a drink while promoting the song, and Lambert jokes that Bridges "looks cooler" than her.
"I knew that would happen when you walked in," she said.
https://www.tiktok.com/@mirandalambert/video/7241635043808972078
The song is Lambert's first release since her Palomino album, which came out in April 2022.