Lauren Watkins: ‘Introducing: The Heartbreak’ – EP Review

Lauren Watkins releases her new EP, Introducing: The Heartbreak, out now, November 17th on all streaming platforms. Listen to the brand new project here.

For country singer-songwriter Lauren Watkins, her personal highs and lows have inspired her newest release, Introducing: The Heartbreak. On her Big Loud Records / Songs & Daughters sophomore project, the follow up to April’s Introducing: Lauren Watkins, she offers a clever continuation of that debut project.

“Introducing: The Heartbreak is basically the next step in introducing myself and my music to the world,” shares Watkins in a statement. “First, I released Introducing: Lauren Watkins, which was just saying, ‘Here’s me, here’s where I came from, what I’m influenced by.’ This is the next step, going even deeper into who I am, what I’ve gone through, how I think about things. It’s truly introducing the heartbreak I’ve experienced, which will eventually roll out into something much bigger.” 

Featuring six new tracks, all of which she co-wrote with heavy hitters like Nicolle Galyon, Jessie Jo Dillon, Ashley Monroe, Rodney Clawson, and more, the EP takes listeners on a journey through the end of a relationship. Produced by Joey Moi, the project takes listeners through the emotions of a heartbreak, ranging from jealousy, acceptance, denial, and blame.

The Nashville native kicks things off with “Fine County Line,” a catchy and twangy pop country tune about a will-they-won’t-they relationship. “It’s a real fine county line In between your lips and mine // This kiss I know you want it // But that fence we’re stuck here on it,” She sings. “Halfway off the map // Falling hard and walking that // Real fine county line // I think it’s ‘bout time We crossed it.”

Likewise, the uncertainty continues on “The Table,” offering a unique spin on an old phrase, as a couple ponder all of the options on the table before them. On the stirring ballad, she sings, “The way he looked at me // Halfway held my hand // Didn’t have to say a thing // For us to understand // What was on the table.”

Jealousy pairs with confusion on tracks like “Jealous of Jane” and “Fly on the Wall,” both which find the singer grappling with her emotions over not wanting someone in her life, but not completely accepting that he’s moved on. On “Fly,” she trades verses with Jake Worthington, whose pristine baritone perfectly complements her emotive twang. Meanwhile, on “Jealous of Jane,” she muses that she “don’t want him back, but I don’t want him to want her.” The track is a quintessential mid-tempo country song, full of  fiddle and steel for an especially special moment.

The Ole Miss grad joins forces with Carter Faith on “Cowboys on Music Row,” which is an immediate highlight of the project. Here, the pair muse over the sorry state of today’s cowboys and country singers, longing for the days of the “redheaded stranger” or a “real rodeo man.” It’s a modern take on Paula Cole’s “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?,” as they lament “Where oh, where oh, where did they go, There ain’t no cowboys on music row”

“We wrote ‘Cowboys On Music Row’ with our friends. Sitting around a tv, watching old videos of our old favorites. We looked at each other and thought “they really don’t make ‘em like they used to,” and this song is what followed,” Watkins shared on Instagram. “Although I’m proudly in the era of *new country* I’ll forever keep trying to make the old *Cowboys On Music Row* proud.” 

Lastly, “Stuck In My Ways” finds Watkins embracing who she is. It’s a 90’s tinted celebration of all of her best qualities, take ‘em or leave ‘em. “I keep a six pack in the Fridge // And a rocking chair out back // I keep a light on, on the porch // And a key under the mat // I don’t park in that spot where you parked your Chevrolet // I ain’t sitting ‘round hoping you’ll come back someday // I’m just stuck in my ways // Yeah I’m stuck in my ways.”

For Lauren Watkins, Introducing: The Heartbreak shows that the singer-songwriter has no plans of slowing down. In fact, she’s taken a heartbreak and translated it into art.

Introducing: The Heartbreak EP Tracklist:

1. Fine County Line (Lauren Watkins, Rodney Clawson, Nicolle Galyon)
2. Jealous of Jane (Lauren Watkins, Caroline Watkins, Brad Warren, Brett Warren)
3. Fly On The Wall (Lauren Watkins, Andy Sheridan, Brad Warren, Brett Warren)*
4. Stuck In My Ways (Lauren Watkins, Will Bundy, David Garcia, Emily Landis)
5. Cowboys on Music Row (Lauren Watkins, Jessie Jo Dillon, Carter Faith, Lauren Hungate, Ashley Monroe, Caroline Watkins)**
6. The Table (Lauren Watkins, Nicolle Galyon, Brad Warren, Brett Warren)

Country Swag Picks:

1. Cowboys on Music Row
2. Stuck in My Ways
3. The Table

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news about future Lauren Watkins releases.

For tour dates and more, visit the singer-songwriter’s website here.

To keep up with Lauren Watkins, follow her on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Introducing: The Heartbreak EP is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released music on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.