After a long wait, 3 years, 8 months, and 4 days to be exact, Cody Johnson finally released his official studio recorded cover of the Dixie Chick’s “Travelin’ Soldier.” To know the exact time this release was anticipated is to probably know just how much fans truly wanted this, or how long you could refresh the comments on his acoustic version and see a new account saying, “Put this on Spotify Cojo.” And, after he finally got around to it, the fan consensus of the record’s sound and general likeability is mixed. As someone who used to play the track on repeat spring semester sophomore year, phone on my desk with YouTube open, being as that was the only platform you could find it, I would say I definitely have my comparisons of both versions and the feedback from fans all over.

It’s in my opinion and observation that what really struck people about the acoustic version is the sentiment behind it, the raw emotion. Not only could you visualize this story, but you could feel it. While we know purely vulnerable lyrics and great storytelling, which, in popular opinion, are key factors to great country music, the sped-up nature of the studio version seemed to throw off the real emotion behind the song in more ways than one. Cojo’s lengthy notes and the band’s slow tempo in the acoustic version have a way of immersing listeners into the young girl’s perspective in the song, and we feel her sorrow each time the chorus comes back to switch the story from a third person to her first-person point of view. Her devout love, pain, innocence, and just a touch of naivety surface with every breath Johnson takes to sing the chorus.

On the other side of the spectrum, the new recorded version is generally fast in nature. The intro is over in a flash, the band’s tempo speeds, and Cojo sings the lyrics as if they are a confession. Contrary to feedback from the fans, however, I do not believe that these changes automatically mark this release as a “bad” recording. While many have joked about Johnson wanting to “get the song over with,” I think many fail to realize that no two versions of a song, especially intentionally recorded differently, are bound to be the same. The drum line to the song, which beats to that of a traditional military march, adds a new sense of flair that we didn’t get from the acoustic version, and delves the fans into a more patriotic aspect of the song, as if the lyrics weren’t already patriotic enough.

Intentional or not, I think that both versions of his cover offer new ways of enjoying the song and listening to the story behind it, and while his original acoustic version is sacred to country fans all over, including myself, it would be a disservice to not listen to the newly recorded version the way it was intended to be listened to.