Wyatt Flores announced himself as a breakout country artist to watch with 2023’s Life Lessons, a lyric-driven collection of traditional skewing country folk for fans of Zach Bryan or Noah Kahan. On his follow-up Half Life, Flores reflects on how his life has changed since building a quickly growing fanbase. He also charts the struggles of opening up to meaningful connection, like on standout track “Milwaukee,” a clever and emotional plea for a lover to forgive him. Flores explains it isn’t always easy to be vulnerable in his songwriting, saying, “It's not always fun, but the weight that's released off of your chest after you're done saying it is a dang good feeling. And that's kind of where I've been at with the songwriting now, is understanding that there is a power with it.” This playlist tracks what’s happening from the heart of the country scene to its outer edges. Check back here early and often, and if you hear something you like, add it to your library.