Hailey Whitters is returning to her roots. The Iowa native has announced the release of her third album Raised, due out March 18, which was inspired by her Midwestern hometown and the formative years she spent there.
“It’s been 14 years since I’ve lived in Iowa, but more and more I’ve been going back there mentally, and being pulled to the people and the places that raised me,” Whitters explains in a press release.
The 17-song record features a collaboration with American Aquarium called “Middle of America,” as well as co-writes with some of Nashville’s biggest songwriters, including Lori McKenna, Brandy Clark, Hillary Lindsey and Nicolle Galyon.
The news comes just days after she teased fans with a cinematic video shared to her social media pages, featuring narration from Yellowstone star Luke Grimes.
Whitters also gifted fans with the surprise release of her record’s first single, ”Everything She Ain’t.” The heartfelt, lighthearted love song’s catchy chorus and bright fiddle supply a refreshing, modern take on neo-traditionalist country.
The track’s accompanying music video finds Whitters traveling back to her teen years for a homecoming pageant at “Cow Pie High.”
“To me, this song is about being the most authentic version of yourself despite what may or may not be popular at the moment,” Whitters notes. “Whether or not you have ‘a Hollywood smile,’ this song is about owning what you bring to the table and being confident in your skin.”
On Feb. 4, Whitters will embark on her first national headlining tour, with stops scheduled at venues across the U.S. through the summer.
Hailey Whitters’ Raised Tracklist:
1. “Ad Astra Per Alas Porci” (Jordan Lehning, Pedro Palomino)
2. “Raised” (Hailey Whitters, Nicolle Galyon, Forest Glen Whitehead)
3. “Everything She Ain’t” (Hailey Whitters, Bryan Simpson, Ryan Tyndell)
4. “Big Family” (Hailey Whitters, Cameron Bedell, Nicolle Galyon)
5. “Middle of America” (feat. American Aquarium) (Hailey Whitters, Bobby Pinson)
6. “Plain Jane” (Hailey Whitters, Hillary Lindsey, Cary Barlowe)
7. “College Town” (Hailey Whitters, Nicolle Galyon, Jimmy Robbins)
8. “Interlude” (Hailey Whitters, Pedro Palomino)
9. “Boys Back Home” (Hailey Whitters, Brandy Clark, Jessie Jo Dillon)
10. “Everybody Oughta” (Matt Roy, Craig Wiseman)
11. “Pretty Boy” (Hailey Whitters, Scooter Carusoe, Tom Douglas)
12. “The Neon” (Hailey Whitters, Rodney Clawson, Lori McKenna)
13. “The Grassman” (Hailey Whitters, Aaron Raitiere)
14. “Our Grass Is Legal” (Hailey Whitters)
15. “Beer Tastes Better” (Hailey Whitters, Lori McKenna)
16. “In a Field Somewhere” (Hailey Whitters, Jeff Hyde, Bryan Simpson)
17. “Ad Astra Per Alas Porci (Reprise)” (Jordan Lehning, Pedro Palomino)
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