Willie Nelson has announced his 79th (!!!) solo studio album, ‘Dream Chaser,’ arriving May 29 via Sony. The title track is out now, a reflective piece co-written with longtime collaborator Buddy Cannon and Bobby Tomberlin. Pre-orders are open now on CD and vinyl.
The album continues Nelson’s extraordinary creative partnership with Cannon, with whom he has released nearly 20 albums over the past 13 years. The two co-wrote six of the ten tracks, three of which were also written with Tomberlin. The album’s most notable collaboration is “I Can’t Read Your Mind,” co-written with Bob Dylan, who toured with Nelson in 2025. The song began when Dylan brought Nelson the opening idea and the two developed it together before passing it to Cannon to complete.
‘Dream Chaser’ brings together story-driven songs focused on relationships, personal growth, and life on the road, rooted in classic songwriting traditions while carrying Nelson’s perpetually modern perspective. The title track captures that spirit directly, its narrator catching his own reflection and barely recognizing the wide-eyed kid who moved to Tennessee with an old guitar and a dream. At 92, approaching 93, the sentiment lands differently than it would from almost any other artist alive.
Nelson will host his annual Luck Reunion event at his Texas ranch this week, featuring St. Vincent, Booker T. Jones, Trampled by Turtles, Robert Lester Folsom, and more. A run of spring tour dates follows in April and May, most of which feature Drayton Farley, including stops in Birmingham, Atlanta, Asheville, Cary, Wilmington, and New Braunfels.
His 156th album overall. His streak intact. Willie Nelson remains one of music’s most remarkable forces.
‘Dream Chaser’ Tracklisting:
- Dream Chaser (Buddy Cannon, Bobby Tomberlin and Willie Nelson)
- Fly Away (Buddy Cannon and Bobby Whitlock)
- We’d Make A Good Movie (Willie Nelson, Buddy Cannon and Bobby Tomberlin)
- I Can’t Read Your Mind (Willie Nelson, Buddy Cannon and Bob Dylan)
- Whiskey Wants Me To (Buddy Cannon and Bobby Tomberlin)
- Wonder What I’m Gonna Do (Willie Nelson and Buddy Cannon)
- After All (Willie Nelson and Buddy Cannon)
- Love Overdue (Mickey Raphael, Donald W. Poythress and Anna Lisa Graham)
- I Don’t Think I’ve Cried Today (Buddy Cannon, Bobby Tomberlin and Willie Nelson)
- Developing My Pictures (Earl Montgomery)
2026 Tour Dates:
April 22 — Birmingham, AL — Avondale Brewing Company
April 23 — Atlanta, GA — Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park
April 25 — Asheville, NC — Asheville Yards Amphitheater
April 27 — Cary, NC — Koka Booth Amphitheatre
April 28 — Wilmington, NC — Live Oak Bank Pavilion
May 2 — New Braunfels, TX — Whitewater Amphitheater