Multi-talented entertainer Charles Esten has brought his highly acclaimed independent debut album full circle with the digital release of  Love Ain’t Pretty (Deluxe Edition). Now available across all streaming platforms and digital retailers – listen here.

Marking the one-year anniversary of Love Ain’t Pretty with the double vinyl delivery of the Deluxe Edition (and a 250-count limited edition batch) in January, this digital release is a select version of its physical counterpart. Spotlighting 17 tracks including star-studded collaborations with Keb’ Mo’ (“Maybe I'm Alright”) and Sara Evans (“In A Bar Somewhere”) – both featured by Entertainment Tonight, with MusicRow further calling the latter, “This guy deserves a hit, and this melodic pleasure deserves to be it.” – in addition to a live cut of “Down The Road” with Esten’s former NASHVILLE castmates Clare Bowen, Jonathan Jackson, and Sam Palladio. Recorded as a live performance (both audio and video) from the sold-out NASHVILLE Reunion Tour stop at London’s Eventim Apollo in 2023, their lively camaraderie supercharges the never-give-up anthem with a blast of supreme sonic confidence. Boasting a relentless pulse, 1000-watt guitar riffs, and an uplifting, bring-it-on vocal blend, Esten, Bowen, Jackson, and Palladio, swap encouraging lines about chasing dreams and staying the course, no matter what comes. Together, they inspire the kind of light-in-the-darkness optimism that can lead to greatness, with “Down The Road” serving as the closing song and parting message at each show on the in-demand run.

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“‘Down The Road’ is the penultimate track on my debut album, Love Ain’t Pretty. I wrote it with my friends, Eric Paslay and Dylan Altman, and from the very beginning, I could tell it was special. Whether playing it acoustic in a small round at The Bluebird Cafe, with an electric guitar and a stomp box on the road, or with a full band behind me at the Grand Ole Opry, it has an energy and a message that always seems to connect with a crowd. This was never more true than when my fellow cast and tourmates Clare Bowen, Jonathan Jackson, and Sam Palladio, joined me and our incredible band (led by the great Colin Linden) in closing every show of our 2023 NASHVILLE Reunion Tour with what was easily the most rocking and raucous version of this hopeful anthem,” recalls Esten. “Sharing all the vocals with these incredibly talented friends of mine was not only a joy, it was a blessing that let this song flower into the fullest expression of what it was meant to be. You see, if you ever watched the show NASHVILLE, you know that the most central and recurring theme was that life is hard and love ain’t pretty, but you can’t give up. You have to keep looking for the light. You have to keep going in order to find and arrive at all the beautiful things that are waiting for you down the road. When it came time for the Deluxe Edition, I knew that this live London performance – this beautiful moment in time – had to be on it. Clare, Jonathan, and Sam, all graciously agreed, and so, here it is. Turn it up, sing it loud, and we’ll see you down the road!”

Charles Esten’s Love Ain’t Pretty (Deluxe Edition) Tracklist

1. “Love Ain’t Pretty” (Charles Esten, Marshall Altman, Jimmy Yeary)

2. “A Little Right Now” (Charles Esten, Jacob Lyda, Brian Maher)               

3. “One Good Move” (Charles Esten, Sam Backoff, Zarni deVette, Elise Hayes) 

4. “In A Bar Somewhere” (Charles Esten, Jason Gantt, Neil Medley)  

5. “I Ain’t” (Charles Esten, Brad Crisler, James LeBlanc)

6. “Another Song About You” (Charles Esten, Colin Elmore)

7. “When Love Ain’t Love” (Charles Esten, Jeffrey East)

8. “Candlelight” (Charles Esten, Kenny Alphin, Eric Paslay)

9. “Back In My Life Again” (Charles Esten, Marcus Hummon, Bryan Todd)

10. “Make You Happy” (Charles Esten, Gary Burr, Jon D’Agostino) 

11. “Willing To Try” (Charles Esten, Gary Burr)

12. “Maybe I’m Alright” (Charles Esten, Leslie Satcher)

13. “Down The Road (feat. Eric Paslay)” (Charles Esten, Eric Paslay, Dylan Altman) 

14. “Somewhere In The Sunshine” (Charles Esten, Jon Nite)

15. “In A Bar Somewhere (feat. Sara Evans)” (Charles Esten, Jason Gantt, Neil Medley)

16. “Maybe I'm Alright (feat. Keb’ Mo’)” (Charles Esten, Leslie Satcher)

17. “Down The Road – Live In London (feat. Clare Bowen, Jonathan Jackson,

and Sam Palladio)” (Charles Esten, Eric Paslay, Dylan Altman)

 

All Songs Produced by Marshall Altman

Already celebrating the Deluxe Edition with an appearance on the #1 nationally syndicated one-hour talker The Kelly Clarkson Show, in addition to hosting two Nashville-based events with an album release show at Chief’s on Broadway, and an acoustic performance and vinyl signing at Grimey's New & Preloved Music, Esten will next take the stage at the Grand Ole Opry for his 180th performance on Saturday (3/22). Adding to the excitement, the first 40 ticket holders to purchase the Deluxe Edition double vinyl at The Opry Shop beginning at 10 a.m. CT on show day will gain access for themselves and a guest to attend a private encore performance and meet-and-greet directly following the show. Find a complete list of upcoming shows and ticketing information here.

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ABOUT CHARLES ESTEN:
Global entertainer Charles Esten delivers his signature “loose, rough-cut country,” according to Billboard, to much acclaim with independent debut album, Love Ain’t Pretty (and the Deluxe Edition). Grammy.com hailed, “the album is the purest representation of his artistry possible,” while Forbes further praised his 14-song co-write as “written with the wisdom and breadth that comes with time, Esten captures the dimensions of love, loss, growth, and hope.” Surpassing 25 MILLION streams to date, he’s a 2018 Guinness World Records title holder for the “Most consecutive weeks to release an original digital single by a music act” after releasing 54 original songs once a week for 54 straight weeks. He’s nearing 180 appearances at Nashville’s iconic Grand Ole Opry and has performed multiple headline tours in the U.S., Germany, Amsterdam, and U.K., further embarking on his LOVE AIN’T PRETTY TOUR worldwide. A longtime storyteller as an artist-songwriter and actor, he’s popularly known for his roles as “Ward Cameron” on Netflix’s Outer Banks and “Deacon Claybourne” in ABC/CMT’s NASHVILLE. In addition, Esten serves as the National Honorary Spokesperson for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s annual Light The Night Walk, and is a board member and volunteer for Musicians On Call.