Tasting Georgia

The ultimate guide to making, baking and decorating jaw-dropping cakes from Instagram and Youtube sensation Georgia’s Cakes.

Lauren Watkins is the real deal. Part of a new class of country that's not trying to be pop, along with artists like Megan Moroney and Hailey Whitters, the genre is ingrained in her soul. A Tennessee native discovered by songwriter Nicole Gallyon ("Tequila" by Dan + Shay, "Priscilla" by Miranda Lambert) after college, she shot out of the gate with the excellent single "Fine Country Line" in 2023. Watkins already has a signature: the well-worn gravel rasp that belies her 24 years. It works so well on songs like "Shirley Temple," a swaying country waltz written with Gallyon, about the type of girl who is "everything I'll never be": "She don't cause a scene/ She don't cry in bars/ She won't touch nicotine … and she kinda talks/ Just like your mama/ And that's the cherry on top." With the twang and steel guitar removed, "Leavers Leave"—recalling Deana Carter-era '90s country—could be a great pop hit.

Lauren Watkins is the real deal. Part of a new class of country that's not trying to be pop, along with artists like Megan Moroney and Hailey Whitters, the genre is ingrained in her soul. A Tennessee native discovered by songwriter Nicole Gallyon ("Tequila" by Dan + Shay, "Priscilla" by Miranda Lambert) after college, she shot out of the gate with the excellent single "Fine Country Line" in 2023. Watkins already has a signature: the well-worn gravel rasp that belies her 24 years. It works so well on songs like "Shirley Temple," a swaying country waltz written with Gallyon, about the type of girl who is "everything I'll never be": "She don't cause a scene/ She don't cry in bars/ She won't touch nicotine … and she kinda talks/ Just like your mama/ And that's the cherry on top." With the twang and steel guitar removed, "Leavers Leave"—recalling Deana Carter-era '90s country—could be a great pop hit.

Lauren Watkins is the real deal. Part of a new class of country that's not trying to be pop, along with artists like Megan Moroney and Hailey Whitters, the genre is ingrained in her soul. A Tennessee native discovered by songwriter Nicole Gallyon ("Tequila" by Dan + Shay, "Priscilla" by Miranda Lambert) after college, she shot out of the gate with the excellent single "Fine Country Line" in 2023. Watkins already has a signature: the well-worn gravel rasp that belies her 24 years. It works so well on songs like "Shirley Temple," a swaying country waltz written with Gallyon, about the type of girl who is "everything I'll never be": "She don't cause a scene/ She don't cry in bars/ She won't touch nicotine … and she kinda talks/ Just like your mama/ And that's the cherry on top." With the twang and steel guitar removed, "Leavers Leave"—recalling Deana Carter-era '90s country—could be a great pop hit.

Lauren Watkins is the real deal. Part of a new class of country that's not trying to be pop, along with artists like Megan Moroney and Hailey Whitters, the genre is ingrained in her soul. A Tennessee native discovered by songwriter Nicole Gallyon ("Tequila" by Dan + Shay, "Priscilla" by Miranda Lambert) after college, she shot out of the gate with the excellent single "Fine Country Line" in 2023. Watkins already has a signature: the well-worn gravel rasp that belies her 24 years. It works so well on songs like "Shirley Temple," a swaying country waltz written with Gallyon, about the type of girl who is "everything I'll never be": "She don't cause a scene/ She don't cry in bars/ She won't touch nicotine … and she kinda talks/ Just like your mama/ And that's the cherry on top." With the twang and steel guitar removed, "Leavers Leave"—recalling Deana Carter-era '90s country—could be a great pop hit.