Studio Album · No. 19
Western Stars Songwriting Credits by Bruce Springsteen
Produced by Ron Aniello, Bruce Springsteen · Engineered by Rob Lebret, Ross Petersen, Toby Scott, Tom Elmhirst, Bob Ludwig
Holds writing credit on 13 of 13 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 13 / 13 documented
Scored across the 13 tracks with documented writers, by whether Bruce Springsteen carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 13 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
Western Stars was Bruce Springsteen's first studio album of new solo material since 2005's Devils & Dust, and every song on it was written by Springsteen. He drew on the lush, orchestral pop records made in Southern California during the late 1960s and early 1970s, building songs around sweeping string arrangements rather than the E Street Band, with Rob Mathes conducting and arranging the orchestra. Lead single "Hello Sunshine" set the tone with a gentle, country-tinged sway, while "There Goes My Miracle" pushed Springsteen toward a soaring, almost Roy Orbison-style pop vocal. The result was a character-driven cycle of songs about stuntmen, drifters, and fading performers set against wide cinematic backdrops.
Western Stars is Bruce Springsteen's nineteenth studio album, released on June 14, 2019. Co-produced by Ron Aniello and Springsteen, it is an orchestral pop and country album inspired by the soft rock sounds of the 1970s American West, citing Glen Campbell and Jimmy Webb as touchstones. It represents a marked stylistic departure from his E Street Band rock albums. An accompanying concert film of the same name was directed by Springsteen and Thom Zimny. All thirteen tracks were written solely by Springsteen.