Hailey Whitters Captures Midwest Essence In Picture Perfect New EP "I'm In Love"

There is something to be said about corn fed midwesterners, they just seem to get it. Well today ACM New Female artist and Iowa sweetheart Hailey Whitters gives us the next installment of her musical journey with the effervescent new EP I'm In Love.

Credit: Harper Smith

The six track EP showcases Whitters' midwest upbringing along with her quick witted charm and subtle drawl. Each song allows fans a chance to enter the small-town stories that seem so painfully relatable to country fans everywhere.

Steadfast and confident the project opens up with the inspiring Tie'r Down. With notes of classic country and a spin on the timeless tale of a woman wanting better for herself, Hailey narrates the life of a woman that knows her worth. With clever lyrics and a dash of whimsy Whitters sings "She wants a one woman man/ In a two horse town /Yeah, she might tie the knot/ But you can’t tie’r down."

“This song is written in the third person, but there's a lot of me influencing the character in this song. There's dirt under my nails most of the time, and I'm much more ponytail in a ball cap than designer clothes. One of my favorite lines is 'she's got a baby doll face but she's steel toe strong' because it says I may look delicate but don't underestimate my strength. That line always gives me guts whenever I need to go out there and show the world what I'm made of," Hailey says of the opening track in a press release.

In Countryside Chick Hailey finds solace in her small-town roots and what she has to offer! With a sweet hum of an acoustic guitar and a steady beat Hailey lists off all the reasons that a country girl makes a better wife than a whirlwind f a city girl. Penned by Whitters, Matt Roy and Brett Tyler is another signature song that Hailey can hang her hat on.

Full of bright instrumentation the title track I'm In Love shows off Whitters' love of strong 90s country influences and the important of a female perspective. Written by Nicolle Galyon, Lee Miller, & Cameron Bedell, the tender story tells the idyllic tales of a Midwestern cornfed love and that sometimes a down-home love story is the best kind. The whimsy of the chorus invites fan into the whirlwind of young love and the feeling of being smitten, plus in signature HW style a moment to clap along!

If you are a 90s kid you know the power that John Mellencamp had on your parents and then you and your summertime car rides. Giving a nod to the man who invented the soundtrack to a Midwestern summer, Hailey reminisces in an old two tone chevy and while leaving hints of Mellencamp classics along the way. Written by Nicolle Galyon, Mark Holman, Jordan Minton, Mellencamp is the perfect tribute to an American icon.

The sass filled groove Bad Love may be the biggest win on the new project. It's playful production and clever word play truly allows Hailey to express herself. The retro vibe recounts all the bs that us humans have to go through to find the kind of love we know we deserve. Hailey twang cuts though as she sings with small town conviction.

Rounding out the project is Hailey's breakout single Everything She Ain't. The winsome, confident and fiddle filled track was released in early 2022, has spent 62 weeks on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, peaking at No. 17 in June more than a year after its debut. In May, the song gave Whitters her first appearance on the Hot 100 chart. Full of small town sass Hailey recounts all the reasons that her love is way better than whomever you are with. Playful and reminiscent of early 90's powerhouse females like The Chicks, Jo Dee Messina and Trisha Yearwood, Whitters' Midwest backbone isn't afraid to tell it like it is. Plus who can forget the song's viral appeal.

Hailey's innate ability to find the best in a story and allow the words to come to life is sometime to awe at. Doing a deep dive into love stories and all the good and bad that comes with it has allowed Hailey to shine! Always true to herself and not afraid to be a little left of center, the reigning ACM New Female Artist is a swift return to the sounds and stories that make country music great! The whole project has a sort of corn fed whimsy to it. Full of stories that allow fans to place themselves into, Hailey once again manages to stay true to her roots and inspiring others to live out their own Midwest fairy tales.