UNVEILS ACT II: COUNTRYSTAR OUT NOW LISTEN HERE

Today, rising country musician Sam Williams has released the second installation of his three-act trilogy, Act II: COUNTRYSTAR – listen HERE. The vibrant and daring seven-song project underscores Williams’ versatile songwriting skills, blending raw storytelling with hip-hop and pop influences.

Act II: COUNTRYSTAR is highlighted by the spry country-pop crossover hit-in-waiting, “HONKYTONKIN’.

” Penned by Sam, Andrew DeRoberts (Kelsea Ballerini, Julia Michaels, Khalid), Amy Stroup (Danger Twins), and Sam’s legendary grandad Hank Williams, “HONKYTONKIN’” opens with his most direct tribute to his bloodline, utilizing 10 seconds of his grandad’s 1948 hit “Honky Tonkin’,” a rerecording of which was also a smash for his father in 1982. In many ways, it’s a testament to how far Williams has come and how much more comfortable and secure he feels not only in his own skin, but with his own dynamic talent.

Of Act II and his legacy, Sam reflects, “You come to find out being yourself is your superpower. I surely put fear and pain in my music and Act II is the climax of the chaos of finding yourself. I put so much more of the joyful and dreaming side of me into it and explored my confidence sonically. I realize in the music that all that sets me apart- being gay, my famous heritage, tragedy – makes me the one and only me.”

Featuring previously released tracks “Lose You Too,” “No Problem,” and title track “COUNTRYSTAR,” Act II showcases Sam’s fearless creativity and boundary-pushing sound. To bring this new sound to life, Sam collaborated with producers Nick Bailey (Lana Del Rey, Quavo, Blake Shelton), Yung Lan (Morgan Wallen, Lil Uzi Vert), Andrew DeRoberts (Justin Timberlake, Tate McRae, John Legend), Paul Maok (Dolly Parton, Heart, Gwen Stefani), Nathan Sexton (Morgan Wade, Brooks & Dunn, Casting Crowns), and Ben Roberts (Carter Faith, Carolina Story, Kameron Marlowe).

Off the heels of Nashville’s CMA Fest last month, Sam is set to perform at the Mount Horeb Country Music Faire in Wisconsin on July 26th. 

Act II: COUNTRYSTAR Tracklisting:

1. COUNTRYSTAR (Sam Williams, Nick Bailey, Marisa Maino, Ryder Johnson)
2. No Problem (Sam Williams, Nick Bailey, Michael Tyler, Noah West)
3. I Killed A Man in Tennessee (Sam Williams, Nick Wayne, Yung Lan, James Maddocks, Noah Brown)
4. Fugitive (Sam Williams, Ben Roberts, Yung Lan, Noah Brown, Felipe Spain, Nick Bailey)
5. Daydream (Sam Williams, Ben Roberts, Nathan Sexton)
6. Lose You Too (Sam Williams, Alysa Vanderheym, Emily Weisband)
7. HONKYTONKIN’ (Sam Williams, Andrew DeRoberts, Amy Stroup, Hank Williams)

Photo credit: Alexa Kinigopoulos

About Sam Williams

Grandson of country pioneer Hank Williams and the son of outlaw legend Hank Jr., Sam Williams is the latest in a long line of American originals, who sings with his own singular voice and writes in his own singular style, fusing gut-wrenching honesty and plainspoken poetics with raw vulnerability and deep empathy. In 2021, Williams released his debut album, Glasshouse Children, which was a testament to his brilliant lyricism and soulful vocals and received rave reviews from Rolling Stone, MusicRow, Associated Press, and so much more. In October 2022, Williams unveiled a deluxe edition of the record, which featured “Tilted Crown,” a reflective track about navigating his legacy in life. Williams followed up his debut with a string of powerful singles in 2023, along with multiple shows at the Grand Ole Opry and show-stopping performances at Nashville’s CMA Fest and the UK’s Country 2 Country Fest. In 2024, Sam unveiled “Carnival Heart” which served as the official anthem for the innovative country-themed show Songblazers: A Journey Into Country Music, produced and presented by Cirque du Soleil and Universal Music Group Nashville. Last summer, Sam ushered in a new era with the first offering of his three-act trilogy, Act I: Scarlet Lonesome, which arrived to widespread acclaim from Billboard, Rolling Stone, The Tennessean, and more. Act I explored the tension between fear and love, past and future, weaving personal reflection and dreamlike storytelling into a hauntingly intimate sonic journey. On July 11th, Sam continues the journey with Act II: COUNTRYSTAR, a bold, genre-blurring declaration of selfhood, where Sam embraces both his legacy and his individuality, fusing country roots with hip-hop flair to explore identity, rebellion, and hard-won self-acceptance. With each release, Sam further cements his place not just as a torchbearer of a legendary lineage, but as a fearless and visionary artist in his own right. As anticipation builds for the final chapter of his trilogy, Williams continues to redefine what it means to be a country artist today – unapologetically authentic, unafraid to evolve, and wholly original.

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For more information on Sam Williams, please contact:
Luke Burland, 2b Entertainment –luke@2bentertainment.net 
Sydney Worden, 2b Entertainment – sydney@2bentertainment.net 

For MCA: Ailie Birchfield – Ailie.birchfield@umusic.com, Cindy Finke – Cindy.finke@umusic.com