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Nashville-based country artist and songwriter Maddie Lenhart is continuing her rise with the release of “Why in the World,” the title track from her upcoming debut EP, arriving October 2, 2026. The new single is available now on all digital streaming platforms.
Raised in the Virginia countryside, Lenhart found her voice at an early age and began writing songs long before she could put them on paper. Since moving to Nashville, she has written hundreds of songs and earned more than 40 independent cuts, quickly making a name for herself as one of Music City’s promising young songwriters.
Lenhart’s growing list of accomplishments includes being selected as one of just six writers for the 2026 AIMP Nashville Unsigned Songwriter Series, chosen from more than 100 submissions. She was also a finalist in the 2025 American Songwriter Song Contest and was named one of Holler’s “10 Artists You Need to Know.” Her recent releases have earned additional attention, with “Newton’s First Law” landing on the cover of Spotify’s Fresh Finds Country and “Empty Room” receiving features from Billboard and American Songwriter.
She has also performed at CMA Fest in both 2025 and 2026, as well as the Kennedy Center.
Produced by Brad Hill (Maren Morris, Brothers Osborne), “Why in the World” was written by Lenhart alongside Jay Knowles (Alan Jackson, Lainey Wilson) and Jen Stegall (Carter Faith). The cinematic heartbreak song blends baritone guitar, steel guitar, fiddle and layered harmonies with modern production, creating a sound that connects traditional Country storytelling with a contemporary edge.
At the heart of the song is a series of increasingly personal questions as Lenhart tries to make sense of losing the person she believed she would spend forever with. The song ultimately lands on its most painful question: why did the one thing she wanted most have to be the thing she lost?
“‘Why in the World’ is the third single and title track from my debut EP,” Lenhart shares. “It’s a cinematic country heartbreak song about searching for answers after losing the person you thought you’d spend forever with.”
With Why in the World set for October 2, Lenhart is introducing herself with a project that puts her songwriting front and center—and adds another chapter to what is shaping up to be an exciting Nashville story.
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