Sophia Scott Journeys Through Heartbreak in Track By Track of New Album, ‘Barstool Confessions’

Following the release of her debut EP, One Of These Days, newcomer Sophia Scott is opening her heart for her debut full-length album, Barstool Confessions. The Colorado native wears her heart on her sleeve as she reflects on a breakup that changed her life. Barstool Confessions consists of 12 candid songs that show the world how Scott coped with the heartbreak, sharing a glimpse into her healing process.

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It’s such a surreal moment finally releasing my debut album,” Scott shares. “I’ve put so much love, sweat, and tears into this project over the years and I’ve spent so many sleepless nights getting it exactly where I want it to be. It’s helped me through a very tough time learning how to navigate heartbreak and painstaking vulnerability. I hope this helps anyone who needs it and I cannot wait for you to join me on this rodeo.”

Featuring the song “Lipstick on You, and lead single “Boots, Jeans, & Jesus,” a song about asking Jesus to help resist the temptations of Mr. Wrong, Barstool Confessions, out now, offers a range of tunes from ballads to anthems, all revealing and honest and all too relatable rise from heartache.

“To me, every song on this album feels like a barstool confession, like when you’re sitting next to a stranger at a bar and telling them your whole life story,” says Scott.

That boy’s trouble
Hell, he’s got me shooting doubles
And it ain’t even hit midnight
(God help me)
I’m cowboy crazy
Picking petals off a daisy
Thinking things that ain’t lady like
(God help me)
Oh, I’m hanging on a prayer
Don’t let me go there
‘Cause the only thing between us
Is boots, jeans, and Jesus

Below, Scott shares the stories behind each song in an exclusive track-by-track guide to Barstool Confessions.

1. “What I’m Wearing Tonight”

“This song is meant to be fun, uplifting, and empowering for anyone going through a breakup.  It’s the moments when we’re not feeling our best that we need something to pick us up off the floor—I wanted this song to be a go-to hype anthem. There’s nothing like getting ready with your friends, feeling yourself, and trying to forget about the person who broke your heart—even if it’s just for a night.  I hope people can put this on and remember how special they are.  

2. “Lipstick on You”

“This song describes the end of a long-term relationship. Reflecting on things that were wasted, time that was wasted; energy that was wasted, etc. It’s really hard when you’ve been in such a long-term relationship to not feel like you’ve missed out on years of your life, or like you’re starting over.  Especially as a woman when society puts so much pressure on getting married and settling down.  I believe it’s human nature to want to blame someone or something instead of having to sit with uncomfortable feelings.  So in this case —we’re blaming lipstick.”

3. “You Problem”

This song came out of a conversation between a friend and I.  He said, that sounded like a “you problem,” and immediately we knew it was a title, but we wanted to flip it in a more unassuming way.  Instead of making it about a problem someone has, I made it about a crush I was falling for.  It ain’t the tequila, the cigarettes, or the green, it’s you—and I’ve caught feelings.

3. “City Limits”

This song is about chasing my dreams.  I knew it was impossible to follow this thing through if I stayed in my hometown.  I love where I’m from and I will always go back and appreciate all the beauty in where I grew up, but it was limiting in regards to the future and life I imagined for myself.  I had to go past the city limits to find what I was looking for.  

5. “Plastic Rodeo”

This song is about my journey as an artist. I moved from Colorado, to San Diego, to LA, to Nashville chasing this crazy dream.  The highs are high and the lows are low.  Sometimes it feels like taking one step forward and three steps back.  After having a particularly rough month and feeling beaten down by the industry, I was complaining to my friend and the song just poured out.  It was like a stream of consciousness and so therapeutic to write.  We had written a different song that day (a terrible one) but it had the lyric “plastic rodeo” which we knew was special.  We immediately knew that was the title.  

6. “Anything but the Truth”

I wrote this about running into my ex’s friend at a bar soon after our breakup.  I was not in a good place and feeling very sad, missing him, and trying to navigate my new life – leaning into some unhealthy coping mechanisms.  Naturally, I didn’t want this information about myself being relayed to him by his friend, so I said, “If you don’t mind could you tell him that I’m doing great and really have my shit together, etc.”  This constructed the concept for the song which ultimately became, “tell him anything but the truth.’ 

7. “No You Didn’t”

“A co-writer came up to me the morning after we had all partied together at a work event, having had some slightly embarrassing moments the night before and probably too much to drink. He comically said, “Sophia, if you saw me last night, no you didn’t!”  I laughed, and immediately knew it was a great title.  Everybody’s been there.”

8. “How to Kiss”

“It’s inevitable that after you break up with someone, the next person they date is going to get a better version of them.  I wrote this as a tongue-in-cheek, humorous song to my ex’s next girlfriend.  Basically saying, ‘You’re welcome for teaching him some great moves and how to treat a woman right.’”  

9. “Keeper”

“This song is a classic example of “you don’t know what you got till it’s gone.”  Sometimes it takes losing someone to realize how great they are.  Hard lesson to learn.” 

10. “Mullet Over”

“This song came from the phrase mull it over.  We wanted to take the phrase and turn it into a hilarious song about a guy with a mullet and spin it with a country narrative.  We really leaned in and it turned out to be kind of savage haha.  I promise I have nothing against mullets! Lol.”

11. “Boots, Jeans, & Jesus”

“This song is about fighting temptation against the bad boy you know is no good for you yet have a hard time resisting. Sometimes you gotta ask the man upstairs for a little help in making the right call.  I’d imagine most people have been there at some point or another.”

12. “Watering Roses”

“I wrote this song at the end of my relationship.  It was hard, yet very therapeutic to write.  I’m not a quitter, and arguably loyal to a fault sometimes.  I had to accept that the work we were putting in just wasn’t making a difference and it ultimately became too much to bear.  It’s all love at the end of the day between us, but sometimes things aren’t meant to last.  It felt like watering roses that were never going to grow.”

Photo by Claire Schaper