TV PREMIERE OF “WHEN LOVE AIN’T LOVE” FROM ACCLAIMED FULL-LENGTH INDEPENDENT PROJECT
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CELEBRATES "LOVE AIN’T PRETTY"
HEADLINING SOLD-OUT SHOW AT NASHVILLE’S EXIT/IN
KEVIN JAMES (GUEST), RENATA NOTNI (GUEST),
CHARLES ESTEN (GUEST), KELLY CLARKSON
Multi-talented entertainer Charles Esten brought his acclaimed independent debut album, "Love Ain’t Pretty", to NBC’s The Kelly Clarkson Show yesterday (1/29) for the rocking television premiere performance of “When Love Ain’t Love.” Written by Esten and Jeffrey East, listen to the cautionary tale of a romantic fallout produced by Marshall Altman here.
After his headline-making appearance last spring in Los Angeles, Esten made a coast-to-coast reunion with host Kelly Clarkson for a sit-down chat about the long-awaited full-length project alongside fellow guests Kevin James and Renata Notni in New York City. He also connected onscreen with Clarkson’s “Rad Human,” 15-year-old cancer survivor and inspiring singer Elana Koenig. With personal connections to childhood cancer after his daughter Addie survived leukemia when she was 2 ½ years old, Esten was moved to invite Koenig to perform at his 11th Annual Light the Late Night benefit concert in the fall. Serving as the National Honorary Spokesperson for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Esten’s “Team Addie” has surpassed over $2.2 MILLION in cumulative funds raised over the last 10 years. Watch the sweet surprise on NBC’s The Kelly Clarkson Show here.
Featured by Parade, Cowboys & Indians, CMT, and more, Esten’s "Love Ain’t Pretty" is being lauded by critics everywhere:
“the album is the purest representation of his artistry possible.” – GRAMMY.com
“being his true self has brought some of Esten’s biggest success, and that same spirit now
“Written with the wisdom and breadth that comes with time, Esten captures the dimensions of love, loss, growth, and hope.” – Forbes
Esten celebrated "Love Ain’t Pretty" with a SOLD-OUT first-time headlining concert at Nashville’s Exit/In for his album release show (1/26). Playing songs from the 14-track compilation (co-writing all with acoustic guitar credits), he further surprised the jam-packed house with a pop-up from former Nashville co-star Sam Palladio. With a follow-up appearance Saturday (1/27) during his 169th performance at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, he then took the Whiskey Jam stage for the 13th Anniversary show last night (1/29) at Nashville’s Dierks Bentley's Whiskey Row.
Visit here for upcoming dates on the worldwide LOVE AIN’T PRETTY TOUR this spring.
With his highly anticipated independent debut album, Love Ain’t Pretty, out January 26, multi-talent Charles Esten reveals the true dichotomy of matters of the heart with two new releases from the full-length project. Available now across all streaming platforms and digital retailers, listen to “Make You Happy” and “When Love Ain’t Love” here.
Both co-written by Esten, as his pen is credited on all 14 songs on Love Ain’t Pretty, “Make You Happy” – written by Esten, Gary Burr, and Jon D’Agostino – finds a stand-up guy lost in love. Soaked in an irresistibly romantic and restless desire, Esten offers a playful proposition with a hard to resist spirit. Produced by Marshall Altman with an upbeat mix of honky-tonk, beachy Doo-Wop and funky Soul, “Make You Happy” also features a bouncy Caribbean beat and a touch of whirring organ, plus Esten’s love-drunk vocal and a spirit-lifting hook. All along, he promises not to ask for the world – just to see a smile.
Like the album title suggests, “When Love Ain’t Love” – written by Esten and Jeffrey East – taps into the opposing side of love, as it explores the slow-motion unraveling of a relationship. Serving as a cautionary tale of a romantic fallout and the inevitably hard truths that accompany it, the Altman-produced confessional boasts Esten’s raw vocal cutting through the ‘80s Rock atmosphere, with reverb-soaked guitars that further create the woozy, disoriented feeling of a world turned upside down. The steady back beat continues to pound on like a desperate heart, hoping things might one day turn around, even through the stark resignation of the final chorus lyric: “When it ain’t like before, but there ain’t no because. Love ain’t love no more. It just is what it is, when it ain’t what it was.”
Vividly detailed and filled with the emotional daring of a celebrated storyteller – both onscreen and onstage – Esten dives into wide-ranging themes of earth-shattering romance, big-picture reflection, and beyond, in Love Ain’t Pretty. Spotlighted as the High Note in Nashville Lifestyles’ The Music Issue on stands now, the diverse and richly textured full-length project was also just featured by GRAMMY.com and Parade. In addition, it’s been spotted on anticipated albums of 2024 lists by The Tennessean, STEREOGUM, Men’s Journal, and Taste of Country. More than 10 years in the making, Esten explores life, love, and the passing of time through the lens of a traveled and tested everyman, who has never lost his innate sense of wonder, or his wide-open soul, with a rollout of already released songs including “One Good Move,” “A Little Right Now,” “In A Bar Somewhere,” “Down The Road (feat. Eric Paslay),” and “Somewhere In The Sunshine.”
Come join Charles and celebrate "Love Ain’t Pretty" with an album release show at Exit/In on January 26 - limited tickets are remaining. Fans can purchase here.
