Hailey Whitters Drops New Track ‘High On A Heartbreak,’ Announces ‘Corn Queen’ Album

Hailey Whitters is gearing up to release her highly anticipated album Corn Queen on June 6 via Pigasus Records / Big Loud Records / Songs & Daughters. To celebrate, she’s also unveiled “High On A Heartbreak,” a dreamy and new track that sets the stage for the 16-song album.

Today’s release finds the Iowa-born, Nashville-based singer/songwriter leaning into the wistful haze of heartbreak, capturing the bittersweet yet intoxicating feeling of allowing herself to feel all the pain instead of running from it. She paints a vivid picture of the moment where she finally decides to give in, sipping from the bottle and surrendering to the rush of missing someone.

Whitters sings, “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.”

The song came to life in an accompanying music video filmed at East Nashville’s famed pink palace – the House of Adora. Whitters dances around the glamorous setting amid the haunting yet cathartic melody, showcasing a new sense of freedom from the past and a desire to move onto greener pastures.

Reflecting on the story behind “High On A Heartbreak,” Whitters shares, “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.”

“High On A Heartbreak,” follows Monday’s release of “High On The Hog,” as well as other previously released tracks from the LP including “Prodigal Daughter” featuring Molly Tuttle and “Casseroles.” Each of these songs offer a glimpse into the theme of reflection that runs throughout the forthcoming collection.

Listeners can expect to hear the “I’m In Love” singer paying homage to her midwestern heritage and the highs and lows of small-town living. The lyrics are sharp and full of tongue-in-cheek wordplay while the tones dance around Whitters’ signature country sound with a modern flair.

She once again stepped into the studio in Nashville with longtime collaborator (and now-husband) Jake Gear, to record this project that features collaborations with Charles Wesley Godwin, Molly Tuttle and The Wilder Blue.

The collection is named after the term that fans have coined for her, “Corn Queen,” as a tribute to her Iowa roots. Whitters has come to realize how much pride she has for that title as it is a true reflection of her real-life.

“Fans started calling me the ‘Corn Queen’ because I’m from Iowa,” Whitters explains. “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 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)

Just a few weeks before the unveiling of Corn Queen, Hailey Whitters is set to hit the stage at the first-ever Sand in My Boots festival on May 16 in Gulf Shores, Alabama. She will also perform at Under the Big Sky Music Festival, running July 18–20 in Whitefish, Montana.