Country singer-songwriter Hailey Whitters seeks solace from heartbreak on new single "The Neon."
"Here comes the neon/ Here comes the sad part/ Salt on my wounds/ Some blue on my broken heart," Whitters sings. "The stars we strung our dreams on/ We shot 'em all out one by one/ I'm turnin' off this porch light I always said I'd leave on/ He comes the neon."
"I wrote 'The Neon' with Lori McKenna and Rodney Clawson about a broken-hearted bender on the town," Whitters said in a press statement. "It was our first time writing together and Lori brought in the title. I think the next line that came out of the room that day was 'here comes the sad part' and we instantly knew it was this 'tear in my beer' type lyric. I love getting to tap into this song emotionally every time I sing it. Whenever I'm feelin' blue, there's no broken heart a barstool and a cold beer (or shot of tequila) can't fix."
The song is the latest release from Whitters' forthcoming third album Raised (out March 18).
The lyric video for "The Neon," directed by Harper Smith, was filmed at Dee's Country Cocktail Lounge in Nashville.
Last month, Whitters shared her single "Everything She Ain't" and its video, also directed by Harper Smith.
"Everything She Ain't," a plucky ode to being yourself, was written by Whitters, Bryan Simpson and Ryan Tyndell.
"This song sort of fell from the sky one day writing with Bryan Simpson and Ryan Tyndell," Whitters says. "Ryan had this cool bouncy guitar part and I shot out the line 'I'm everything she is, and everything she ain't.' We started spitting out verses and finished it within an hour or so. I love the girl-next-door nature of it and it's quirky language. The music video was directed by Harper Smith and was inspired by my old high school 'Cow Pie High'... the city kids called it that because it was the school that all the country farm kids went to. I actually was the homecoming queen my senior year so Harper and I thought it would be fun to muse on that for this video. To me, this song is about being the most authentic version of yourself despite what may or may not be popular at the moment. 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."
Read More: Rooted in Country: Hailey Whitters on The Chicks' 'Wide Open Spaces'
The 17-track album Raised, featuring a collaboration with American Aquarium and co-writes with Lori McKenna, Brandy Clark and more, finds Whitters reflecting on her Iowa roots. Whitters calls the album a "prequel" to her debut album The Dream.
"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 says. "THE DREAM was about my time and experience in Nashville and RAISED is about taking the road back home to the Heartland. If THE DREAM were my wings, then RAISED is my roots. This feels like the record I was always supposed to make, but it took THE DREAM to put me on the radar of this town and this team. Now that I have it, I'm excited for my fans to connect more personally with who I am."
Whitters teamed up with Yellowstone star Luke Grimes for the album trailer.
Raised is now available for pre-order.
