Janet Devlin Burns a Bouquet and Builds a Western in One Room

Janet Devlin sets a bouquet of flowers on fire in the opening moments of her new video for "How Do Cowboys Say Goodbye?" The Irish singer-songwriter released the clip for her country ballad, and the burning flowers carry the story's central image: a romance turning to ashes. She tells the entire Western drama without leaving a single room.

The video follows Devlin through a series of characters who represent the emotional stages of a relationship ending. Sadness, anger, acceptance and the excitement of moving forward each receive a distinct visual identity. Burning flowers and equestrian imagery translate the song's lyrical world to the screen, showing how many versions of a person can emerge when love changes direction.

How was the song recorded?

Devlin recorded the track with a band in Nashville. A low, moody guitar opens the song and establishes its cinematic Western atmosphere at once. Her expressive vocals move between vulnerability and determination as the production builds toward richer textures and elaborate harmonies. The second pre-chorus delivers one of the musical highlights, with a soaring vocal arrangement that draws on the unmistakable harmonies of Toto.

She wrote the song while recognizing that a relationship was approaching its conclusion. The lyrics explore the complicated connection between emotional attachment and personal freedom, and they deploy cowboy imagery with considerable wit. Familiar references to horses, saddles and taming become observations about responsibility, independence and knowing when to ride away.

What does this change for Devlin's catalogue?

The ballad extends a career that has moved across folk, alternative pop and country since Devlin finished fifth on The X Factor in 2011, introduced to millions of viewers. Her debut album, Running With Scissors, reached number one on the Indie Breakers Chart. Her version of The Cure's "Friday I'm in Love" has drawn nearly 23 million Spotify plays.

Her later records chart the growth of an increasingly adventurous songwriter:

• Confessional and Emotional Rodeo widened her range as a writer.
• The deluxe collection Not My First Emotional Rodeo explored her affection for Nashville's storytelling traditions.
• Touring has taken her out with Russell Crowe, into Nashville's Blackbird Studio and onto festival stages at Belladrum, Country Calling, In It Together and Rock & Ribs.

What comes next?

Another album is already in development. Devlin will also make a special guest appearance at the Student Radio Awards at Indigo2, expected to be her final live performance of 2026.

"How Do Cowboys Say Goodbye?" shows what makes her songwriting enjoyable: the ability to turn a deeply personal experience into a story full of memorable imagery, musical imagination and surprising humour. The flowers may be burning, but Devlin has found another song in the ashes — and a new record is on the way.