Hot on the heels of announcing his tenth studio album, Banks of the Trinity, in April 2026, Cody Johnson shared the lead single from the keenly anticipated project, ‘I Want You’.

Rather than opting for an in-your-face, uptempo offering to kick off the album rollout, Johnson is making a point of how this will be an intimate and deeply personal record, rather than one focussed on commercial Country Radio. ‘I Want You’ is a slow-burning, sincere and sweet ode to how he will always love his wife, Brandi.

‘I Want You’ finds Johnson's compelling vocals gliding across a meandering, laid-back and guitar-driven instrumental. There are faint cries of steel in the background as ‘I Want You’ reaches its conclusion, accentuating the atmospheric feel of the track. It's a wonderfully pared-down offering in the mould of CoJo classics like ‘Whiskey Bent’ with Jelly Roll, ‘I Always Wanted To‘ and ‘By Your Grace’.

Over the course of ‘I Want You’, the ‘Human’ hitmaker serenades his wife as he underlines that he always wants to be with her, regardless of what situation they find themselves in.

For instance, Johnson juxtaposes the moments where Brandi is dressed to the nines and immaculately put together for a date night with the times when she's broken-down and in need of healing, stressing that in both situations he wants her just as much.

He goes on to stress that he doesn't strive or yearn for anything as much as he longs to be with Brandi forever, dismissing the chance to ride on a rocket to space as insignificant to him when compared to the opportunity to simply sing his wife a song.

There's often a spiritually-minded undertone to Johnson's music, and it feels as though we can hear ‘I Want You’ in this way. The narrator could be interpreted as being Jesus reassuring us that He always wants us with all of our faults and mistakes.

When announcing his tenth studio album, Banks of the Trinity, Johnson shed light on what fans could expect, “When I heard the song “Banks Of The Trinity” for the first time, it was like a portrait flashed in my head of memories I thought I’d forgotten. It took me straight back home to Sebastopol, Texas, where I grew up on the river”.

The Texas native went on, “That’s why I chose a photo of Lawrence’s Grocery Store for the album cover. As a kid, I used to ride my bike two miles down an old dirt road just to get a cream soda and a Blue Bell ice cream bar. I’d sit there and listen to the old men talk for a while before heading back home with a basket of groceries”.

Johnson concluded with a heartfelt message to fans, “This record is my way of going back to those dirt roads. I can’t wait for you to come with me on that journey back”.

“I want you when you're pretty
And I want you when you ain't
I want you when you're a sinner
And I want you when you're a saint
I want you till the cows come home
And till the moon turns blue
I want you
-
I want you in your blue jeans
And in your goin' downtown dress
I want you when you're perfect
Or in a perfect mess
I want you when you're healin'
And when you're broke in two
I want you
-
And I want you
And only you
-
I want you when you're angry
And when the dishes break
I want you when you won't give
And all you do is take
I want you when you hate me
'Cause even when you do
I, I still want you
-
And I want you
And only you
-
I don't wanna ride a rocket
Way out past the stars
I've got a song here in my pocket
I'll sing it anywhere you are
I don't want too much
Yeah, the only thing I do
Is I want you
-
No, I don't want too much
Yeah, the only thing I do
I want you”

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