After breaking through with her song ‘You Don’t Have to Die (to Be Dead to Me)’ Kaitlin Butts refused to let that viral success be the limit of her career. She signed to a major record label, toured relentlessly, both as a headline act but mainly as an opener for bigger names like Lainey Wilson and Ella Langley, and offered us an almost constant stream of funny, engaging and inventive social media posts. The effort Kaitlin was putting in to becoming a star was admirable, even if it looked more than a little exhausting.
Truth is that the real difference between viral success and a lasting career in the music industry all comes down to the songs themselves. You can say what you want about Ella & Lainey’s ‘glow-ups’ or their curated social media – none of that would matter if they didn’t have the quality songs and albums that transcend the algorithm. Kaitlin’s last album ‘Roadrunner’ was stacked with songs that could have been hits, which is why she broke through. It was a concept album filled with energy and dramatic gusto, which means this follow up ‘Hello, Honky Tonk’ was always going to have a lot to live up to.
Continue reading “Album Review: Kaitlin Butts – Hello, Honky Tonk”
