Willson (album)
2024 studio album by Ashe
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Willson is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Ashe. It was released on September 6, 2024, as an independent artist. After the cancellation of her 2023 tour, Fun While It Lasted Tour, she decided to take a break for a while. In 2024, she announced that her new studio album would be released, sharing four singles such as "Running Out of Time", "I Wanna Love You", "I Hope You Die First" and "Ashe". Ashe also co-wrote the songs with Collin Pastore and Jake Finch.
| Willson | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 6, 2024 | |||
| Length | 43:29 | |||
| Label | Ashe | |||
| Producer |
| |||
| Ashe chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Willson | ||||
| ||||
Even though Wilson didn't meet commercial success, it received positive reviews from music critics. Ashe announced the Trilogy Tour in May 2025, to support Willson as well as her previous albums, Ashlyn (2021) and Rae (2022).
Background
In 2023, she was scheduled to embark on her Fun While It Lasted Tour. However, she announced the tour was canceled on February 1, 2023, citing she no longer felt "mentally healthy or resilient enough to go back on tour yet" and forced herself to take a break for her mental health.[1][2] On June 21, 2024, she gave her first live performance in over a year where she performed "Moral of the Story" with Niall Horan during his Saratoga Springs stop on his tour.[3]
Promotion
On June 27, 2024, she announced her new album Willson would release on September 6, 2024, and is her first album being an independent artist. The lead single from the album, "Running Out of Time", was released on June 28, 2024.[4][5] She released her second and third single, "I Wanna Love You (But I Don't)" and "I Hope You Die First" on August 2, 2024.[6] She released the fourth and final single "Ashe" on September 4, 2024.
Tour
Ashe embarked on the Trilogy Tour in May 2025, in support of her first three albums.[7]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| The Ithacan |   [8] |
| WA Ghostwriter | 9.8/10[9] |
Willson received generally positive reviews from critics. George Gassaro of The Ithacan wrote that the album strikes a strong balance between maintaining Ashe's signature sound and moving beyond her earlier work, calling it "a great start to what should be a very satisfying return to music".[8] Sullivan Jordan of Off the Record Press noted that she "made a strong and intimate comeback with her most personal album yet." Willson was also described to have built tension and explore her vocal range with vibrant and earthy instruments that help complement her voice. Jordan credited her powerful and heartbreaking lyrics as the star of the album.[10] Sara Metivier of WA Ghostwriter as "the perfect balance between heartbreaking songs and ones that are more upbeat, making the listeners feel happy for Ashe."[9]
Track listing
All tracks were written by Ashlyn Willson, Collin Pastore and Jake Finch, except where noted. All tracks were produced by Pastore and Finch.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Please Don't Fall in Love with Me" | 2:45 | |
| 2. | "Running Out of Time" |
| 3:35 |
| 3. | "Pull the Plug" | 3:19 | |
| 4. | "Cherry Trees" | 3:03 | |
| 5. | "I Wanna Love You (But I Don't)" | 4:18 | |
| 6. | "Helter Skelter" | 3:48 | |
| 7. | "Dear Stranger" | 3:31 | |
| 8. | "Hornet's Nest" | 4:10 | |
| 9. | "Castle" | 3:20 | |
| 10. | "Don't Do Me Any Favors" (physical editions only) | 3:42 | |
| 11. | "I Hope You Die First" | 3:26 | |
| 12. | "Devil Herself" | 3:53 | |
| 13. | "Ashe" | 4:21 | |
| Total length: | 48:11 | ||
Personnel
Musicians
- Ashlyn Willson – vocals (all tracks)
Technical
- Preston Cochran – mastering (all tracks)