Kalyn Beasley’s latest single, “Goodbye BYU,” released on March 28, 2025, is a vivid slice of Western storytelling wrapped in sharp wit, heartfelt introspection, and Beasley’s signature lyrical craftsmanship. It’s a song that rides the line between satire and sincerity, where humor hides heartache and every line packs a punch. With one boot in the rodeo dirt and the other on the stage, Beasley proves once again why he’s one of Americana’s most compelling voices.
“Goodbye BYU” isn’t your standard country ballad. It’s a melodic farewell to an institution, a mindset, and maybe even a version of the self—told with the kind of poetic bite that only Kalyn Beasley could deliver. Whether it’s a literal nod to Brigham Young University or a metaphor for anything in life that no longer fits, the track taps into that universal moment of finally walking away from something that once held you close.
From the opening chord, Beasley’s voice cuts through like Wyoming wind—earnest, rugged, and steeped in the storytelling tradition. The song quickly unspools with a narrative flair, painting a picture of departure not drenched in regret, but tinged with clarity and a touch of sarcasm. There’s an undercurrent of rebellion, but it’s not loud or brash—it’s thoughtful, knowing, and distinctly Western.
Musically, “Goodbye BYU” is a masterclass in restraint. The arrangement is clean, letting the lyrics take center stage, yet still layered enough to create a rich sonic atmosphere. Beasley’s acoustic guitar work drives the track forward with a steady rhythm, while gentle steel and fiddle licks weave through the melody like sagebrush across an open plain. It’s country, it’s folk, it’s Americana—but it’s also entirely Kalyn Beasley.
What sets Beasley apart is his ability to turn everyday moments into mythic tales, and “Goodbye BYU” is no exception. Each lyric is delivered with the kind of precision that suggests a man who’s lived every word. And given Beasley’s background—as a rodeo cowboy, pilot, bookseller, and bonafide mountain man—he probably has. This is a songwriter who writes not just what he knows, but what he feels, and that emotional resonance is what turns his songs into something more than just stories—they’re confessions, revelations, and roadmaps for the soul.
Beasley’s past work, particularly his acclaimed 2022 album A Matter of Time, already cemented him as a standout voice in the modern Americana scene. Nominated for All Genre Album of the Year at the 2023 Josie Music Awards and recognized by the Wyoming Arts Council with a Performing Arts Fellowship, he’s garnered critical respect and built a grassroots following that stretches far beyond his Northern Wyoming stomping grounds.
“Goodbye BYU” feels like the next chapter in Beasley’s journey—a song that looks back with a smirk and forward with a steady gaze. It’s a breakup song of sorts, not with a lover, but with an ideology, a place, or a past self. And like all great Beasley tracks, it balances humor and heartache in perfect harmony.
For fans of Jason Isbell, Todd Snider, or Hayes Carll, Beasley offers a similar brand of literary lyricism paired with a dust-kicked sense of place. But he’s no copycat. Kalyn Beasley is charting his own trail, one clever, heartfelt song at a time.
With “Goodbye BYU,” he doesn’t just sing a farewell—he turns it into a declaration of freedom, a shrug at expectations, and a wink toward the future. In true Western fashion, Kalyn Beasley tips his hat, walks off into the sunset, and leaves us eager for what stories he’ll tell next.
