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“ace” is an understatement.
Ashley Cooke's new project of the same name deserves a much more impassioned superlative, with the Florida native navigating loss, heartbreak and growing pains across this rich, evocative offering. The ‘never til now’ hitmaker gets as candid as she's ever been on the record's wistful opener, ‘gettin’ old’, during which she reflects on her father's cancer battle and the passing of her grandmother.
It feels like a sequel of sorts to the fan-favourite ‘it's been a year’, with ‘gettin’ old’ carrying a similarly pared-down, intimate composition while Cooke updates us on her life.
‘baby blues’ is another undeniable stand-out, with the ‘enough to leave’ singer-songwriter demonstrating her versatility as she turns down the lights and shows off her romantic side. It features an irresistibly sultry instrumental, with Cooke playfully serenading her lover and begging him to stop looking at her with his enticing eyes.
Ahead of the record's release, Cooke sheds some light on how ‘baby blues’ came about, “‘baby blues’ is my most fun song to date. It’s clever, flirty, and an absolute blast to perform. I’ve been teasing it for the majority of this year and it’s truly so cool to see everybody’s viral love for it before it’s even come out. We wrote it on the last day of a writing retreat, all very hungover and it felt like a breath of fresh air”.
She expands, “The energy it brings to every room it’s played in is just magic. Whether you two-step, line dance, or just sway, it’s the perfect song to grab your person and dance to”.
After this flirtatious, light-hearted ode, though, the mood turns a little frostier, with Cooke detailing the breakdown in the relationship with the owner of those alluring ‘baby blues’.
‘talk about’ finds Cooke flexing her songwriting muscles once again, flipping the titular lyric at the end of the hook for the gut-wrenching punchline - “There's nothing left for us to talk about”. ‘the hell you are’ and ‘swear words’ double-down on this heartbroken ambience, as Cooke adds more details to this tragic tale.
ace epitomises why Cooke has cemented herself as a key figure in the contemporary country music landscape, with the Big Loud Records signee nimbly flitting between traditional country, pop-infused textures and more rock-tinged flourishes.
It captures the compelling wordplay, sleek vocals and infectious melodies of Cooke's debut album, shot in the dark, while also feeling much rawer and vulnerable, as well as featuring a satisfying range of experimentation with an array of new textures. ace ensures the anticipation remains sky-high ahead of Cooke's sophomore studio album, which we're hoping will be arriving at some point in 2026...
Ashley Cooke's new project, ace, is available to stream everywhere now.
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