Lauren Watkins Confirms She's Here to Stay with Stellar Sophomore Album, ‘In A Perfect World’

It's no secret that neo-traditional country music is back - and as Lauren Watkins demonstrates throughout her new album, In A Perfect World, it's never been in better health.

Having spent much of 2025 on the road with one of the most revered names in this sub-genre, Zach Top, after opening for the biggest artist in country music the previous year, Morgan Wallen, Watkins is showcasing that all this touring experience has paid off, with the ‘Lose My Cool’ crooner dropping another top-tier project.

In A Perfect World continues the momentum Watkins built with her lauded debut full-length album, The Heartbroken Record, and - as the title indicates - finds the Tennessee singer-songwriter looking through life with slightly more rose-tinted glasses.

Speaking ahead of the release, Watkins underlines why this project feels particularly special, “I am so beyond proud of this music. I've lived so much life in the past couple years, from playing shows all over the world and spending half of my time on the road, to building a sweet little life in a farm-house with my husband”.

Watkins expands on how In A Perfect World feels like an accurate, vibrant snapshot of her current season of life, “It's made me appreciate so many parts of all of it. I've started embracing the simple things just as much as the chaos. And that's what inspired these 10 songs. It paints a good picture of what my world looks like these days, but I really hope people can see their own world within it too”.

Adding to this sense of sincerity and authenticity is the fact that Watkins’ husband, Will Bundy, produced In A Perfect World, as well as co-writing five of the ten tracks.

There are an array of steel-soaked gems on this record, including the sumptuously nostalgic John Morgan collaboration, ‘Slippery Slope’, which finds Watkins’ sinuous vocals cascading across the unashamedly traditional-leaning instrumental.

‘Pretty Please’, the album closer, is another highlight, with Watkins wrapping her enchanting vocals across the sparse, brooding guitar riff, before launching into the sleek hook. It's an infectious, bittersweet ode that once again highlights the ‘Mama, I Made It’ hitmaker's penchant for witty, wordplay-laced songwriting.

Whether she's paring down the composition on the sweet, stereotype-busting ‘Average Joe & Plain Jane’ or transporting listeners to a Texas dance-hall on the swinging ‘Britches’, Watkins has a clear sonic fingerprint, but isn't afraid to challenge herself.

In A Perfect World stays true to the unmistakable Lauren Watkins sound we first started hearing in 2023, while also serving as a timestamp of Watkins’ artistic evolution.

The hooks are even more compelling, the vocals feel more polished and the lyrical flips are more playful than ever. In A Perfect World is neo-traditional country music that still feels fresh and modern - and we'll lose our cool for that any day of the week.

Lauren Watkins’ new album, In A Perfect World, is out now via Big Loud Records / Songs & Daughters

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