Ashley Cooke gets personal on her new self-titled album, ashley cooke. Across 15 songs, the rising country singer-songwriter turns the ups, downs and considerable confusion of relationships into something of a coming-of-age story, capturing what she learned about love and herself while she was still in the middle of figuring it all out.

Calling an album ashley cooke carries a certain weight, and Cooke earns the title by letting listeners closer than ever before. Many of these songs were written while the experiences behind them were still fresh, resulting in a record filled with self-reflection, indecision, humor, heartbreak and the occasional uncomfortable truth. Cooke herself describes it as a coming-of-age record disguised as a relationship album, with the messiness of love providing the backdrop for a deeper look at who she has become.

Produced by Dann Huff, ashley cooke follows Cooke's 2023 major-label debut, Shot In The Dark, and builds upon the more personal direction she explored on last year's Ace. Several songs from that project, including "Baby Blues," "Excuses" and "The Hell You Are," carry over to the new album, joined by newer tracks including "High School Sweetheart" and "Xs."

Cooke also surrounded herself with some remarkable Nashville songwriting talent. Liz Rose, Lori McKenna, Ashley Gorley, Emily Weisband, Seth Ennis and Chase McGill are among the writers who contributed to the album, helping Cooke shape stories that balance sharp observations with the conversational delivery that has become central to her music.

The album arrives at an important point in Cooke's career. Her breakout single "Your Place" helped move her into country's next wave of headliners, while Shot In The Dark introduced an artist willing to stretch a country record across 24 songs. This time, the tighter 15-track collection brings the focus squarely onto Cooke herself.