Corey Kent has finally put a name to the sound he’s been chasing his whole career. The multi-platinum Oklahoma native has announced ‘Heartland Rock and Roll’, a 16-track album arriving Friday, September 25, 2026, via Sony Music Nashville, fusing country, rock and soul into the genre-blurring style he’s spent years carving out. Listen here.
He’s framing it as a defining moment. Kent calls it his third major label album and the first time he’s been able to name the sound he’s worked toward all along, songs that sound like where he’s from and lyrics that move from nostalgia to honest regret and gratitude for the simple things.
Out alongside the announcement is the smoldering new song “Cigarette Burns,” available everywhere now. Written by Zach John King, Ben Stennis, Lauren Hungate and Jameson Rodgers, the slow-burning ballad pairs Kent’s smoky vocal with a hazy melodic glow as he reignites the feeling of a love that was bad for his health but hurt so good.
Kent traced the track’s pull to a personal touchstone, naming Kings of Leon’s ‘Come Around Sundown’ as a favorite and describing how “Cigarette Burns” carries that same blend of country western feel and laid-back beach town rock. He called it a fresh soundscape, timeless yet new.
The road to here has been steady and hard-earned. From dancehalls and dive bars in Bixby, Oklahoma, to two No. 1 Country singles, more than 1 billion career streams and multiple RIAA certifications, Kent has built a career on doing things his own way, and on this album he leans fully into the differences that once made him feel like an outsider.
The single joins a strong run of previews. “Rocky Mountain Low” featuring Koe Wetzel sits Top 10 and climbing at Country radio, “Empty Words” arrived early on fan demand with more than 20 million social media views, and the stripped-back “Wannabe” showed off the project’s emotional core. Produced primarily by Austin Goodloe with additional work from Jon Randall and Chris Farren, the record trades in warm distortion, raspy country soul and small-town grit.
Next week brings a busy Nashville run. On Thursday, June 4, Kent plays three stages: Billboard Country Live at Category 10, the Gibson Garagefest Sony Nashville Takeover at Gibson Garage Nashville, and Spotify House at Ole Red Nashville.