Supernova Caitlyn Smith

• 1 Long Time Coming 03:24
• 2 Damn You for Breaking My Heart 03:11
• 3 Put Me Back Together 03:30
• 4 All Over Again 03:46
• 5 I Don't Want to Love You Anymore 03:38
• 6 Supernova 02:36
• 7 I Can't 03:37
• 8 Rare Bird 03:58
• 9 Midnight in New York City 03:40
• 10 Fly Away 03:32
• 11 Feel That Way 04:29
• 12 Lonely Together 04:10
• Total Runtime 43:31

Info for Supernova

2020 release from the singer/songwriter. Supernova, the follow-up to her 2018 debut Starfire, is a "reflection of on the highs and lows that make life so beautiful," according to a press release. It was written after an extensive time on the road and the birth of her second child.

That journey, and her ultimate triumph, formed the backbone of Starfire. With Supernova, Smith advances the story, grappling with life as a touring artist, a wife, and a mother of two young children. She explains that the album’s title track is the project’s centerpiece. “The song ‘Supernova’ is kind of a sad love song about how short life is, and it set the bar for the emotion of this record,” she says. “A supernova is a blast, the final and fullest expression of a star, and, to me, its most beautiful form. I made it the album title because I wanted the album to represent a whole range of emotions. I wanted each song to have that weight, to sit in its utmost emotion.

“‘Supernova’ was a song that just fell out,” she continues. “I was sitting having coffee on my back porch and watching our two-year-old playing in the backyard. I had this moment of ‘How am I 33, own a house, have a husband and a kid?”—it knocked me upside the head. A second ago I was six years old and upside down on the monkey bars, and now I’m here!”

As she continued writing, Smith felt a different sense of ambition for her compositions this time around. “The goal was to push boundaries and grow,” she says, citing such inspirations as Paul Simon, Bonnie Raitt, and the Beatles. “I was stretching for different melodies, taking extra time to craft them. These songs all have guts, they have teeth.”

Just as notable is the shift to more expansive, wide-screen production on Supernova. Smith says that she didn’t have a specific sound in her mind going into the sessions, but that it didn’t take long for a target to emerge.

“As soon as the songs started to come together, the vision became a little clearer,” she says. “I did ‘Long Time Coming’ with Leggy Landon, who produced most of the record, and I loved the direction he was taking it in—how huge it was, with that big, anthemic chorus and gigantic guitar. That really became a starting point for the other tracks.”

One measure of the respect that Smith earned with Starfire was the tours she was asked to join, including shows with the likes of Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, Sheryl Crow, and Amos Lee. “It’s been an incredible honor to be around all these heroes of mine,” she says. “The biggest thing I’ve learned is watching how they run their career and their business.” She singles out one artist as a particular inspiration both personal and professional. “I’ve looked up to Sheryl my whole life and was so inspired to see first-hand how this incredible rock star is also an incredible boss and mother of two. She balances it all so gracefully.”

Caitlyn Smith

Caitlyn Smith
With the 2018 release of her debut album, Starfire, Smith established herself as one of the brightest rising stars in Nashville; her finely etched writing and soulful voice earned her numerous television appearances and high-profile touring slots. Now, with the follow-up, Supernova, the singer-songwriter who garnered acclaim from Rolling Stone, Billboard, and countless critics has upped the ante, delivering a set of songs that are bigger, bolder, and more powerful sonically and lyrically.

“I had years to collect songs for the first album,” says Smith. “This time I was much more focused going in. I had a better idea of what I wanted to create.”

The first single, “Put Me Back Together,” is one of multiple songs on the album inspired by her marriage “I’m grateful to have found that person who can ease my mind and calm all the noise,” she says. “In our relationship, I’m definitely the mess and Rollie is the one constantly putting me back together and talking me off the ledge.”

Growing up in the small town of Cannon Falls, Minnesota, Smith was drawn to music at a young age. After making three albums before she turned 19, she moved to Nashville, where she became one of the town’s most celebrated songwriters; her compositions were recorded by artists from James Bay to Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton to John Legend and Meghan Trainor (for whom she co-wrote the multi-platinum duet “Like I’m Gonna Lose You”). But attempting to re-launch herself as a singer proved more challenging than she expected.

That journey, and her ultimate triumph, formed the backbone of Starfire. With Supernova, Smith advances the story, grappling with life as a touring artist, a wife, and a mother of two young children. If Starfire chronicled a young artist chasing her dream, then Supernova dives into what happens after that dream starts to come true—the struggles of the road, the pressures felt on family and friendships, and the rewards of lessons learned and hard-fought love that transcends all.

This album contains no booklet.