Starfire by Caitlyn Smith

Starfire, Caitlyn Smith's debut studio album, came out on Monument Records on January 19, 2018, and it's the sound of a behind-the-scenes pro finally stepping into the light. The Cannon Falls, Minnesota native had spent years writing for other people, with songs cut by Meghan Trainor, Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, Avicii and Miley Cyrus, and she told Billboard that writing for herself meant digging into her own story and getting more honest. A five-track EP under the same name had tested the waters in 2016, and the newly revived Monument signed her the following year.

Paul Moak produced, and the country pop here is big-hearted and wide-screen, built around a voice that can go from a hush to a full-throated roar. Smith called the title track, the lead single, her theme song after so many doors had shut on her. She took the album out on a 26-city US tour that spring, and "Contact High" is the cut that later reached the countdowns.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.