Country Singer Hailey Whitters Kicks Off 12-City Tour After New Album Drop

Hailey Whitters is embracing her Iowa roots and celebrating her gritty rise in country music with the release of her new album, Corn Queen, which dropped on June 10. To mark the occasion, Whitters performed at the Grand Ole Opry and participated in a full week of promotional events, including appearances at CMA Fest and an album release party. That same day, she also confirmed her headlining Corn Queen Tour '25, which kicks off Sept. 4 at The Nashville Palace and includes 23 stops across the U.S., wrapping Oct. 11 in Chicago.

"Fans started calling me the 'Corn Queen' because I'm from Iowa," she 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."

Whitters plans to crown a Corn Queen and Corn King at every concert, infusing each tour stop with a sense of community and celebration. Tour cities include Omaha, Kansas City, Des Moines, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, and Minneapolis. Before the fall tour begins, Whitters will perform in California, New York, and even Switzerland during June and August.

She continues to honor her blue-collar upbringing through her work ethic and storytelling. "I come from a long line of blue-collar farmers and construction workers," she says. "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."

Her new single "White Limousine" debuted with its official video on June 9, and Billboard has already named it one of the best new country songs of the week. Whitters will also maintain her Tuesday night appearances at the Grand Ole Opry, deepening her presence as a standout voice in modern country music while fully embracing her new "Corn Queen" persona.