It seems like the next installment of the Waylon Jennings vault records is coming this year. Last year, his soon, Shooter, put out a full-length album called Songbird in October, which was full of archival songs that he discovered not long before, which were all recorded in the prime of Waylon’s career. Shooter explained at the time that it was the first of a three-part project, and of course, Shooter Waylon’s son with Jessi Colter, produced it at Sunset Sound Studio 3, renamed by Jennings as “Snake Mountain,” where he produces all of the music he’s currently working on. When he initially announced the album, Shooter said they actually didn’t need too much work, but he did add some background vocals and other instrumentation just to polish it up and make it ready to be put on a professional album in the modern world of 2025. You’ll hear gorgeous backing vocals from two current country artists in Elizabeth Cook and Ashley Monroe. The music on Songbird was incredible, all songs that were recorded in some form or fashion between 1973 and 1984, but didn’t make the final cut on any albums at the time for various reasons. And the fans were ready for it, because Waylon notched his first top 10 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart with Songbird, which came in at No. No. 6 on Top Album Sales chart, while also entering the top 10 on four more charts including the: “Top Current Album Sales (No. 6), Indie Store Album Sales (No. 7), Americana/Folk Albums (No. 8) and Vinyl Albums (No. 9). It also starts at No. 17 on Top Country Albums, No. 18 on Independent Albums and No. 116 on the all-genre Billboard 200.” Throughout his legendary career, Waylon scored 16 No. 1s on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs ranking, and 11 No. 1s on the Top Country Albums chart. Songbird marks Waylon’s first top 10 on the 34-year-old Top Album Sales chart, with nearly 9,000 copies sold in the United States according to Luminate data. Shooter considers all three albums a gift to Waylon’s fans that have kept his music and legacy alive for so many years after his death in 2002: “This project has given me an entirely new chapter in my relationship with my father and working on this music has brought a whole new understanding about how, when and why my dad made music. The hard work is there on the tapes and the passion and the soul within is as alive today as it was the day it was recorded.” The music truly was great, it sounded exactly like everything Waylon actually did release in the prime of his career in the 70s and even 80s. Because Shooter has spoken so extensively about the albums, we knew there would be three in total, and it looks like the next one, seemingly called Diamonds, will be released in 2026. Waylon’s official Instagram account teased what appears to be the title and potentially even the album cover, which is iconic if that’s what the photo is, along with the caption saying “2026 is gonna be a good time.” The photo and title are featured on a billboard somewhere out west it looks like: “Two billboards… 50 years apart… some things never change. 2026 is gonna be a good time.” Consider me intrigued.. if I was a betting woman, I would put money on the fact that we’re probably going to get some sort of official announcement in the not-too-distant future: View this post on Instagram There have been so many archival albums of country legends, and music legends in general, released over the years, though for country music specifically in the modern era of music, Songbird was easily one of the most successful from a chart standpoint, and Shooter outdid himself with the production of it all and how he put it together, so I can’t wait to hear what else he has coming straight from the vault of one of country music’s most iconic and talented figures. “I’d Like To Love You Baby” “I’d Hate To Go Searchin’ Them Bars Again” “After The Ball” “Wrong Road Again” Songbird tracklist: 1. “Songbird” 2. “The Cowboy (Small Texas Town)” 3. “I’d Like To Love You Baby” 4. “I’m Gonna Lay Back With My Woman” 5. “Wrong Road Again” 6. “I Hate Searchin’ Them Bars Again” 7. “Brand New Tennessee Waltz” 8. “(I Don’t Have) Any More Love Songs” 9. “After The Ball” 10. “Dink’s Blues”The post “2026 Is Gonna Be A Good Time”: California Billboard Seemingly Teases Next Waylon Jennings Album, ‘Diamonds’ first appeared on Whiskey Riff.