Watkins shares a heartfelt look at everyday love in her new ballad
Rising country songstress Lauren Watkins shines a light on the beauty of everyday love with the release of “Average Joe & Plain Jane” via Big Loud Records/Songs & Daughters. Delivering serene vocals and pure vulnerability, the Nashville native offers a twist on the terms ‘average Joe’ and ‘plain Jane,’ turning what seems to be a negative connotation into something beautiful.
Written by Watkins alongside Lauren Hungate, Luke Laird, and Caroline Watkins, the sweetheart ballad presents a twilight shine, showcasing gentle acoustic guitars and the soft sway of a front-porch swing that helps frame a typical day in extraordinary beauty. The release is paired with an all-new lyric video featuring personal footage from Watkins’ 2024 wedding, highlighting the real-life love story behind the song.
“I don’t like to pick favorites, but this song might be the most special to me,” shares Watkins. “One day I wrote down the words ‘Average Joe & Plain Jane.’ I knew there was a song in there, I just didn’t know what it was yet. About a year later, I was telling my co-writers about how my husband and I had spent the day at Home Depot picking out our first mailbox together and it was somehow such a special moment for us. It hit me while I was describing that to them – that was the song. I love the fact that ‘average Joe’ and ‘plain Jane’ are typically used to describe someone in a negative way, but this song squashes that. I think the most beautiful things in life are actually simple and ordinary.”
Early previews of the song sparked heavy social media chatter, with fans flooding comments in anticipation and calling it one of her most relatable releases yet. The new music comes amidst a big summer for Watkins, with “Average Joe & Plain Jane” accompanying a string of 2025 standouts. From the hot-blooded “Lose My Cool” to gravel-road anthem “I’ll Get Through It” and desolate “Marlboro Man,” she’s just getting started.
After releasing her 17-track critically acclaimed debut album, The Heartbroken Record, last year, Watkins is now happily married, moving on from heartbreak and on to greener pastures in her new chapter.
In June, Watkins fulfilled a lifelong dream by stepping into the coveted Grand Ole Opry circle for the first time. She’ll continue to build momentum on the road, recently wrapping her support slot with Riley Green and set to join Lainey Wilson and Kameron Marlowe in the fall.
