Kassi Ashton Cuts Deep With Soaring New ‘Pretty Shiny Things’ [LISTEN]

Kassi Ashton has shared the studio version of her next song, "Pretty Shiny Things," a searing ballad that delves into the expectations that women face from society at large and, often, from their mothers. Press play above to listen.

The track spotlights Ashton's pain-inflected, powerful vocals, accompanied by a simple guitar line, as the lyrics take listeners through the pressure a young woman feels to be beautiful, and how she ultimately realizes that she is worth much more than her looks.

"Take your makeup off, girl / Hold your head high / Let your guard down / Don't be scared to cry," Ashton sings at the climax of the song. "Ain't nothin' pretty about a perfect life."

The singer reveals in a press release that she had the idea for the song years ago, when she woke up one night with the idea to write it. "Three years ago, this song was there for me in the middle of the night. Like a diary entry that was writing me, not me writing it," she says. "It has silently waited, giving guidance, and reminded me that honest art is the best art. I'm honored to be passing it along to whoever needs it now."

Ashton first shared "Pretty Shiny Things" onstage at the annual Universal Music Group Luncheon during the 2019 Country Radio Seminar in February. Earlier in the year, she also shared the swagger-heavy, sassy "Violins."

The singer has previously explained that her upcoming debut album, scheduled for release later in 2019, will aim to introduce listeners to different sides of the artist's musical identity. Listeners are already getting a glimpse of that vastly diverse identity between the two new songs, one of which showcases swagger and confidence, the other of which highlights vulnerability. According to Ashton, both those sentiments -- and many others -- are true to her personality.

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