Lily Meola and Jamey Johnson Weave A Striking Duet On New Single “Never Want This To Change”

Maui-born, emerging country force Lily Meola has released her new single “Never Want This To Change” featuring outlaw legend Jamey Johnson. Accompanied by a denim-clad live performance video directed by Jace Kartye, “Never Want This To Change” is a timeless, heartsick ballad on eternal love and adoration as she weaves a striking duet alongside Johnson’s iconic baritone. The song was featured on Rolling Stone who called it “a genuine slow-burn saloon heartbreaker.”

Listen To “Never Want This To Change” HERE

Watch “Never Want This To Change” (Live Performance Video) HERE

“This song started as a silly little love poem that I had written,” said Meola. “It’s about the feeling you get when you meet someone that makes you want to freeze time just so you can live in that moment with them forever. They have this special effect on you that melts away all your worries while simultaneously giving you the wildest butterflies. Having Jamey Johnson on this song is beyond special for me, not only is he one of my favorite humans, but he’s got a voice that sounds like God has favorites.”

“It’s a great song, and Lily is a great singer and a great writer,” stated Johnson. “There is something different about it and I really didn’t expect it, even after the other songs of hers I have heard. It just caught me by surprise. Lily and I recorded ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside,’ for my Christmas EP that I did in 2014. I have always been impressed with her singing. She asked me to sing on this one and I couldn’t wait. Of course, I didn’t think adding me to it was going to make it any better, because it was already pretty good. I am humbled and grateful that she asked. She is one of my favorite duet partners. She is so easy to sing with, especially live, but even in the studio, she just makes everything so much fun and laid back and just easy. While she’s a great pop singer, musically she reminds me more of a jazz singer. She is somebody who can find little partials and notes where even great singers might miss. She reminds me of somebody like Ella Fitzgerald, a very smart, gifted musician.”

This month, Meola continues on with the Outlaw Music Festival Tour where she’ll perform alongside Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Billy Strings, Sheryl Crow, Wilco, Lucinda Williams, and more. Upcoming stops include Chula Vista and Wheatland (CA), Nampa (ID), as well as Spokane and Ridgefield (WA) before wrapping in Quincy on May 25th. See below for the full list of dates, or visit her website.

Lauded for her organic blend of country-laced twang, Americana atmosphere, and hook-driven pop that “lies somewhere in the intersection of dreampop and soulful folk” (Rolling Stone), Lily Meola has been crafting her signature, genre-defying sound since age 11 when she first began performing at local cafes around town. Raised in a musical environment, she soon caught the ear of fellow Hawaiian resident Willie Nelson. He swiftly took her under his wing as his protégé, taking her out on the road, and working with her in the studio (including a duet for Nelson’s critically-acclaimed album To All The Girls…). Other mentors include Grammy-winning producer Bob Rock and Jackson Browne, who served as her first songwriting coach. Already an expressive singer with an elastic range, Meola grew into something bigger: a meteoric musician whose vocal chops were matched only by her writing.

Culminating in over 160 million streams and 1.1 million monthly listeners to date, Meola released a steady stream of early singles prior to her debut EP Daydream in 2022. Shortly after, she performed the title track to a standing ovation on America’s Got Talent, earning a golden buzzer for her emotionally-charged, show-stealing appearance, which she dedicated to her mother who had recently passed away from cancer. “Daydream” would go on to become an international phenomenon, reaching the Top Viral Charts in 27 countries, and landing her shows alongside artists like Ray Lamontagne, Stephen Sanchez, and Wild Rivers. She followed that up with the release of her 2024 EP Heartbreak Rodeo, which featured collaborations with Lukas Nelson, Luke Niccoli, and Davis Naish. Then, earlier this year, she released her latest EP Postcards To Heaven, a heartfelt tribute to her late mother honoring her memory and the power of everlasting love.

Outlaw Music Festival Tour Dates (w/ Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, & more):

05/15 – Chula Vista, CA @ North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre

05/18 – Wheatland, CA @ Toyota Amphitheatre

05/20 – Nampa, ID @ Ford Idaho Center

05/22 – Spokane, WA @ ONE Spokane

05/24 – Ridgefield, WA @ RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater

05/25 – Quincy, WA @ George Amphitheatre