Music Minute - Lauren Watkins: Heartbreakaholic

 

Big Loud Records / Songs & Daughters Tennessee songbird Lauren Watkins enters a new season of music with the release of her new song “Heartbreakaholic,” out now. The track arrives just days after announcing the renewal of her publishing deal with powerhouse independent publisher Big Loud Publishing, further cementing her place as one of country music's most promising young artist-writers.   Written by Watkins with award-winning writers Will Bundy, Nicolle Galyon and Rodney Clawson, “Heartbreakaholic” ushers in the Nashville native's next chapter with a sharp sense of perspective and a hook rooted in real-life heartbreak patterns. Inspired by her own experiences, she looks back on the old heartbreak habits that once felt hard to shake – the kind you know might not be good for you, but can't quite quit.    “I may be settled down now, but don't be fooled, I'm no stranger to a good old-fashioned heartbreak,” shares Watkins. “There was always something strangely addicting about it to me. Just when I'd get over something, I needed something else to get over. Maybe I'm crazy, but I'm just a person who feels things deeply, and I kinda get restless when I don't have an excuse to drive around and cry to my favorite sad songs,” Watkins laughs. “Heartbroken or not, I'm a creature of habit, and that's really what this song is about. I hope some people out there can relate!”

WATCH: “HEARTBREAKAHOLIC” LYRIC VIDEO   Arriving as the first new song since her 2025 10-track album In A Perfect World, “Heartbreakaholic” opens the door to a more self-aware season for Watkins. After an album that found her embracing the balance between the fast lane of life on tour and the quiet calm of home, “Heartbreakaholic” turns the page again – looking back on the messier patterns that came before with honesty, wit and her signature “direct-yet poetic songwriting” (Billboard).    Last year, Watkins made her debut on some of music's biggest stages, including the Grand Ole Opry, NBC's TODAY and Madison Square Garden. After touring with Zach Top, Riley Green and Lainey Wilson throughout 2025, she'll bring her new music on the road with Dylan Scott and Luke Bryan in 2026. For tour dates and more information, keep up with Watkins at laurenwatkins.com and on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.

ABOUT LAUREN WATKINS: After an acclaimed album debut and a year-plus on the road with stars like Morgan Wallen, Riley Green and Lainey Wilson – plus Billboard accolades and a monumental first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry – Big Loud Records / Songs & Daughters artist Lauren Watkins has emerged as a proudly defiant projection of pure country-music moxy. A Nashville native inspired by crowd-pleasing outlaws like Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, Lee Ann Womack and Miranda Lambert, Watkins' 17-track 2024 debut, The Heartbroken Record, introduced a mainstream maverick with a thirst for lyrical truth – and an old-school country rebel whose modern instincts never succumb to trends. Coming to know the fast lane by heart, the modern-classic singer-songwriter has racked up millions of streams and rocked full-on stadiums, while learning from legendary songwriters like Nicolle Galyon, Luke Laird and The Warren Brothers. Yet In A Perfect World finds Watkins in a fresh phase, with her dreamy vocal awake to new charms and challenges. Featuring an earthy mix of sunset country and hazy heartland grit, she's no longer expecting to get her heart broken, and not pushing the idea of home away. Produced by husband and CMA/ACM Award winner Will Bundy, with additional co-production from hitmaker Joey Moi on select tracks, Watkins builds on her of-the-moment and always-organic sound; 10 co-written songs capturing the passion and promise of a new outlook. Steel guitars and ethereal atmosphere create a sense of wide-open space, while bold twang and rootsy rhythms keep the Tennessee songbird's vocal grounded. With In A Perfect World, Watkins captured a season of growth and self-discovery, setting the stage for new music led by “Heartbreakaholic,” out now. She will also bring that sound to stages across the country while touring with Dylan Scott and Luke Bryan throughout 2026.