Wyatt Flores is a superstar in the making.
Over just the past few years, the 23 year old has gone from playing to anyone who listen in Stillwater, Oklahoma, to the next big thing in the country music world, and he’s done so by creating authentic music that is true to his roots and relatable to anyone who listens. With a young fanbase that craves such music, Flores has proved prolific in his writing despite being in the relatively nascent stages of his career, and he already has a solid catalog already to show for it.
That catalog is about to get deeper, though, as Flores announced this week that his debut album Welcome to The Plains is going to hit streaming platforms October 18, and he gave us the first taste of the record with a new single. Titled “Don’t Wanna Say Goodnight,” Flores’ latest release fits squarely within his catalog as an introspective love song that juxtaposes the euphoric aspect of falling in love with the inevitable feeling of loneliness that comes with the prospect of things not working out the way you hope.
And along with the single release, Flores and his team dropped an accompanying music video as well.
Sonically, “Don’t Wanna Say Goodnight” is a pretty hard-driving country song, that thanks to Flores’ killer band, supplements his songwriting and vocals with fiddle-heavy country instrumentation that shows what they’re all about while still tastefully leaning into his more pop music sensibilities.
Having been crowned as the torchbearer for Oklahoma’s red dirt music tradition that has been maintained by legends such as Cody Canada, Stoney LaRue, Jason Boland, and Turnpike Troubadours for so many years, Flores has some very heavy shoes to fill. But he’s carried such weight impeccably well so far, and with his debut album on the way, I think we are on the verge of seeing a deeper, more mature Flores than ever before.
Check out what he had to say about the album below:
“It’s an album about home and a search for happiness. It’s an album about Stillwater, Oklahoma, and all the other little towns that have raised people like you and me.
It’s an album about my family, and the people and places in my life who have defined who I am today. This album is happy on one side and heartbreak on the other, and whoever you are, I hope you find something you love in here.”
And here’s the tracklist for reference, too.
1. Welcome To The Plains
2. When I Die
3. Oh Susannah
4. Only Thing Missing Is You
5. Don’t Wanna Say Goodnight
6. Habits
7. Right Here with You
8. The Truth
9. Forget Your Voice
10. Angels Over You
11. Little Town
12. Stillwater
13. Falling Sideways
14. The Good Ones
