Cody Johnson's country music is only getting bigger. On 'Banks of the Trinity,' he'll take you home

Cody Johnson’s momentum in country music continues to build with the release of his album “Banks of the Trinity.” The Texas-born singer told The Associated Press that at many of his shows, roughly 80% of the audience says it is seeing him live for the first time, underscoring the scale of his expanding fanbase. His rise in recent years includes landing his fifth career No. 1 single with “The Fall,” and being named entertainer of the year at the 2026 Academy of Country Music Awards, after headlining Stagecoach Music Festival. On Friday, Johnson released the new record, shaped in part by a health setback last fall: upper respiratory and sinus infections caused a burst eardrum that required surgery and forced him to cancel dates and take three months off. He credits the downtime with adding songs including “Thank Somebody Country,” “Take Me Back (Leave Me There),” “Cricket on a Hook,” and “I Have.”