Branson knows a thing or two about heart, grit, and the kind of songs that hit you square in the chest, and Corey Kent’s brand-new release “Empty Words” delivers all three in a way that feels tailor-made for audiences who appreciate storytelling with substance.
Multi-platinum country powerhouse Corey Kent is fast-tracking the release of “Empty Words” after an explosive fan response; with the teaser racking up more than 20 million views across social media. When fans speak that loudly, you listen. And Kent did exactly that.
Written by Kent alongside Austin Goodloe, Lydia Vaughan, Matt Roy and Joybeth Taylor, “Empty Words” is a stripped-down gut punch wrapped in his signature country-rock edge. It’s reflective. It’s raw. And it’s painfully relatable. “As a songwriter, it feels like catching lightning in a bottle when you find that line or double entendre that carries more weight than expected,” Kent shared. “‘Empty Words’ is really special because it says something heavy yet simply. Based on the insane reaction from fans, we didn’t want to make them wait.”
Built around stark honesty and emotional fallout, the song captures the quiet devastation of realizing too late that apologies without action don’t hold weight:
She’s over empty words
Half-heart apologies
My broken promises
My don’t give up on me’s…
It’s the kind of chorus that echoes long after the last note fades—the kind Branson audiences feel deep down.
Photo: Dayna White
The new track follows Kent’s collaboration with Koe Wetzel, “Rocky Mountain Low,” currently climbing the country charts, and marks the first wave of new music since his 2025 EP Poster Child.
Kent’s momentum is undeniable. Surpassing one billion career streams earlier this year, (in jest Nick Smith says he and his Breakfast Show "take credit for at least half of those"), he scored his second No. 1 with “This Heart,” certified GOLD by the RIAA. “Something’s Gonna Kill Me” is nearing PLATINUM status, joining his TRIPLE-PLATINUM breakout smash “Wild As Her,” the untamed anthem that redefined his career and introduced him to a global audience.
From paving roads in Texas after losing his first publishing deal to headlining stages worldwide, Kent’s story mirrors the resilience that resonates so strongly with Ozarks audiences. Before the hits, before the accolades from Rolling Stone, before sharing stages with Morgan Wallen, Jon Pardi, Jason Aldean and Parker McCollum; there were honky-tonks, Red Dirt dancehalls, and an Oklahoma kid who refused to quit.
That determination fueled his major label debut Blacktop and his acclaimed follow-up Black Bandana, solidifying him as one of country’s most authentic modern voices. Recognized as an artist “poised to be country’s latest red dirt star,” Kent has grown from heartland hopeful to Triple-Platinum-certified hitmaker without losing the grit that got him here.
Next up, Kent joins Jason Aldean’s Full Throttle World Tour across Australia and New Zealand before returning to the massive Stagecoach Festival and the U.K.’s Highways Festival, proving his sound travels far beyond the Red River. But at its core, “Empty Words” reminds us why fans connected in the first place. It’s not flash. It’s not filler. It’s truth. And in a town like Branson, where audiences value authenticity and songs that mean something: Corey Kent’s latest might just be his most powerful statement yet.