Ashley Cooke Releases Self-Titled Sophomore Album
The 15-track project was mainly produced by Dann Huff and includes the single dance around it.
Ashley Cooke has released her self-titled sophomore album, a 15-song collection chronicling the arc of a relationship from its beginning to its end. Issued via Big Loud Records/Back Blocks Music, ASHLEY COOKE was mainly produced by Dann Huff, known for his work with Rascal Flatts and Taylor Swift, and spans Cooke's signature Coastal Country sound alongside piano ballads and Motown-inspired soul. The album includes the new track dance around it, written by Cooke, Jacob Durrett, Trevor Rosen, and Emily Weisband, along with previously released songs including baby blues, the hell you are, high school sweetheart, xs, famous to frances, and johnny 'n june.
ashley cooke was written in real time as the Nashville-based artist navigated the blossoming and eventual unraveling of a relationship -- ultimately documenting every moment exactly as she lived it. Mainly produced by Dann Huff (Rascal Flatts, Taylor Swift), the album mirrors its emotional complexity with an eclectic sound spanning from her signature Coastal Country to moody piano balladry to the Motown-inspired soul of her current Country radio hit 'baby blues.' In a recent in-depth feature in The Tennessean, Huff praised Cooke's clarity of vision and noted that, despite her young age, she knows exactly who she is as an artist. 'If I'm betting on someone, I'm betting on Ashley,' he declared.
Another glimpse into the gorgeously layered landscape of ashley cooke, 'dance around it' takes the form of a bittersweet but high-energy Country-Pop stunner shot through with shimmering guitar tones and hypnotic beats. As she tells the tale of two people delaying their inevitable farewell for one more night together, Cooke instantly channels a heady collision of desire and heartache and impending regret (the opening lines: 'you smelled like california and casamigos / when you walked in the door / same one you taped a note on saying goodbye / just three weeks before'). Written by Cooke, Jacob Durrett, Trevor Rosen, and Emily Weisband, 'dance around it' fully captures the irresistible thrill of denying reality and letting the truth wait until morning.
Along with 'baby blues' (a chart-climbing smash that's amassed over 55 million global streams to date), ashley cooke features previously released fan favorites like her Country radio hit 'the hell you are,' 'high school sweetheart,' and 'xs' (a no-regrets breakup song that inspired Country Swag to hail Cooke as 'one of the most exciting rising artists in the genre today'). Last month, she further previewed the album with the dual release of the witty 'famous to frances' and wistful 'johnny 'n june,' together praised by Country Now as 'perfect examples of Cooke's ability to dive into complicated emotions that come with heartbreak.'
A defining statement from one of Country's most compelling young stars, ashley cooke arrives during an extraordinary two-year stretch that's included racking up nominations for New Female Artist of the Year at the ACM Awards and Best New Country Artist at the iHeartRadio Music Awards, touring with superstars like Kane Brown and Parker McCollum, and earning a major pop-culture moment by making a cameo on CBS' hit series Marshals.
Cooke's latest chapter has also drawn a wave of high-profile media attention, with recent appearances on podcasts like Southern Living's Biscuits & Jam and American Songwriter's Off The Record (with the latter also featuring Cooke in its print and digital editions), along with coverage from leading publications like PEOPLE. The highly awaited successor to her 2023 debut album shot in the dark (featuring the Gold-certified 'never til now' and Country radio No. 1 hit 'your place'), ashley cooke follows her soul-baring project ace (a 2025 release that 'epitomises why Cooke has cemented herself as a key figure in the contemporary country music landscape,' according to Holler).
With the arrival of her second full-length, Cooke also kicks off the cities that made me tour -- a run of special acoustic performances presented by Surfside. A celebration of the most personal music of her career, the weeklong pop-up experience will crisscross the country with performances of songs from ashley cooke, fan meet-and-greets, and exclusive merch in places that helped shape Cooke throughout her life. The festivities begin today (8/14) at 12:30 p.m. CT at Nashville's PopUp Bagels (226 11th Ave S #6), where Cooke will treat fans to an intimate acoustic performance and unveil her very own 'baby blues' schmear. At 4 p.m. CT, she'll head to imogene + willie (2601 12th Ave S) for an exclusive vinyl signing and meet-and-greet, complete with a photo booth, Daddy's Dogs, Blue Monkey Shaved Ice, and drinks provided by Surfside. From there, the tour heads to Milwaukee (her birthplace) and eventually wraps in West Lafayette, IN (where Cooke's parents met).
Next month, Cooke will take her latest triumph on the road by launching the baby blues world tour -- a global headline run beginning on September 17 at Globe Iron in Cleveland, with dates currently scheduled through February 25 at the legendary Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. The 28-date trek includes stops in major cities throughout the US and UK, including 9:30 Club in Washington, DC (September 18), Irving Plaza in New York City (September 24), El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles (October 8), and Koko in London (January 29). For more info, visit ashleycooke.com.
Tracklist
1. 'if i'm being honest' (Ashley Cooke, Johnny Clawson, Kyle Sturrock)
2. 'high school sweetheart' (Ashley Cooke, Boy Matthews, Cleo Tighe, Lauren Hungate, AFTERHRS)
3. 'baby blues' (Ashley Cooke, Johnny Clawson, Joe Fox, Kyle Sturrock, Seth Ennis)
4. 'famous to frances' (Ashley Cooke, Johnny Clawson, Kyle Sturrock)
5. 'johnny 'n june' (Ashley Cooke, Lauren Hungate, Emily Weisband, Will Weatherly)
6. 'excuses' (Ashley Cooke, Johnny Clawson, Kyle Sturrock)
7. 'dance around it' (Ashley Cooke, Jacob Durrett, Trevor Rosen, Emily Weisband)
8. 'sleepless in seattle' (Ashley Cooke, Lauren Hungate, Matt Roy, Johnny Clawson)
9. 'man behind the glass (feat. JP Saxe)' (Ashley Cooke, JP Saxe, Emily Weisband, Scott Krueger)
10. 'i'm up and i'm down' (Ashley Cooke, Jordan Minton, Jordan Reynolds, Mark Trussell)
11. 'the hell you are' (Ashley Cooke, Chase McGill, Emily Weisband, Seth Ennis, Joe Fox)
12. 'between the lines' (Ashley Cooke, Lori McKenna, Hillary Lindsey, Liz Rose)
13. 'xs' (Ashley Cooke, Ashley Gorley, Emily Weisband, Will Weatherly)
14. 'when we're 30' (Ashley Cooke, Will Weatherly, Kyle Sturrock)
15. 'the girl who cried wolf' (Ashley Cooke, Emily Weisband, Lauren Hungate, Joe Fox)
Produced by Dann Huff *
Produced by Will Weatherly ^
Produced by Jacob Durrett #
Produced by Joe Fox ~
Produced by Spacecamp +
Produced by Ashley Cooke ♡
Tour Dates
September 17 -- Globe Iron, Cleveland
September 18 -- 9:30 Club, Washington, DC
September 24 -- Irving Plaza, New York City
October 8 -- El Rey Theatre, Los Angeles
January 29 -- Koko, London
February 25 -- Ryman Auditorium, Nashville
The release follows Cooke's 2023 debut album shot in the dark, which included the Gold-certified single never til now. In the two years since, Cooke has earned nominations for New Female Artist of the Year at the ACM Awards and Best New Country Artist at the iHeartRadio Music Awards, toured with Kane Brown and Parker McCollum, and appeared in a cameo on CBS's Marshals.
Photo Credit: PATRICK TRACY
Photo Credit: PATRICK TRACY
