The pitch: “It’s the biggest album I’ve ever done.” That’s a bold statement coming from superstar Luke Combs, who’s never been known to shy away from big, whether it’s a sound, a song, or, of course, his larger-than-life voice. But for this sixth studio album, he wanted to give fans something they could really dig into, citing 2024’s Fathers & Sons as something of a creative detour and The Way I Am as a return to form. He also did it for himself. “My decisions have always come down to happiness,” he tells Apple Music’s Zane Lowe. “Obviously, it's great to be successful and have money and have all these things, but what it really buys you is the ability to have this freedom and live the life that you want to live.” The story: At an ambitious but still carefully curated 22 tracks, The Way I Am is rich and layered, and rewards repeated listens. With one lone feature—bluegrass legend Alison Krauss, no less, on standout cut “Ever Mine”—The Way I Am is a showcase for the sensibilities Combs has honed since debuting nearly a decade ago. His songwriting shines on highlights like “Days Like These,” a co-write with Brent Cobb and Aaron Raitiere that distills a philosophy of love and gratitude into a deceptively simple lyric. Conversely, songs like the smash hit “Be By You” and the album’s title track are reminders that Combs is also masterful at choosing outside cuts. Focus track: “‘The Way I Am’ is the one that I would say, if I had to pick a favorite,” Combs says. “And I didn’t write that song—it was my buddy Rob Snyder, who I wrote ‘She Got the Best of Me’ with years ago. I’m jealous. It’s one of those things where you hear it and you’re like, ‘Damn, I wish I could say I wrote that.’” The last word: “I’m at this point where you just have to believe in it,” he says. “You have to believe in the thing that you’ve worked hard on and believe in your team. It’s me on the cover, but there could be 70 people on the front of that album too.”