Current Single “What Took You So Long” Surpasses 7 Million Streams
As It Climbs Through Top 35 In The USA
Fast rising Country singer / songwriter, Jacob Hackworth has released his debut EP, What Took You So Long, via MCA / Snakefarm in the UK.
This seven-song project is more than a collection of songs, it’s a chronological account of the breakup that unknowingly set Hackworth on the path to Nashville and, ultimately, to his life as an artist. What Took You So Long serves as an impeccable introduction to Hackworth as an artist, as he finally takes his story and turns it into art. After years of writing hits for other performers, he emerges with a sound that is unmistakably his own.
The result is a remarkably cohesive body of work, with each song serving a purpose in the larger story, allowing the emotional storyline to unfold naturally, while contributing to a distinct sonic identity.
Watch the lyric video for “First Friday Night” HERE
Listen to What Took You So Long EP HERE
The EP title clearly draws its name from the catalyst moment that effectively changed everything. He also laughs that the title also stems from a question he’s often heard throughout his music career: “What took you so long to put out your own music?”
His dream was always to be an artist, but Hackworth spent years intentionally building a foundation as a songwriter, determined to do things the right way. Despite his knack for heartfelt songwriting and emotional lyricism, Hackworth has charmed fans and the industry alike with his humble and gregarious personality and humour, which is on full display in the most recent episode of In The Blind Podcast.
Along with the music, Hackworth has been rolling out skits that support the tunes. He has parodied a meeting with an insane music executive, taken on the role of a high school football coach and recently tackled the science of songwriting by spoofing Oppenheimer.
The EP opens with the title track, placing listeners in that initial moment of confusion and disbelief, then unfolds like a book through the emotional stages of a heartbreak. “What Took You So Long” recently surpassed 7 million streams and is currently climbing through the Top 35 on Country radio after breaking the record for the most first-week adds ever for an artist debut.
The second song, “I Wanna Quit,” is a high-energy, emotionally charged Country banger that finds Hackworth frustrated and unable to let go of his ex.
The third track, “Bad As I Do“, finds Hackworth in his sadness, longing for his ex before making the late-night decision to show up at her door with “Last Night I Got Lonely“.
“First Friday Night” sees the tides beginning to turn, and with “Help Yourself” we find Hackworth much further along in the healing process. The roles have reversed, the wounds have scarred over and now he’s vindicated and the one delivering the goodbye.
“Mess That Marlboro Made,” could be considered the epilogue of the set, The reflective ballad looks back on the entire journey with the clarity that only hindsight can provide. Written from the perspective of a single chance encounter sparked by a pack of cigarettes, the song reflects on the domino effect of one seemingly insignificant moment. If that pack had never been bought, they may never have met. The heartbreak may never have happened. But neither would the move to Nashville, the songs, the success or the artist standing here today.
“It’s been so fun playing these songs out on the road and seeing people’s reactions, but I’m so excited for people to be able to listen to this project as a whole and get to follow along with the story of the week of a breakup, going through the different stages of it all,” shared Hackworth. “Getting dumped was the catalyst for moving to Nashville to chase my dream of being a recording artist, so there is something poetic about getting to tell that story as my first project as an artist. I also love the message underneath it all: sometimes the hardest things in your life happen the way they do for a reason.”
Anchoring it all is Hackworth‘s distinctive vocal style: a remarkably smooth, effortless voice that carries both strength and vulnerability and surprises listeners, giving even the heaviest moments of the project a sense of warmth and authenticity.
Hackworth is currently on the road in the US with his friend and frequent collaborator, Tucker Wetmore, for their third run together (which includes the famed Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Tuesday, October 27). He is also opening for Zach John King, Corey Kent and Dylan Scott this autumn.
For more information follow along on his website, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube.
What Took You So Long Track List:
1. “What Took You So Long” – Jacob Hackworth, Daniel Ross, Jaxson Free, Steph Jones
2. “I Wanna Quit”– Jacob Hackworth, Jaxson Free, Heath Warren, Tyler Dopps
3. “Bad As I Do”– Jacob Hackworth, Daniel Ross, Chris Tompkins, Jessie Jo Dillon
4. “Last Night I Got Lonely”– Jacob Hackworth, Gabe Foust, Danny Majic
5. “First Friday Night”– Jacob Hackworth, Jaxson Free, Daniel Ross, Matt Roy
6. “Help Yourself” – Jacob Hackworth, Gabe Foust, Sean Wave, Travis Smith
7. “Mess That Marlboro Made”– Jacob Hackworth, Josh Phillips, Jordan Schmidt
ABOUT JACOB HACKWORTH:-
Jacob Hackworth is a rising force in Country music. Already established as a chart-topping songwriter, the powerhouse vocalist and live performer is now stepping out as an artist in his own right with his debut EP, What Took You So Long, now available.
Ever the storyteller, the project is more than just a collection of seven songs; Hackworth takes listeners along his personal journey from getting his heart broken through to moving to Nashville and achieving his dreams. It kicks off with the title track, which is the record-breaking Top 35-and-climbing debut single, which documents the initial shock of the breakup before moving through the following emotional stages of heartbreak before finding himself reflecting on fate and destiny.
Growing up on the gravel roads of West Plains, MO, Hackworth has been singing since before he could reach his grandma’s piano bench. He participated in choir as a kid and began writing songs in high school, eventually forming a local band that would perform on his days off from working on the railroad. Encouraged by the reaction, in 2019 he left his small town life to pursue music in Nashville. To make ends meet, he worked at some of Nashville’s most renowned bars, Amazon and even on a party boat DJ’ing while he found his musical footing.
In 2022, Hackworth signed a publishing deal and has been on a creative whirlwind ever since, attaining roughly 60 major label cuts and releases as a songwriter (with more on the way), including Bailey Zimmerman’s six-week No.1 hit, “Rock and a Hard Place”, Corey Kent’s No. 1 hit “This Heart”, three songs from Jelly Roll’s GRAMMY-winning No. 1 album Beautifully Broken, Morgan Wallen’s “Jack and Jill”, Vincent Mason’s single “Damned If I Do”, six songs from Tucker Wetmore’s debut album including the career-launching smash, “Wine Into Whiskey”, and many more. As a songwriter he amassed more than a billion streams in last year alone.
Earning a reputation for rough-hewn honesty and raw storytelling, Hackworth mixes real life experience with Country, Pop and R&B elements to create a refreshing new voice in the genre.
In 2025, he transitioned back into artist mode and quickly caught the attention of the industry with his three releases, “When I Don’t“, “You Ain’t” and “Bad As I Do“, which landed him on a slew of “Artist To Watch” lists including Country Now, Country Minute, Fort Nash and more, as well as a label deal with MCA / Snakefarm in the UK. His first signed single “What Took You So Long” is out on Country radio now and broke records as the largest new artist debut add day in history. He recently began his third US tour with Wetmore this summer and is joining Zach John King, Dylan Scott and Corey Kent on tour this autumn. He is also continuing to write and work on new music.
For more information, follow along on his website, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube.