Tunes Du Jour Presents Miranda Lambert

Miranda Lambert has established herself as one of country music’s most compelling storytellers, crafting a career that spans from fiery anthems to heartfelt ballads. Looking at her impressive catalog of songs, you can trace the evolution of an artist who’s never been afraid to be herself, whether that means embracing her small-town roots or challenging country music conventions.

Her breakthrough came with songs like “Kerosene” and “Gunpowder & Lead,” which introduced listeners to her signature blend of bold attitude and masterful storytelling. But it was perhaps “The House That Built Me” that showcased Lambert’s deeper emotional range, earning her widespread critical acclaim and connecting with audiences through its universal themes of home and identity. This ability to balance strength with vulnerability has become a hallmark of her artistic identity.

As her career progressed, Lambert continued to expand her musical palette. Songs like “Bluebird” and “Automatic” reveal a more mature perspective while maintaining her authentic voice. Her work with the Pistol Annies, including tracks like “Hell On Heels,” has allowed her to explore different creative avenues while staying true to her country roots.

Later releases like “It All Comes Out in the Wash” and “Settling Down” show an artist comfortable with both her edge and her evolution. Lambert’s ability to address complex themes – from small-town life to relationships to personal growth – while maintaining her distinctive voice has helped her build a catalog that resonates with both traditional country fans and newer audiences.

Throughout her career, Lambert has proven that success doesn’t require compromising artistic integrity. Her playlist reveals an artist who can deliver everything from boot-stomping anthems to introspective ballads, all while maintaining a clear sense of who she is. Whether she’s collaborating with artists like Little Big Town and Maren Morris or standing solo in the spotlight, Lambert continues to demonstrate why she’s earned her place as one of country music’s most respected voices.

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My Top Songs Of 2022

Congratulations to Megan Thee Stallion, who has placed a song in my year end top five every year since 2019. Her “Her” is my number two song of ’22, kept from number one by Beyoncé, who guested on the remix of MTS’s “Savage,” my number 4 song of 2020. 2022 was a year that left me wanting, so my top 100 has 92 songs. Here they are:

  1. BREAK MY SOUL – Beyoncé
  2. Her – Megan Thee Stallion
  3. About Damn Time – Lizzo
  4. As It Was – Harry Styles
  5. This Hell – Rina Sawayama
  6. Coconuts – Kim Petras
  7. Goodbye Mr. Blue – Father John Misty
  8. Wild – Spoon
  9. Sacrifice – The Weeknd
  10. All the Good Times – Angel Olsen
  11. BILLIE EILISH. – Armani White
  12. Measure of a Man – FKA twigs feat. Central Cee
  13. Meet Me at Our Spot – THE ANXIETY, WILLOW & Tyler Cole
  14. Burning – the Yeah Yeah Yeahs
  15. CUFF IT – Beyoncé
  16. TV – Billie Eilish
  17. If I Was a Cowboy – Miranda Lambert
  18. Mistakes – Sharon Van Etten
  19. I Hate U – SZA
  20. Simulation Swarm – Big Thief
  21. Big Energy – Latto
  22. The Smoke – The Smile
  23. Bad Habit – Steve Lacy
  24. Boyfriend – Dove Cameron
  25. Hideous – Oliver Sim feat. Jimmy Somerville
  26. Gasoline – The Weeknd
  27. edamame – bbno$ feat. Rich Brown
  28. Lift Me Up – Rihanna
  29. Slide Tackle – Japanese Breakfast
  30. Don’t Let the Light Go Out – Panic! At the Disco
  31. MORE – j-hope
  32. Pressurelicious – Megan Thee Stallion feat. Future
  33. MAGIC – Vince Staples and Mustard
  34. Late Night Talking – Harry Styles
  35. Once Twice Melody – Beach House
  36. Edge of the Edge – Panda Bear and Sonic Boom
  37. Music for a Sushi Restaurant – Harry Styles
  38. Out of Time – The Weeknd
  39. Do I Love You (Indeed I Do) – Bruce Springsteen
  40. Another day in America – Kali Uchis & Ozuna
  41. Out of My Head – First Aid Kit
  42. Lost Track – HAIM
  43. Tonight – Phoenix feat. Ezra Koenig
  44. Beach House – Carly Ray Jepsen
  45. Tomorrow – Waxahatchee
  46. Funny Girl – Father John Misty
  47. Softly – Arlo Parks
  48. EDGING – Blink-182
  49. Cash In, Cash Out – Pharrell Williams feat. 21 Savage & Tyler, The Creator
  50. Falling Apart (Right Now) – Wilco
  51. Father Time – Kendrick Lamar feat. Sampha
  52. camera roll – Kacey Musgraves
  53. My Babe – Spoon
  54. Popular – M.I.A.
  55. Silent Hill – Kendrick Lamar with Kodak Black
  56. The Lightning – Arcade Fire
  57. The 30th – Billie Eilish
  58. The Curse of the Blackened Eye – Orville Peck                                                           
  59. Fractals – Beth Orton
  60. Should’ve Been Me – Mitski
  61. Ur Mum – Wet Leg
  62. Catch Me in the Air – Rina Sawayama
  63. new body rhumba – LCD Soundsystem
  64. Megan’s Piano – Megan Thee Stallion
  65. Sweetest Pie – Megan Thee Stallion & Dua Lipa
  66. Die Hard – Kendrick Lamar feat. Blxst and Amanda Reifer
  67. The Ick – Panic Shack
  68. Get Inspired – Genesis Owusu
  69. Cheat Codes – Danger Mouse & Black Thought
  70. Postman – Toro y Moi
  71. The Only Heartbreaker – Mitski
  72. hollaback bitch – Mura Masa with Channel Tres & Shygirl
  73. Male Fantasy – Billie Eilish
  74. Stay Soft – Mitski
  75. Fruit – Oliver Sim
  76. Run the Credits – Oliver Sim
  77. B-Side – Khruangbin & Leon Bridges
  78. Down – Hot Chip
  79. Can I Get It – Adele
  80. No Decent Shoes for Rain – Dry Cleaning
  81. Unconditional I – Arcade Fire
  82. Fleez – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
  83. N95 – Kendrick Lamar
  84. Angelica – Wet Leg
  85. Rich Spirit – Kendrick Lamar
  86. 2 Be Loved (Am I Ready) – Lizzo
  87. One Right Now – Post Malone with The Weeknd
  88. Bam Bam – Camila Cabello feat. Ed Sheeran
  89. Love Me More – Mitski
  90. Change – The War on Drugs
  91. Strange – Miranda Lambert
  92. High Priestess – Santigold

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Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 11-14-22

Today’s playlist celebrates the November 14 birthdays of Run-D.M.C.’s Run, Veruca Salt’s Nina Gordon, Stephen Bishop, and The Civil Wars’ Joy Williams; and the November 15 birthdays of Petula Clark, ABBA’s Anni-Frid Lyngstad, The Drifters’ Clyde McPhatter, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Little Willie John, The Trammps’ Jimmy Ellis, The Soul Survivors’ Richie Ingui, Alexander O’Neal, Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger, E-40, C.W. McCall, B.o.B, Beverly D’Angelo, and Jack Ingram.

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Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 11-10-22

Today’s playlist celebrates the November 10 birthdays of Warren G, Massive Attack’s Andrew Vowles, King Crimson’s Greg Lake, Ennio Morricone, Major Lazer’s Diplo, Miranda Lambert, Eve, Jimmy Eat World’s Jim Adkins, The Capris’ Nick Santo, The Beautiful South’s Jacqui Abbott, Atlanta Rhythm Section’s Ronnie Hammond, Donna Fargo, Tracy Morgan, and Ben L’Oncle Soul; and the November 11 birthdays of XTC’s Andy Partridge, Wu-Tang Clan’s U-God, LaVern Baker, Marshall Crenshaw, Peaches, The Ides of March’s Jim Peterik, X’s Dave Alvin, Hardfloor’s Ramon Zenker, Half Pint, Dennis Coffey, Mose Allison, The Raveonettes’ Sharin Foo, Static Major, Stubby Kaye, and Chris Smither.

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Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 9-28-22

Today’s playlist celebrates the September 28 birthdays of St. Vincent, The Drifters’ Ben E. King, Jeezy, Koko Taylor, The Farm’s Peter Hooten, Cigarettes After Sex’s Greg Gonzalez, Moon Zappa, Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild, and Keni Burke; and the September 29 birthdays of Jerry Lee Lewis, The London Suede’s Brett Anderson, Grand Funk Railroad’s Mark Farner, Booka Shade’s Walter Merziger, The Posies’ Jon Auer, Blues Image’s Mike Pinera, Bros’s Matt and Luke Goss, Mr. Vegas, Halsey, Mike Post, Debelah Morgan, and Madeline Kahn.

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Records of the Year

The Grammy Awards are being presented tonight. Woo. It’s billed as “music’s biggest night,” just as May 7 through May 16 is billed as “the biggest week in American birding,” if only because ten days is a lot for one week. Birders. Am I right, people? Performers at this year’s Grammys include Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak doing their new song, because what better way to celebrate the music of 2020 than with a single that was released last week? Performers I’m looking forward to include Miranda Lambert, Cardi B, HAIM, Megan Thee Stallion, Brittany Howard, Doja Cat, Dua Lipa, and Billie Eilish, whose “Everything I Wanted” is up for Record of the Year. That’s my favorite of the nominees, though I think the award will go to Beyoncé for “Black Parade,” and I have no problem with that. However, if the award goes to that record I never heard of until I started typing this sentence, sneakers will be thrown at my television (though that record may be good for all I know). For Album of the Year my vote goes to Fiona Apple’s Fetch the Bolt Cutters, as it was handily the best album of 2020. It probably won’t win, seeing as it wasn’t nominated. What was nominated over Apple’s album? That Coldplay album you forgot about and the Jacob Collier album you never heard of until you started reading this sentence (though that album may be good for all you know). Of the albums nominated, I’d pick HAIM’s. It’s very good. Not Fetch The Bolt Cutters good, but very good nonetheless. If HAIM win I hope they hand their award to Fiona Apple live on the telecast, which would be super impressive, seeing as they won’t be in the same room. I’m sure tonight’s show will include a tribute to dead people done by living people who are no match for said dead people. I’d rather want a montage of clips of the dead people performing when they were living people. <Fill in the blank> screaming is not representative of what made Aretha Franklin amazing. No disrespect to <fill in the blank>, but there’s more to being the Queen of Soul than having a mic and ovaries.

It’s easy to shit on the Grammys, as they are so shittable, but to be fair, not every Record of the Year is as terrible as 1988’s recipient, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” Here are thirty of the better winners:

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