| New Single from Chart-Topping Star Impacts U.S. Country Radio on Monday, July 20 |
| Official Lyric Video Premieres Today on YouTube |
| NASHVILLE, Tenn. (July 17, 2026) – QHMG / Quartz Hill Records’ neo-traditional torchbearer, Joe Nichols, performs the ultimate mic drop today with the release of his new single, “Say La V™,” which is poised to be THE feel-good, kiss-off anthem of the summer – and beyond! |
| “Say La V ™” is the perfect tongue-in-cheek singalong song to kiss off anyone who’s ever done you wrong. With the tune already a hit at Nichols’ live shows, the multi-platinum-selling star and his team worked hard to recreate the same live energy and party atmosphere in the studio. The six-time No. 1 hitmaker’s trad-country band is augmented by a hooky three-piece horn section while a merry crowd of revelers join Nichols in the satisfaction of singing the song’s hook:Just don’t let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya! |
| Nichols co-produced the feel-good track with hit songwriter Jason Sellers, who’d previously penned Nichols’ multi-week No. 1 smash “Sunny and 75.” Sellers co-wrote “Say La V ™” with Brett Warren (Toby Keith’s triple-Platinum “Red Solo Cup”) and Lance Miller (Tim McGraw’s “I Called Mama”). |
| Already a fan favorite, the cheeky wordplay of “Say La V™” harkens back to Nichols’ “Brokenheartsville,” which rose to No. 1 on the Billboard country airplay chart and became an RIAA-certified Platinum single. “Say La V™” officially impacts U.S. Country Radio on Monday, July 20. |
| “One of the things I love about “Say La V™” is that the story is simple. It’s not about someone trying to find the perfect words to say, ‘I love you.’ Instead, it’s about someone staying up all night trying to figure out how to say, ‘Get the hell out of my life!’” says Nichols. “It’s a different kind of song. It’s tender and sweet and then it surprises you with a sharp turn. The actual phrase, C’est la vie doesn’t mean ‘goodbye’ …. It means ‘such is life,’ and we acknowledge that in the song. It’s not a crying in your beer song. It’s accepting that we are on different paths and going our own ways – or rather – you need to go yours. Hence, the ‘catch ya on the flip side’ lyric!” |
| When asked about the unique spelling of his new single, Nichols explains: |
| “We like to do things a little differently in country music, so the writers decided to have a little fun with the song’s title – which is actually a French phrase and difficult for most people to spell! It’s the same as when people say “darlin’” instead of “darling” or when we decided to make the title of my song “Gimmie That Girl” with an “ie” instead of an “e.” Also – Brokenheartsville’s not really a town!” |
| The official lyric video for “Say La V™” – featuring a sometimes woeful, sometimes cheekily jovial Joe Nichols in full animation – premieres today at 11 am ET / 10 am CT on Nichols’ official YouTube page HERE. |
| “Say La V™” is the lead single from what will become Nichols’ 12th studio album, due the first half of 2027. Recently released tracks include, the Hank-flavored honky-tonk party tune “High Notes,” “Fighting the Good Fight,” an understated yet powerful song about navigating life’s darkness and light, and “Goodbyes Are Hard to Listen To,” an old-school-country barroom bawler that MusicRow has lauded as “Country music with a capital ‘C.’” |
| Praised by Billboard early in his career as “country music’s finest vocalist in at least a generation” and more recently as “one of country music’s most steadfast neo-traditional torchbearers,” Nichols is firmly established as a celebrated interpreter of Nashville’s best songwriters. |
| The current resurgence of traditional-leaning country has coincided with Nichols receiving a flood of tributes and accolades over the past two years. Billboard has ranked him in the Top 50 of its Top Country Artists of the 21st Century, while Lainey Wilson has referenced his classic No. 1 “Brokenheartsville” in a new song of her own, and Post Malone has invited him to perform an onstage duet. The RIAA has also recognized the hitmaker for achieving four Platinum-certified singles as well as one double Platinum single—Nichols’ signature song, “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off,” which celebrates its 21st anniversary in 2026. |
| ABOUT JOE NICHOLS Multi-Platinum Quartz Hill Records artist Joe Nichols is one of country music’s most-lauded recording stars. Ranked by Billboard among the Top Country Artists of the 21st Century, Nichols is a modern traditionalist who is both timely and timeless—with over 2.3 BILLION cumulative audio streams and 8 MILLION RIAA-certified units sold in the U.S. alone, a half-dozen No. 1 singles, ten Top 10 hits and a sound that blurs the boundaries between country music’s past and present. It’s an approach that has earned Nichols three GRAMMY nominations, a CMA award, an ACM trophy, an Emmy award and a CMT “Breakthrough Video of the Year” award as well as multiple Gold- and Platinum-certified records. Nichols’ additional honors include awards from Billboard and MusicRow Magazine as well as a New York Times “Best Albums of the Year” nod. The celebrated star has appeared on national media programs ranging from ACM Presents: Superstar Duets in CBS primetime to The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The View, Entertainment Tonight and Austin City Limits. He also made his big-screen debut in the feature film Murder at Yellowstone City. Nichols’ new single, the tongue-in-cheek, kiss-off anthem, “Say La V™,” is available now and impacts U.S. Country Radio airwaves on July 20. For the latest news, visit JoeNichols.com and follow him at @JoeNichols on Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok. |
Music Matters Magazine 