Country hitmaker Walker Hayes turns the page on a new chapter with 17 Problems, out now via RCA Records. The deeply personal album captures Hayes at his most honest and introspective, blending the plainspoken charm and emotional candor that have defined his career with a newfound sense of reflection and faith.
Through unfiltered storytelling, 17 Problems explores the friction between past and present — from youthful missteps and bittersweet nostalgia to the realities of raising kids, grieving a parent, and finding light in uncertain times. Hayes threads these moments together with his signature warmth and wit, creating a body of work that feels both personal and universal.
In celebration, Hayes has released “17 Year Old Problems,” a heartfelt new song written solely by him and produced by Billy Dawson. The acoustic-driven track recalls small-town teenage memories — fake IDs, curfews, and late nights at Waffle House — while facing the weight of adulthood. Hayes 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.” It’s a line that hits like a gut punch — simple, honest, and deeply human.
A native of Mobile, Alabama, Hayes first exploded into the mainstream with his 2021 smash “Fancy Like,” which spent more than six months at #1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, reached the Top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, and earned him a Grammy nomination. Since then, he’s continued his streak with hits like “AA,” “Y’all Life,” “U Gurl,” and “Good With Me.”
Following his 2023 release New Money and 2024’s Sober Thoughts EP, 17 Problems finds Walker Hayes embracing both vulnerability and gratitude — proof that even after global success, he’s still writing for the everyday listener, one song at a time