Photo: Getty Images, Submitted
Hailey Whitters crowns herself the Corn Queen in her upcoming era.
The Iowa-born singer-songwriter announced the new album on Friday (April 4), following several cryptic teasers on social media as she slowly unveiled an elaborate butter sculpture that serves as the album's artwork. Whitters also debuted “High On A Heartbreak” from the 16-track record to usher in the fresh chapter. She brought the feelings of being “dreamily intoxicated on the melancholia of a breakup” to life at the House of Adora, a famous pink palace in East Nashville, Tennessee, per a press release issued Friday morning. Whitters teamed up with powerhouse songwriters David Garcia, Hillary Lindsey and Jessie Jo Dillon to pen the latest Corn Queen track.
“I wanted to write the antithesis of a heartbreak song, one about a heartbreak feeling good vs. feeling bad – almost like a guilty pleasure,” Whitters shared in a statement. “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.”
“I’ve been bottling it up/ But now the bottom of the bottle’s got me up on this neon moon/ I got a miss you kind of rush/ Gonna let your memory roll over me/ Just like your hands used to do/ I know you might think I’m low/ But baby I’m/ High/ High on a heartbreak tonight/ On a heartbreak tonight”
Whitters joined forces with longtime collaborator — who is now her husband — Jake Gear to record Corn Queen in Music City. The project delves into the award-winning artist’s “midwestern roots and the joys and struggles of small-town living. …(and) solidifies her status as a genuine star, one with the wisdom—and the guts—to trust her instincts as she blazes her own singular trail through the industry,” notes the release. The album also includes previously-released tracks “High On The Hog,” “Prodigal Daughter” with Molly Tuttle, and “Casseroles.” The title of the record pays tribute to Whitters’ iconic nickname from longtime fans.
“Fans started calling me the 'Corn Queen' because I'm from Iowa,” Whitters said in the release. “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.”
Corn Queen is set to release on June 6.
See the full Corn Queen track list below, and watch Whitters’ “High On A Heartbreak” music video here:
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)