Some tributes come wrapped in fireworks and marketing budgets. Others show up quietly, on the right day, with the right song, and let the legacy speak for itself. Waylon Hanel just went with option two.

The 24-year-old Michigan-born country singer-songwriter has released a new music video for “When Waylon Came To Nashville,” timed to what would have been Waylon Jennings’ 89th birthday. Premiered by Center Stage Magazine, the video is a genuine salute from a young artist named after the outlaw himself to the man who rewrote the rules of country music in Music City.

The song was penned by legendary outlaw country songwriter Billy Don Burns, a former touring companion and close friend of Jennings. It captures the exact moment Waylon rolled into Nashville and permanently changed the sound, swagger, and independence of the genre. Burns even contributed a rare archival photo for the video, giving the project a direct thread back to the outlaw era it celebrates.

“Growing up, Waylon Jennings’ music was a huge inspiration and influence on me becoming my own singer-songwriter,” Hanel said. “When I met Billy Don Burns in 2023, he was incredibly supportive of me cutting this song, so this is just simply my way of saluting both Waylon and Billy for their contributions to outlaw country music.”

The track appears on Hanel’s third studio album, “When Waylon Came To Nashville,” out now via CDX Records. The record was recently named to Saving Country Music’s 2025 Essential Albums List, with Trigger calling Hanel “a student, champion, and torch bearer for all the old Outlaw greats.” Cowboys & Indians described the album as “a well-nigh-irresistible mix,” while The Lonesome Highway noted that “the future looks exceptionally bright for Waylon Hanel.”

That future is already looking pretty crowded. Hanel has shared stages with Trace Adkins, Travis Tritt, Ashley McBryde, Josh Turner, Jo Dee Messina, Ward Davis, Uncle Kracker, and Chayce Beckham, among many others. He was also recently featured in a two-part France 24 documentary series exploring Nashville and country music’s global resurgence.

With outlaw country enjoying a legitimate revival among younger listeners, Hanel is proving there’s still plenty of gas in the tank for artists who put substance over trend-chasing. Naming your kid after Waylon Jennings is one thing. Actually earning the name is another.

Watch the new music video for “When Waylon Came To Nashville” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RWgPfQEbCRF

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