Charles Esten was blessed enough to treat his fans with a performance at the Musicians on Call celebration of Millions Of Moments at the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
You won’t want to miss Love Ain’t Pretty, Charles Esten’s breakout debut album! Even more breathtaking is the fact that it has been more than ten years in the making. This stunning creation has been crafted, enhanced, smoothed, and perfected by Charles Esten’s life and career experiences. His time on ABC/CMT’s hit series Nashville undoubtedly played a pivotal role in this journey, where Esten portrayed the iconic country artist Deacon Claybourne. Nashville was not the only notch on his belt. He also had the fortune of touring with the wildly successful Nashville The Reunion Tour. Love Ain’t Pretty is a culmination of all these rich experiences and his own unique perspective in the world of a singer-songwriter.
Charles Esten defies tradition and the odds of the music industry. Instead of the typical artist launching a debut album, Esten’s path has been quite different. His roles have already given him a unique fan base, one that he cultivated through Nashville and his impressive 165 appearances on the Grand Ole Opry stage. Love Ain’t Pretty isn’t just an album, it’s an extension of Charles Esten himself. With anthems like “Undermine” with Hayden Pantettiere and “No One Will Ever Love You” with Connie Britton to his nane, Esten is a multifaceted artist with a story to tell. He has undoubtedly achieved beyond what many artists can even dream of.
Photo courtesy: (Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images Television Network, Photo by Mark Levine/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
A Love Ain’t Pretty track will grip you from the first strum. Full of life’s wisdom and experience, Esten’s masterful (all 14) tracks offer an honest, thought-provoking exploration of love, loss, growth, and hope. Each song is a step in life. While sharing his insights on the album, Esten affirms, “This (the album) is about that journey of life— about how hard it all can be, but how worth it it all is.” From the very highs to the lowest lows, Esten has poured everything into this album to make it real and relatable across different walks of life. He created it exactly for you.
As emotional as Nashville’s Deacon Claybourne, the songs on his album deliver a heartfelt message. With titles like “Love Ain’t Pretty,” “In a Bar Somewhere,” and “One Good Move”, It’s an emotional journey, that’s easy to embrace. Even in its rebellion as seen in “I Ain’t” and “Another Song About You”, you can see beyond just the music. Esten shares insights and experiences of profound loss and grief in “Somewhere in The Sunshine”, creating a masterpiece that’s as far from his playful “Make You Happy” as you can get.
Charles Esten’s debut album is truly an incredible musical journey that’s full of life’s raw emotions. To discover more about this charming artist’s debut album, click here and let yourself be drawn into a world of real, impeccable music.

