With a gravelly honesty that cuts deeper with every release, Northern Ireland’s Janet Devlin is back, and she’s never sounded more unapologetically herself. Today, the Gortin-born singer-songwriter unveils her brand-new single ‘Houston’, igniting the first spark of the deluxe edition of her acclaimed country-rock album, now aptly re-titled ‘Not My First Emotional Rodeo’.
Houston finds Devlin leaning fearlessly into her Nashville side, all foot-stomping handclaps, twangy guitars, and vocals that crackle with unfiltered freedom. But beneath the upbeat honky-tonk energy is a defiant ode to solitude, independence, and the unexpected thrill of being entirely at peace with oneself.
Speaking about the single, Devlin doesn’t hold back. “I wanted to write a song that would sum up the freedom I feel when I’m on my own. Be it solo horseback riding around the countryside or just anywhere far away from where the people are. As someone who has too many feelings and they used to bleed into most avenues of my life - emotional detachment, in this way, is actually a great and freeing thing. For some the concept of being in the vast unknown, away from civilisation is scary. The old me would’ve probably agreed. Now, for me it feels peaceful. I enjoy my own company, some may say a little too much. I feel like super-rural living in a lot of ways is like being in outer-space. Both are on the fringes of civilisation and reality. Houston, I got so many problems” references the famous “Houston, we have a problem,” but it’s ironic. There is no mission control. Just me, alone. No panic. Just embracing relying on myself.”
‘Houston’ plays like an open window onto Devlin’s restless mind. It’s playful yet raw, anchored in a line that flips the iconic NASA call, “Houston, I got so many problems”. But this time there’s no mission control, no rescue plan, no panic. Just Janet, alone in her own little world, turning problems into poetry and heartbreak into an anthem. It’s this trademark blend, fierce truth-telling wrapped in addictive melodies, that has earned Devlin loyal fans far beyond her small hometown.
Since capturing the nation’s heart on The X Factor back in 2011, the Northern Irish artist has forged her own unpredictable path: three albums, millions of streams, a BBC One documentary bravely confronting her struggles with addiction, and now a Nashville-crafted, critically praised country reinvention that’s turning heads from Belfast to Berlin.
As festival season rolls on, with appearances at Country to Country in Belfast, London and Berlin already under her belt, Devlin will bring Houston to life at The Long Road Festival in Leicestershire this August, before headlining The British Country Music Festival in Blackpool and Colours, Hoxton in London this October. Houston is out now via OKGood Records, and if this is the sound of Janet Devlin alone, it’s clear she’s exactly where she’s meant to be.
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