With the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America fast approaching - and in the midst of widespread sociopolitical discord and division throughout the nation - Nathan Oswalt has both joined the celebration and entered the conversation with his first brand-new single of 2026, “whatever happened to US?”. Available today (May 15) across all streaming platforms, the acoustic-guitar-driven, folk-influenced pop/rock ballad finds the autistic singer/songwriter from the Pacific Northwest at his boldest - both creatively and thematically - as he reflects on escalating tensions nationwide and laments the accompanying tragic rise of political violence, while offering a better, brighter, and more compassionate way forward.

On the song’s creation and message, Oswalt explains:

“whatever happened to US?” was first written in 2022 out of a deep personal frustration with how hyper-politicized and divided my beloved home country had recently become at the time. I never want anything to distract from my primary goal of sharing my story and spreading the love of Jesus through both my creative endeavors and my life as a whole - least of all politics - so I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to actually record and release this one. However, with nationwide tensions further escalating in recent years, even to the point of tragic cases of political violence - and with the 250th anniversary of America’s independence coming up - I decided to do just that after a great deal of prayer and discussion. This song is my way of speaking up and speaking out against the rising tide of sociopolitical division, animosity, hostility, dehumanization, and ultimately violence. It’s a wake-up call meant for both sides of the aisle - a passionate plea to return to kindness, humility, compassion, and civility towards each other, even when we disagree. I believe that this nation can still reverse course and move towards positive change - even now - but every single person who calls the United States their home, including myself, must choose to take the first step. In short, “whatever happened to US?” is my 250th birthday gift to the U.S. - a song with a desperately-needed message of faith, hope, love, and peace.

With a sonic landscape that draws inspiration from the likes of Ed Sheeran, Niall Horan and Andy Grammer (among others), “whatever happened to US?” marks the second original song that Oswalt has handled the majority of production, engineering, editing, and mixing duties on - and his first time as primary mastering engineer. Veteran audio engineer and producer Elan “ELOVE” Polushko (Moby, Destiny’s Child, Kelly Rowland, Simon Cowell) - who previously served as an assistant producer, engineer and mixer on Oswalt’s lone single of 2025, “MAKE UP YOUR MIND” - returns in the same capacity on “whatever happened to US?”, for which he also came up with the song’s title. The new track also features guitars from fellow PNW-based indie musician Pat D’Angelo, a member of the rising folk/pop husband-wife duo known as AP Collective (whom Oswalt met and befriended in 2025).

“whatever happened to US?” follows Oswalt’s lone single release of 2025, the electro-R&B-infused pop track “MAKE UP YOUR MIND”. Despite its late-year release on October 3, the song was surprisingly named one of 20 nominees for “Best Single” at the 2025 Louder Than The Music (LTTM) Awards for independent faith-based music that December. The song ultimately finished 10th in voting, with the results revealed on Oswalt’s 25th birthday in January 2026, giving the aspiring young artist both his first-ever award nomination and his first-ever top-ten award finish of any kind.

Oswalt’s early releases, found on his compilation E.P. THE PRELUDE, have also earned positive recognition from a handful of prominent CCM organizations, including LTTM, Awakening Events and JesusFreakHideout.com.

Now in his fourth year of releasing original music, Oswalt continues to refine his skills as a songwriter, producer, and engineer with every new creative endeavor, while steadily building and expanding his audience both online and across streaming platforms with his endearing brand of quirky pop-culture knowledge, thoughtful lyricism, lighthearted self-awareness, passionate enthusiasm, and sincere faith - all reflecting both his commitment to personal authenticity and his deep-seated desire to use his growing platform for good.

For more information, follow Nathan Oswalt on Instagram (@nathanoswaltmusic), YouTube (@nathanoswaltmusic), or his official website.