Cody Belew’s Complex Relationship With Southern Roots Laid Bare in New Album: “I Did It for Love”
Cody Belew opens his debut album with the titular track, “I Did It for Love,” presenting a definitive statement that frames the entire collection with brilliant simplicity. We can certainly say that this debut album is a labor of love, and it’s incredibly enjoyable as well. It opens with a sound that perfectly blends country, blues, rockabilly, and modern pop influences, creating a uniquely rich sonic profile that you just won’t find anywhere else.
Cody made a gripping first impression on the music scene with his self-titled debut EP in early 2022. The lead single, “Rodeo,” premiered in Times Square and quickly gained traction on CMT. His fresh interpretation of Dolly Parton’s classic “Here You Come Again” earned him pretty widespread recognition and praise. Additionally, last year, he reimagined Brooks & Dunn’s “Neon Moon” with GRAMMY® Award-winning producer Dave Audé. This disco-infused cover has taken Spotify by storm, easily notching over three million streams while showing up across different curated playlists.
Listen HERE.
Clocking in at 10 songs, “I Did It for Love” is a healthy serving of Cody Belew’s uniquely glamorous neo-southern sound, going a long way to show us just what a remarkably talented songwriter, vocalist, and musician Cody is. As the son of a bull rider from Arkansas, he weaves unique perspectives onto everything he crafts, having genuine reverence for his southern heritage that also serves to account for the many failings of its history as a way to reconcile, heal and make things right through a unique sound that’s been described as “Southern Glam Rock”, but as you’ll soon find out, with tracks like the operatic “Everlasting” and the Motown-laced “Long Long Row” there’s just so much more for him to offer.
This love of the South is particularly evident in the aptly named end piece of the album, “Love Song to the South,” which is a heartfelt ballad where Cody reckons with the turbulent past and still-problematic present of the historical region. Cody’s words may be tough and uncompromising, but so is the genuine tenderness he sings with, conducting himself as though someone who is confronting a loved one with the utmost hope that healing and positive change can take place, and this is of course largely what lies at the heart of this album, it’s a clearly intentional move on Cody Belew’s part
Photo Credit: Emily Dorio
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