ERNEST Releases ‘Lorelei,’ Offering Fans a Sun-Soaked Taste of His Upcoming Album, ‘Deep Blue’

ERNEST is warming up the cold winter days with his new sun-soaked song, “Lorelei.” The release marks the first track to preview the country star’s third full-length studio album, Deep Blue, arriving later this year.

Co-produced by ERNEST and Jacob Durrett, and written alongside Rhett Akins, Ben Hayslip, and Mark Holman, the track depicts “a sailor’s tale as old as time,” as stated in the opening line.

The story centers around a man dreaming of a mysterious woman who always seems just out of reach. Somehow she keeps the narrator under her spell, drawing him back into the chase again and again despite her “wicked lies.” With layered instrumentation that blends a relaxed pace with an infectious rhythm, and ERNEST’s mellow, soothing vocals, “Lorelei” transports listeners to a breezy island escape.

He sings, “Lorelei, Lorelei/ I still hear you whisper in the dead of night/ You wreck my world and I don’t know why/ I keep my sails in the wind for ya/ Lorelei, Lorelei.”

While reflecting on today’s release, the GRAMMY®-nominated artist explains how it lays the foundation for his next project and the warmth he hopes it evokes for listeners.

“‘Lorelei’ is the first song off my album Deep Blue,” he says. “It sets the tone for the deep blue world this album lives in. It might be cold where you are, but you can close your eyes and feel the sun and hear the waves like you’re right there looking for her with me.”

Before his next studio album, Deep Blue, drops in 2026, ERNEST suggests that fans revisit his 2019 debut album, Locals Only, as those songs were also influenced by the carefree lifestyle and sounds of the U.S. Virgin Islands.

These new songs will showcase ERNEST’s growth over the past seven years while drawing inspiration from a place that has shaped him both personally and creatively. Thematically, the album is expected to use this setting to highlight his thoughtful, storytelling through a deeper, more mature perspective.

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As he prepares to share this fresh sound with the world, ERNEST has already hit the road, kicking off his headlining Live From The South Tour last weekend in Jackson Hole, WY, at the iconic Million Dollar Cowboy Bar. The tour will continue through cities like Boston, New York, and Houston before wrapping in April.

Joining him on the road are rising singer-songwriters Rhys Rutherford, Chandler Walters, and Cody Lohden, all of whom are signed to his label, DeVille Records, and his publishing company, Cadillac Music Publishing.