Multi-Talented Sunny Sweeney Announces New Album, Rhinestone Requiem, out August 1

MULTI-TALENTED SUNNY SWEENEY ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM, RHINESTONE REQUIEM, OUT AUGUST 1

Project Debut Single “Diamonds and Divorce Decrees” Now Available  On All Streaming Platforms

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (May 28, 2025) - Acclaimed country artist and host of SiriusXM’s Sunny Side Up (Willie’s Roadhouse) and Sunny Side of Life (Outlaw Country) Sunny Sweeney is set to release her highly anticipated new album, Rhinestone Requiem, on August 1, 2025. A bold, unapologetic return to her roots, the record - which is available for pre-save today - is a sparkling yet soul-baring exploration of resilience, heartbreak, and honky-tonk healing.

Leading the way is the album’s debut single, “Diamonds and Divorce Decrees,” now available 

Pre-save Rhinestone Requiem HERE.

Listen to “Diamonds and Divorce Decrees” HERE (preferred music platform) or the lyric video below: 

Crafted with Sweeney’s signature blend of raw honesty and wry wit, Rhinestone Requiem - co-produced by Sweeney with her longtime guitarist Harley Husbands -  showcases a more vulnerable and defiant voice than ever before. Drawing on her East Texas upbringing and years of cutting her teeth in the Nashville and Austin music scenes, the album marries traditional country twang with hard-earned truths and a few rhinestones for good measure.  

The lead single, anthemic “Diamonds and Divorce Decrees,” sets the tone with its tongue-in-cheek lyricism and ironically upbeat instrumentation, given it details the life of a lady stuck between the beginning and end of a marriage. 

 “I was moving out of my house in Austin, cause the rent got too high, and it was a sudden decision, but I called my mom and said, ‘hey, can I just store some of my stuff at y’all’s house for a little bit while I figure out what I wanna do?’ My mom is the best, so she said yes, and I moved all my stuff in and basically went on the road,” explains Sweeney of the inspiration behind the song. “I was a gypsy for a couple years, but finally ended up buying a house and moving all my stuff into my new house - except my safe.  It’s like 2 cubic square feet. Very small. She kept saying, come get your stuff, it’s in our way. So after I jokingly told her to put a lamp on it and make it a table, I said, ‘all that’s in there anyway is grandma’s diamonds and my divorce decrees.’ My country songwriter brain kicked on, and I was like wait…what? I have to write that.” 

Rhinestone Requiem, recorded at Cherry Ridge Studio in Texas, is a declaration of self-assurance and artistic freedom. Whether channeling heartbreak, joy, or resilience, Sweeney’s songs connect deeply with both women and men, offering comfort, camaraderie, and catharsis. For Sweeney, the goal remains simple yet powerful: to make music that feels like a trusted friend talking directly to the listener.

Rhinestone Requiem Track Listing: 

1. Find It Where I Can 

2. Diamonds and Divorce Decrees 

3. Traveling On 

4. As Long as There’s a Honky Tonk 

5. Houston Belongs To Me 

6. Last Hard Bible 

7. Waiting for a Reason to Stay 

8. Is Tonight the Night (I Make You a Memory) 

9. I Drink Well with Others 

10. Half Lit in ¾ Time

About Sunny Sweeney:

Sunny Sweeney is a fiercely independent country artist known for her raw honesty, musical versatility, and heartfelt storytelling. With nearly two decades in the business, she’s built a career on doing things her own way, crafting honky tonk steeped in tradition yet brimming with personality. Her forthcoming, Rhinestone Requiem, showcases that spirit, blending classic country influences—like Jerry Lee Lewis, Waylon Jennings, and Loretta Lynn—with deeply personal songwriting.

Since her 2006 debut Heartbreaker’s Hall of Fame, Sweeney has released multiple critically acclaimed albums and become a prominent voice in the genre, has been featured in the Country Music Hall of Fame's American Currents exhibit, and hosts the daily Sunny Side Up on SiriusXM’s Willie’s Roadhouse and Sunny Side of Life on Outlaw Country. Her new album marks a personal milestone: it’s the first record she’s made without relationship turmoil in the background. Songs like “Diamonds and Divorce Decrees” and “Waiting for a Reason to Stay” reflect emotional growth, while “I Drink Well with Others” and “As Long as There’s a Honky Tonk” deliver playful defiance and honky-tonk swagger.

To learn more about Sunny Sweeney, visit sunnysweeney.com, and follow Sweeney on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. 

Sunny Sweeney Rhinestone Requiem Biography:

Sweeney takes her calling as friend to the hurt and alone seriously––and Rhinestone Requiem shines because of it. Recorded at Tommy Detamore’s Cherry Ridge Studio in Floresville, Texas, the album is a compelling snapshot of an artist who knows who she is and what she loves. “I really wanted this album to be a mixture of all the old styles of country music: Jerry Lee Lewis, Waylon Jennings, Loretta Lynn,” Sweeney says, ticking off a list of some of her idols. “I make music for myself.”

Indeed, the specter of Lewis looms large from the jump, as the album kicks off with “Find It Where I Can,” the sauntering, boozy warning shot recorded by The Killer, as well as other giants including Waylon Jennings. Sweeney discovered the song during a late-night YouTube deep dive into videos of Lewis and Mickey Gilley hammering away on dueling baby grands. 

“You know, they’re cousins, and their grandmother taught them how to play piano––that’s why their playing style is so similar!” Sweeney says, relishing the backstory. “And when I heard this song, I knew I had to record it. It’s not like anything else I have, and it’s just so fun to sing and play.”

publicity photo: Nash Nouveau

Jubilantly wry “Diamonds and Divorce Decrees” traces the ruins after a marriage ends, cataloging the pain but looking stubbornly toward happiness. Sweeney has been playing the song live, and has been struck by how strongly audiences have responded. “One night after we played it, a guy came up to the stage and said, ‘I have three days until my divorce is final, and this song made me know everything is going to be fine,’” Sweeney says.

Written with dear friend and frequent collaborator Brennen Leigh, “Traveling On” is a superbly crafted heartbreaker showcasing the devastating power of Sweeney’s voice. Written with Ben Chapman and Erin Enderlin, “Is Tonight the Night (I Make You a Memory)” starts off slow and sad, before speeding up into a bouncy, steel-laced shuffle worthy of The Mavericks. Another Enderlin and Sweeney collaboration with the addition of Gary Nicholson, “I Drink Well with Others” is a winking dancehall duster, while “As Long as There’s a Honky Tonk”––written with Buddy Owens and Galen Griffin––is a swaggering, piano-soaked proclamation of independence.

One of only two album tracks Sweeney didn’t have a hand in writing, “Last Hard Bible” nods to the whimsical grit of its writer and original recording artist, Kasey Chambers, as Sweeney steers the song firmly into saloon-worthy territory. Chambers and her brother, Nash, provide harmonies on Sweeney’s track. When Sweeney joins Chambers for shows in the summer of 2025, it will mark a full-circle moment for Sweeney, who is a longtime fan of the Australian singer-songwriter.

With crying steel, “Waiting for a Reason to Stay” tearfully harnesses the potential of conversational songwriting. “I’ve always wondered what was wrong with me,” Sweeney sings, opening the song with gut-wrenching directness. What follows is a meditation on the days after you’ve decided to go––but haven’t left yet. “I’ve had records about the bad side of divorce,” Sweeney says. “This is the light at the end of the tunnel.” Written with Owens and Monty Holmes, album closer “Half Lit in 3/4 Time” is a masterclass in country songwriting, as line after line pays tribute to honky tonk’s beloved instruments and golden standards. Featuring mournful fiddle, “Houston Belongs to Me” already sounds like a classic, as Sweeney’s resilient narrator lays claim to a hot, complex city that she loves. “It’s healing: You’re taking ownership of where you are,” Sweeney says.

It’s an idea Sweeney has embraced in various ways throughout her career: Lean into who and what you are––and revel in the liberation that brings. Her fierce independence has allowed her to speak to us with the care of a trusted confidant who sees our hurts and is rooting for us. “I feel like that’s what I grew up loving about music––I felt like I was their friend,” Sweeney says. “I felt like they were talking––singing––to me.”