Songfacts®:

• "Empty Words" is Corey Kent's regret song about a relationship ruined by repeated apologies and promises that no longer mean anything.
• The title works double duty. On one level, it refers to words that have lost their credibility, pleas and assurances that no longer convince the woman he's hurt. On another, it sets up the song's central bit of wordplay: because she's "over empty words," he's left staring at an "empty bed," transforming a moral failure into a physical absence.
  
  "As a songwriter, it feels like catching lightning in a bottle when you find that line or double entendre that carries more weight than expected," said Kent. "So 'Empty Words' is really special because it says something heavy yet simply."
• Corey Kent is married to Dayna Lou White, and he's a father, making this more of a fictional what-not-to-do guide than a diary entry. Still, it fits comfortably alongside his catalog of emotionally frayed country-rock songs, including "Something's Gonna Kill Me," which also leans into self-destructive or painful interior states.
• Corey Kent wrote the song with Austin Goodloe, Matt Roy, Joybeth Taylor and Lydia Vaughan. Production is credited to Kent and Austin Goodloe. Goodloe, Taylor, and Vaughan were already familiar writing partners, having also teamed with Kent on "Something's Gonna Kill Me," while Roy is a newer addition to the circle.
• Originally pegged as a potential deep cut, "Empty Words" was fast-tracked after a teaser clip racked up over 20 million views online. Released as a single on February 20, 2026, it became Kent's fourth Hot 100 hit, following "Wild As Her," "This Heart" and "Rocky Mountain Low."