NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Koe Wetzel continues to celebrate a milestone year, solidifying his status as a powerful force in Country music with his acclaimed album 9 Lives earning a spot on major year-end lists from the all-genre wrap-ups in Rolling Stone and Billboard, to the Tennessean and Holler bests in Country. Cementing Wetzel’s reputation as one of music’s most boundary-pushing forces, the album debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard Country Albums Chart and No. 15 across all genres. Listen HERE.
Rolling Stone hailed 9 Lives as one of the “Best Albums of 2024,” declaring that “Wetzel has been a Texas country anti-hero for a decade now, but 9 Lives finally helped introduce the singer-songwriter to an audience outside the Lone Star State,” while Billboard spotlighted the track “Sweet Dreams” in its “Best Songs of 2024” roundup, describing it as “bruised rather than bruising, soft rock designed for hushed singalongs.” The accolades continued with the Tennessean naming the record among its “Top Nashville Albums of 2024,” celebrating Wetzel as “about as real as a musician can get,” noting that “9 Lives represents Wetzel’s best work yet and signals there’s much more to come,” with “Holler” praising it among its “Best Country Music Albums of 2024” as “a record that thrives in its exposure to honesty…equal parts outrageous and vulnerable, swaggering yet subdued.”
As “High Road” feat. Jessie Murph climbs ever closer to the top spot at Country radio (No. 3 on this week’s Mediabase chart and No. 4 on Billboard Country Airplay) while also impacting at both Hot AC (Top 25 at No. 23) and Top 40 (Top 30 at No. 26), Wetzel’s momentum shows no signs of slowing down. In a year that saw Wetzel perform to well over 200,000 fans across the U.S. and Europe with over 96% of all headline tickets sold, he also amassed more than 650 million global streams of 9 Lives and earned five new RIAA certifications, with “High Road” becoming his fastest song to reach the Platinum milestone to date.
Wetzel also recently sat down with comedian and podcaster Theo Von for a wide-ranging conversation providing insight into his Texas upbringing, his relationship with fans and his take on modern Country music. Watch HERE.
Adding a festive note to his banner year, Wetzel also recently released Wetzel’s Wonderland Chapter 2, a building holiday collection that brings his signature edge to the Christmas season. Featuring four new reimagined classics, the project continues a tradition that Wetzel’s began last year, now boasting seven songs total. This holiday spirit will come alive later this month when Wetzel takes the stage for two special shows in his home state of Texas for Wetzel’s Wonderland Live, set for December 27 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth and December 28 at Moody Center in Austin. Limited tickets remain available HERE.
For more information, visit KoeWetzelMusic.com and follow on Instagram and Facebook @KoeWetzelMusic, TikTok @Koe_Wetzel and Twitter/X @KoeWetzel.
9 LivesTrack List:
(songwriters in parentheses; full credits available here)
- “Continued” Skit
- “9 Lives (Black Cat)” (Ropyr Wetzel, Amy Allen, Gabe Simon)
- “Casamigos” (Ropyr Wetzel, Amy Allen, Sam Nelson Harris, Ben Burgess, Gabe Simon)
- “Damn Near Normal” (Ropyr Wetzel, Amy Allen, Gabe Simon, Carrie Karpinen, Sam Harris)
- “Leigh” (Ropyr Wetzel, Amy Allen, Gabe Simon)
- “Twister” (Ropyr Wetzel, Steve Rusch, Ben Burgess, Josh Serrato)
- “High Road” feat. Jessie Murph (Ropyr Wetzel, Amy Allen, Gabe Simon, Carrie Karpinen, Jessie Murph, Laura Veltz, Josh Serrato)
- “Reconsider” (Keith Gattis cover: Charles John Brocco, Keith Quenton Gattis)
- “Hatchet” (Gabe Simon, Mike Coogan)
- “Sweet Dreams” (Ropyr Wetzel, Amy Allen, Josh Serrato, Gabe Simon, Sam Harris)
- “Runnin’ Low” (Ropyr Wetzel, Amy Allen, Sam Harris, Gabe Simon, Ben Burgess)
- “Bar Song” (Blake “Shy” Carter, Breyan Isaac, Dernst “D’Mile” Emile II, Dave Gibson)
- “Last Outlaw Alive” (Josh Serrato, Ben Burgess, Sam Harris)
- “Depression & Obsession” (XXXTentacion cover: Jahseh Onfroy)
- “Good Times” (Ropyr Wetzel, Steph Jones, Gabe Simon, Charlie Handsome, Josh Serrato)
Koe Wetzel Presents…Wetzel’s Wonderland Chapter 2 Track List:
(full credits available here)
- ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas (performed by Ben Burgess)
- Run Run Rudolph
- Merry Christmas Baby
- Silver Bells
- Please Come Home for Christmas
- Blue Christmas
- I’ll Be Home For Christmas
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” and “Good Die Young” plus the Gold-certified “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 3.4 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 played prominent festival sets this summer and opened for Morgan Wallen on the superstar’s One Night at a Time Stadium Tour in Texas, while also headlining his own recently wrapped Damn Near Normal World Tour. His new album, 9 Lives (Columbia), is available everywhere now as Platinum-certified lead single “High Road” with Jessie Murph arrives as his debut Country radio single while also climbing both the Hot AC and Top 40 charts.
