“I want fans to know that there's a different side of me, not just the sex, drugs and rock & roll Koe that they may have heard about online,” Platinum-selling country rock sensation Koe Wetzel shared when unveiling his forthcoming fifth studio album, 9 Lives, set for July 19 release via Columbia Records. With today’s release of emotional ballad “Sweet Dreams,” Music Row’s “genre disruptor” demonstrates just that. Listen Below and pre-order / pre-save the album HERE.
Written by Wetzel alongside Amy Allen, Josh Serrato, Sam Harris and producer Gabe Simon, “Sweet Dreams” showcases a vulnerable side of the man praised by Billboard for “music that’s unvarnished and unfiltered” with a chorus that lays bare his raw, emotional depth:
It’s hard to have sweet dreams when I’m such a nightmare
I don’t wanna talk about it, rather not go there
When I find a good thing, I burn it down slow
Only see your face now when my eyes are closed
“I had an R&B type song in mind, like something off Usher’s Confessions album, with a badass drumbeat and a really cool melody. I had written in my notes a few weeks earlier: ‘Sweet Dreams,’” Wetzel says of writing and recording the moody track. “When we got to the Sonic Ranch in El Paso, we tried it. We stepped back to look at the song and got really excited about the way it came out.”
“Sweet Dreams” joins lead single “Damn Near Normal” and title track “9 Lives (Black Cat)” in offering an early preview of the album. Wetzel offered fans a further preview of the album’s multi-faceted narrative with a special trailer introducing nine unique Koe Wetzels as he showcased his comedic acting skills. Watch HERE.
The Texas-born live phenom also plans to take his new music global this year with his recently announced Damn Near Normal World Tour. Additionally, Wetzel will perform prominent sets at several festivals, including Hangout, Country Jam, Rock the Country, Country Thunder Wisconsin, WE Fest, Watershed and more, plus a hometown stadium show as he joins Morgan Wallen’s One Night At A Time World Tour in Arlington, Texas this July.
For more information on all things Koe Wetzel and to purchase tickets to upcoming shows, visit KoeWetzelMusic.com and follow on Instagram and Facebook @KoeWetzelMusic, TikTok @Koe_Wetzel and Twitter/X @KoeWetzel.
Damn Near Normal World Tour Dates:
July 27 The Woodlands, Texas || Cynthia Woods Pavilion
Aug. 7 Missoula, Mont. || Big Sky Brewing Company Amphitheater
Aug. 8 Nampa, Idaho || Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater
Aug. 9 Sandy, Utah || Sandy Amphitheater
Aug. 10 Las Vegas, Nev. || The Theater at Virgin Hotel Hotels Las Vegas
Aug. 15 Minneapolis, Minn. || The Armory
Aug. 16 Council Bluffs, Iowa || Stir Cove (Harrah’s Casino)
Aug. 21 Cleveland, Ohio || Jacobs Pavilion
Aug. 22 Columbus, Ohio || KEMBA Live! Outdoor
Aug. 23 Pittsburgh, Pa. || Stage AE
Aug. 24 Washington, D.C. || The Anthem
Aug. 28 Boston, Mass. || Roadrunner
Aug. 29 Uncasville, Conn. || Mohegan Sun Arena
Aug. 30 Atlantic City, N.J. || Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena
Aug. 31 Reading, Pa. || Santander Arena
Sept. 4 Charleston, W.V. || Charleston Coliseum
Sept. 5 Roanoke, Va. || Berglund Center
Sept. 6 Columbia, S.C. || Colonial Life Arena
Sept. 7 Cary, N.C. || Koka Booth Amphitheatre
Sept. 12 Kansas City, Kan. || Azura Amphitheater
Sept. 13 Camdenton, Mo. || Ozarks Amphitheater
Sept. 18 St. Louis, Mo. || Chaifetz Arena
Sept. 20 Huntsville, Ala. || The Orion Amphitheater
Sept. 21 Macon, Ga. || Atrium Health Amphitheater
Sept. 25 Alexandria, La. || Rapides Parish Coliseum
Sept. 26 Tuscaloosa, Ala. || Mercedes-Benz Amphitheater
Sept. 27 Nashville, Tenn. || Ascend Amphitheater
Sept. 28 Little Rock, Ark. || First Security Amphitheater
Oct. 3 Pikeville, Ky. || Appalachian Wireless Arena
Oct. 4 Indianapolis, Ind. || Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park
Oct. 5 Evansville, Ind. || Ford Center
Oct. 10 Abilene, Texas || Expo Center of Taylor County
Oct. 11 Lubbock, Texas || Cooks Garage
Oct. 13 Morrison, Colo. || Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Oct. 26 Manchester, U.K. || Academy 3
Oct. 27 London, U.K. || The Garage
Oct. 30 Glasgow, U.K. || Oran Mor
Oct. 31 Birmingham, U.K. || Academy 2
Nov. 1 Leeds, U.K. || Brudenell Social Club
Nov.3 Amsterdam, Netherlands || Melkweg (Oude Zaal)
Nov. 5 Hamburg, Germany || Bahnhof Pauli
Nov. 6 Berlin, Germany || Frannz Club
Nov. 7 Cologne, Germany || Club Volta
Nov. 10 Stockholm, Sweden || Nalen
Nov. 11 Oslo, Norway || Rockefeller Music Hall
Nov. 13 Copenhagen, Denmark || Lille Vega
Additional Shows:
May 18 Gulf Shores, Ala. || Hangout Music Festival
June 21 Grand Junction, Colo. || Country Jam
June 29 Poplar Bluff, Mo. || Rock The Country
July 18 Twin Lakes, Wis. || Country Thunder Wisconsin
July 26 Arlington, Texas || AT&T Stadium (with Morgan Wallen)
July 31 Davenport, Iowa || Mississippi Valley Fair
Aug. 1 Detroit Lakes, Minn. || WE Fest
Aug. 3 Sweet Home, Ore. || Oregon Jamboree Music Festival
Aug. 4 George, Wash. || Watershed Festival
Aug. 17 Wichita, Kan. || Bulls, Bands and Barrels
Sept. 14 Prior, Okla. || Born & Raised
Sept. 19 Louisville, Ky. || Bourbon & Beyond
About Koe Wetzel
Koe Wetzel never met a genre wall he couldn’t tear down: The Texas singer-songwriter has earned a rabid audience for his songs that mix country, rock, hip-hop, and even Nineties grunge. His 2016 album Noise Complaint endeared him to fans with its no- holds-barred lyrics about drunken nights, broken hearts and stints in jail, and included the Gold-certified hits “Love” (feat. Parker McCollum), “Something to Talk About” and the infamous “February 28, 2016.” Wetzel’s 2020 major label debut, Sellout, only furthered his legend with the Platinum-certified “Drunk Driving” plus the Gold-certified “Good Die Young” and “Kuntry & Wistern.” The 2022 follow-up, Hell Paso, hit No. 3 on Billboard’s Country Albums and spawned hits on both the country and rock charts, including the Gold-certified “Creeps” and “Cabo.” To date, Wetzel has 2.6 billion total streams and has created a genuine experience with his live concerts, which he describes as “total chaos.” In 2023 alone, he sold more than 275,000 tickets, and appeared for a third time on POLLSTAR’s Top Worldwide Tours. Wetzel will open for Morgan Wallen on the superstar’s One Night at a Time Stadium Tour this July and play prominent sets at festivals like Country Thunder and Watershed this summer, while also headlining his own Damn Near Normal World Tour. His new album, 9 Lives (Columbia), is set for release July 19.