The corn queen is back.
This morning, Hailey Whitters announced her new album Corn Queen, which is due out everywhere on June 6th and includes features from great artists in Charles Wesley Godwin, Molly Tuttle and The Wilder Blue.
If you’re unfamiliar with Hailey and her music in general, you should know that she got her start in Nashville as a very talented writer, and has released several great albums in Black Sheep, The Dream and Raised. Most recently, in 2023, she put out a great EP called I’m In Love.
Additionally, that same year, Whitters was nominated for New Artist of the Year at the CMA Awards and took home the ACM Award for New Female Artist of the Year. She also saw her Platinum hit “Everything She Ain’t” debut on the Billboard Hot 100, and scored her first top 20 hit at country radio with it as well. She’s been one of my favorites for a while now, and she consistently puts out high quality music that really stands out in the Nashville machine.
She also released a new song called “High On A Heartbreak” today, which she says is about owning a heartbreak, rather than wallowing in it:
“I wrote this song with David Garcia, Hillary Lindsey and Jessie Jo Dillon. I wanted to write the antithesis of a heartbreak song, one about a heartbreak feeling good vs. feeling bad – almost like a guilty pleasure. This song feels like something you’d put on to get ready for a fun night on the town after a breakup. It feels like owning the heartbreak rather than feeling sorry for yourself.”
The album was recorded in Nashville with her collaborator and husband Jake Gear, showcasing Whitters’ midwestern roots, and everything that comes with small-town living, both good and bad. The album title actually comes from the nickname her fans gave her, which stuck pretty quickly, and she embraces as a tribute to her roots:
“Fans started calling me the ‘Corn Queen’ because I’m from Iowa. At first, it seemed kind of silly, but the more I thought about it, the more I loved the duality of it. Corn is this simple, humble crop, and ‘queen’ implies royalty passed down through blood.
I come from a long line of blue-collar farmers and construction workers. I’ve been out here for over a decade brushing my teeth in truck stop bathrooms, sleeping on hotel floors, driving myself from gig to gig. It’s not glamorous, but I’m proud of it. I like the idea of a queen with a little grit and elbow grease.”
Can’t argue with that…
Hailey has released three other songs from the album so far, including “Prodigal Daughter” with Molly Tuttle, “High On The Hog,” and “Casseroles.” Put this one on your calendar, people… Hailey is one to keep your eye on if you’re not already.
You can listen to “High On A Heartbreak” here:
“Casseroles”
Corn Queen tracklist:
1. High On The Hog (Hailey Whitters)
2. Prodigal Daughter (feat. Molly Tuttle) (Hailey Whitters, Paul Sikes, Bryan Simpson)
3. Shotgun Wedding Baby (Hailey Whitters, Brad Warren, Brett Warren, Caroline Watkins)
4. Helluva Heart (Hailey Whitters, Trannie Anderson, Paul Sikes)
5. High On A Heartbreak (Hailey Whitters, Jessie Jo Dillon, David Garcia, Hillary Lindsey)
6. It’ll Do (Hailey Whitters, Chris LaCorte, Hillary Lindsey, Jon Nite)
7. Hearsay (Hailey Whitters, Trannie Anderson, Paul Sikes)
8. Anything Like Me (Hailey Whitters, Trannie Anderson, Paul Sikes)
9. I Don’t Want You (feat. Charles Wesley Godwin) (Hailey Whitters, Jon Nite, Gordie Sampson)
10. The Nail (Hailey Whitters, Bryan Simpson, Ryan Tyndell)
11. Casseroles (Tom Douglas, Hillary Lindsey, James Slater)
12. Wagon (Trannie Anderson, Ben Hayslip, Seth Mosley)
13. Wholesome (Hailey Whitters, Luke Dick)
14. White Limousine (Hailey Whitters, Jessie Jo Dillon, Jesse Frasure)
15. Corn Queen (Hailey Whitters, Bobby Pinson)
16. DanceMor (feat. The Wilder Blue) (Hailey Whitters, Nicolle Galyon, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne)
Hailey Whitters 2025 Confirmed Tour Dates:
May 16 – Gulf Shores, Ala. – Sand In My Boots Festival
June 28 – Norco, Calif. – SilverLakes
June 29 – Santa Rosa, Calif. – Country Summer Music Festival
July 19 – Whitefish, Mont. – Under The Big Sky Festival
July 25 – Columbus, Ohio – Ohio Expo Center & State Fair
August 7-10 – West Chester, Ohio – Voices of America Country Music Fest
August 30 – Dyersville, Iowa – Field of Dreams
September 12 – Saanen, Switzerland – Country Night Gstaad 2025
