Bella Mackenzie Makes Island Debut With Rousing New Single ‘COWBOY’

A couple weeks since she announced her landmark signing to Island Records Australia, Mackay stalwart Bella Mackenzie has swung through with her first release on the Universal imprint: a rousing new single titled COWBOY.

It’s a fitting track to mark her relaunch on a major label, with an infectious hook and searing guitars that beckon replay after replay. It’s a star-studded affair, too, with Mackenzie having cowritten the track alongside fellow Aussie country up-and-comer Penrose, Mitchell Fenlon and the ARIA-nominated Ryan Miller (best known for his work with the likes of Brad Cox and Angus & Julia Stone).

In a press release, Mackenzie said she and her cohort wrote COWBOY “to make the listener feel strong, proud and empowered”. She expounded on the ethos driving it: “I knew I wanted to write a song that would not only pump up a festival crowd but also pump up that person sitting in their car listening.”

COWBOY arrives alongside a striking music video directed by Maddy King (who’s also helmed visuals for legends like Vera Blue, JOY. and COTERIE), filmed on Mackenzie’s own family farm in Rockhampton. It’s described as “an authentic contextualisation of her groundbreaking work”, with her family wrangling horses, cows and trucks in the clip. Have a look below:

Mackenzie rose to stardom after appearing on last year’s season of The Voice Australia, where she reached the semi-final and dedicated her last performance on national television to her grandfather. Reflecting on her experience in the competition, Mackenzie wrote on Instagram, “My journey on The Voice Australia has come to an end, but my music journey has just begun...”

News of Mackenzie’s Island signing was subsequently shared last month, when Mackenzie teased fans with the promise of an exciting new chapter: “We have already been working extremely hard behind the scenes to send some new music your way as soon as possible,” she said, “so stay tuned!”