Wyatt Flores like you’ve never heard him before.
As one of the best and brightest stars flying out of Oklahoma in the red dirt scene, it’s hard to point to a more important artist in the genre right now than Wyatt Flores. After breaking out back in 2023 thanks to the continued success of his 2022 platinum single, “Please Don’t Go,” and other viral hits such as “Losing Sleep” and “Break My Bones,” the 24-year-old singer/songwriter stunned everyone upon the release of his debut album, Welcome To The Plains, in October 2024.
The record, which instantly transported you to Flores’ home in Oklahoma, proved to be one of the best releases of the year. Not only did it build upon the patented Red Dirt-inspired sound that he has been curating throughout his career, but it also contained some of the best songwriting moments of the year on stellar tracks such as the heartbreaking “Oh Susannah,” the brooding “Stillwater” and the morbid yet hilarious “When I Die.”
2025 came and went with no releases from the Oklahoma native, and it became clear that he was gearing up for his biggest project to date heading into 2026. After dropping the likes of lead singles, “Runnin’ On E” and “Drive All Night,” earlier in the year, Flores would officially announce his sophomore album, Drive All Night, which is out today.
In the Instagram post announcing the album, he’d explain that the delay between albums ultimately stemmed from a lack of belief in himself and his music, something that he’s been quite transparent and vocal about throughout his career. Diving deeper into the headspace he was in when creating Scared of Heights, Flores would acknowledge that it stemmed from an admittedly dark place, noting that he had to relearn how to love himself and others again. It was through this struggle that the album was ultimately born.
“‘Scared of Heights’ is the chapter of my life where I didn’t believe in myself and struggled with self worth. I’ve had to relearn how to love myself and others. Through this process I started writing again and this time it felt different…I knew I was headed in a direction I’ve always wanted to go but never been. I surprised myself by making this album. My fears are still with me but I’m learning they do not control me. I hope y’all find something to take with you on this new journey.”
What results is a project that ultimately sounds like nothing you’ve ever heard from Flores in the past. Teaming up with Morgan Wallen and Post Malone’s producer, Charlie Handsome, as well as with Jacob “JKash” Hindlin (Dua Lipa) and Gian Stone (Maroon 5) on the album, you receive some songs that one may not expect to hear from a Red Dirt artist such as the “Please Don’t Go” singer.
Songs such as the title track, “Runnin’ On E,” “Drive All Night,” “Hate Myself” and “Sober For A Month” certainly lean more towards a mainstream sound that you’d associate with the likes of Wallen and Malone. To say that it’s a detriment to Flores and the album itself, however, would simply be hyperbole.
Though it might come with some backlash, these more contemporary tracks are the best version of pop country you’re going to hear this year. In particular, “Runnin’ On E” and “Hate Myself” have some incredibly infectious choruses and hooks. While they may not carry the same emotional weight as a “Please Don’t Go” or “Oh Susannah,” they still pack a punch — thanks in part to Flores’ stellar songwriting.
With that being said, however, it’s not like Flores is going head-first into pop country by any stretch of the imagination. You still get some stellar, more traditional tracks such as “South Dakota,” “How To Let Me Go,” “The Way I Do” and one of the standouts, “Half The Man,” which sees the 25-year-old singer/songwriter reflecting on his upbringing, the sacrifices he’s made to pursue his music career and the emptiness he’s felt despite his success over the years.
“I wanna be half the man as my father stands
Be confident in who I am
If only I could be more like him
I wanna give half the love that my mother does
Make her proud to have a son
But after all I’ve done, I can’t pretend
I’ll never be half as good as they were
And it might look good on paper
So I put my life til later
I know I left as a son and a brother
And I came home as a stranger”
Another standout, which feels like Flores in his sweet spot, is none other than the emotional closing track, “Tulsa and Eleanor.” Here, Flores gives an unfiltered, raw look at addiction and regret. Grappling with the fact that he lost a good woman due to his habits, he curses himself and Nashville in the chorus’s hook.
“She’s the sweetest thing
Like honeysuckles in the spring while I’m huggin’ the floor
And she swore that she would stay
If I would pour it down the drain, but I poured one more
So goddamn me, in Nashville, Tennessee
Tulsa and Eleanor”
Overall, Scared of Heights is undoubtedly going to be a divisive album for some fans of Flores, thanks in part to the departure of his previous sound, which was steeped in the stylings of Red Dirt country. With that being said, however, there’s still a lot to love from the project. It’s beyond apparent that Flores possesses one of the best pens in today’s new crop of stellar songwriters, and it’s highlighted once again here.
“Half The Man”
“South Dakota”
“Tulsa and Eleanor”
Wyatt Flores Tour Dates
July 31 /// Tulsa, OK /// Guthrie Green~
August 2 /// Nashville, TN /// Skinny Dennis
August 4 /// Nashville, TN /// Grand Ole Opry
August 5 /// Denver, CO /// Broken Bow Western Dancehall
August 6 /// Chicago, IL /// Carol’s Pub
August 7 /// Oshkosh, WI /// Xroads41 Music Festival
August 8 /// Elkhorn, NE /// The Club at Indian Creek‡
August 22 /// Helix, OR /// Wheatstock Music Festival
August 26 /// Spokane, WA /// Spokane Arena*
August 27 /// Seattle, WA /// Climate Pledge Arena*
August 29 /// Portland, OR /// Moda Center*
August 30 /// Vancouver, BC /// Rogers Arena*
September 17 /// Alpharetta, GA /// Ameris Bank Amphitheatre+
September 18 /// Columbia, SC /// University of South Carolina+
September 19 /// Richmond, VA /// Virginia Credit Union LIVE! At Richmond Raceway+
September 24 /// Pikeville, KY /// Appalachian Wireless Arena+
September 25 /// Huntsville, AL /// The Orion Amphitheater+
September 26 /// Brandon, MS /// Brandon Amphitheater+
October 1 /// Ashbury Park, NJ /// The Stone Pony
October 2 /// Ocean City, MD /// Country Calling Festival
October 16 /// Fresno, CA /// Save Mart Center§
October 17 /// Salt Lake City, UT /// Redwest Music Festival
October 22 /// Orlando, FL /// Kia Center||
October 23 /// Sunrise, FL /// Amerant Bank Arena||
October 25 /// Tampa, FL /// Benchmark International Arena||
October 28 /// Knoxville, TN /// Thompson-Boling Arena*
November 13 /// Albany, NY /// Empire Live
November 14 /// Jordan, NY /// Kegs Canalside – Indoor Stage
November 15 /// Pittsburgh, PA /// Citizens Live at The Wylie
November 21 /// Nashville, TN /// The Truth#
~with special guest Lance Roark
‡with special guest Kashus Culpepper
*supporting The Red Clay Strays
+with Koe Wetzel
§supporting Turnpike Troubadours
||supporting Teddy Swims
#with special guests Stella Lefty and Nicholas Jamerson
