Wilson co-wrote all of the album's sixteen tracks, with the exception of a cover of "What's Up?", originally recorded by 4 Non Blondes, which Wilson had been performing during her live shows. Sonically, the album has been described as "country at its core", with elements of '70s rock, funk and soul.[2]
The album was announced on August 16, 2022, alongside the promotional single "Watermelon Moonshine".[3] In an interview with Taste Of Country, Wilson explained of the album's title "Sure, I love a good pair of bell bottoms, but Bell Bottom Country to me has always been about the flare and what makes someone unique—I have really embraced mine, and I hope y'all can hear that across this project". Of the short time frame between her debut and sophomore major label albums, Wilson stated ""I've lived quite a bit of life in the past few years, and I have a lot more to say."[4] The song "Those Boots (Deddy's Song)" is a tribute to Wilson's father, who suffered a medical emergency that caused her to cancel a number of live shows.[5]
"Live Off", the album's second promotional single, was released on September 23, 2022, following an acoustic performance of the track that was posted to her Instagram a week earlier. Describing the song, Wilson expressed "this one's one of my favorites off of my new album. 'Live Off' is all about the things that make my world go 'round... my backroad hometown, my dog, my family, my friends, and music, of course."[6]
Upon making her acting debut on Yellowstone in November 2022, Wilson released two new songs—"Smell Like Smoke" and "New Friends"—that were tacked onto the streaming and digital versions of Bell Bottom Country.[7][8]
"Watermelon Moonshine" and "Wildflowers and Wild Horses" were released as the album's second and third singles, respectively.[9][10]
