The new album will be released on August 22nd
Walker Hayes announces his new album, 17 Problems, releasing August 22nd via RCA Records.
Through unfiltered lyricism and raw emotion, 17 Problems is an album about self-reflection, nostalgia, and navigating life’s turning points. Walker finds himself at a bend in the road, where the past feels closer than ever, filled with childhood missteps, coming-of-age lessons, and hard-won growth, while the future brings the weight of raising kids, grieving a parent, and holding tight to faith. The album is more than a collection of stories; it offers snapshots of real-life struggles and unspoken questions, told with Hayes’ signature honesty and melodic charm. With each track, he invites listeners into the tension between who we’ve been and who we hope to become, reminding us that while the road ahead is uncertain, there’s beauty in the drive.
In celebration, Hayes releases his new song “17 Year Old Problems,” written solely by him and produced by Billy Dawson. The pensive, acoustic number explores Hayes reminiscing about fake IDs, missing curfew, and scraping together enough money for a plate of food at Waffle House. In the chorus, he sings, “Now I’m supposed to know so many things that I don’t/ Lord, I try to close my eyes at night but they won’t/ She used to pick me up from practice/ Now she’s pickin’ me up from rehab/ I want my 17-year-old problems back.”
A native of Mobile, Alabama, Hayes broke into the mainstream in 2021 with his smash hit “Fancy Like” which topped every country music sales and streaming chart, spent more than six months at the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart, hit the Top 5 on Billboard’s Hot 100 Songs, and hit No. 1 at country radio. “Fancy Like” became a bona fide phenomenon; the six-time platinum-selling single propelled Hayes to a Grammy Award nomination and anchored his breakout 2022 full-length, Country Stuff The Album.
He’s continued to build a hitmaking career behind singles “AA,” “ Y’all Life,” “U Gurl,” and “Good With Me.” His latest releases include his 2023 follow-up New Money and 2024 EP, Sober Thoughts.
