Cherry Valley (album)
| Cherry Valley | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Studio album by | |
| Released | October 3, 2025 |
| Recorded | 2024–25 |
| Genre | Country |
| Length | 53:37 |
| Label | MCA Nashville |
| Producer | Tofer Brown |
| Singles from Cherry Valley | |
| |
| Cherry Valley Forever | |
 2026 reissue | |
| Singles from Cherry Valley Forever | |
| |
Cherry Valley is the debut studio album by American country music singer-songwriter Carter Faith. It was produced by Tofer Brown and released on October 3, 2025, via MCA Nashville. The project's title references a fictional place that signifies Faith's creative home, and was inspired by a road sign she saw while on tour. The songs span Faith’s journey from her North Carolina hometown to Nashville, with all the heartbreak, triumph and hazy nights in between. Cherry Valley received critical acclaim and featured on several "best of 2025" lists. It was nominated for Album of the Year at the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards, making Faith the first artist in over ten years to be nominated for the award with their debut album (following Chris Stapleton's Traveller in 2015).[1][2]
Background
Discussing the title, Faith expressed that "Cherry Valley" is a town that exists in her imagination where she could process her emotions and turn them into songs that were primarily inspired by the work of Lana Del Rey, Kacey Musgraves, and Taylor Swift. Speaking on her songwriting process, Faith stated, "I would write songs, and some of them would live in Cherry Valley and some of them didn’t, it was just this fantastical dreamland that I created in my head, and I wanted my songs to live in that world too. I love the drama. I wanted them all to feel like they could fit in that very weird, Alice in Wonderland world." In an interview with Rolling Stone, she selected "Six String", "Misery Loves Company", "Betty", "Changed", and "Sails" as some of her favorite tracks from the album.[3]
Faith announced the album on June 27, 2025, with an accompanying statement.[4]
"Cherry Valley means everything to me. Every time I have slipped into a dark place (which I have a propensity for), this album has brought me out of it. I know that I wrote the songs but they still carry reminders for me every day when I relisten. Some of the songs have even transformed for me and mean something different now. The world of Cherry Valley has been a safe and freeing place for me and everyone who has worked so hard on this record. I have truly created this album with my best friends, which feels surreal. It feels like it belongs to all of us, because it does."[4]
Promotion and release
Singles
"If I Had Never Lost My Mind..." was released as the album lead single on February 21, 2025. It was followed by a second single titled, "Grudge" which was released on April 11, 2025. The album third single "Sex, Drugs & Country Music" was released on June 27, 2025, the same day of the album announcement.[4]
A fourth single, "Bar Star" was released on July 25, 2025. "Arrow (Die For That Man)" served as the album fifth and final single on September 5, 2025, before the album release.
Cherry Valley Forever
In 2026, Faith announced that the album will be reissued as Cherry Valley Forever, which will include five new songs, and its expected to be released on July 24, 2026. To promote the reissue two singles were released: "Ain't Over Me Yet" was released on May 15, 2026, and "Nothin' Better To Do" on June 26, 2026, the latter featuring country singer Wyatt Flores.
Reception
Cherry Valley received acclaim from music critics. It was ranked at number three on Billboard's "10 Best Country Albums of 2025" list, with Jessica Nicholson writing, "with her debut album Cherry Valley, gifted singer and songwriter Faith proves she more than knows her way around crafting a resplendent melody and an attention-grabbing lyric. She finds a soul-healing trinity in “Sex, Drugs and Country Music,” and then dives headfirst into honkytonk grit, capturing the essence of a heady romance with a small-town “Bar Star.” Elsewhere, she leans into elements of smooth countrypolitan, while her dynamic, polished vocal gives powerful ballads such as “If I Had Never Lost My Mind” an ethereal elegance. Overall, this marks an impressive, impactful debut that should give anyone plenty of faith in her career’s longevity".[5]
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Album of the Year | Nominated | [1] |
Year-end lists
| Publication | Year | List | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billboard | 2025 | The 10 Best Country Albums of 2025 | 3 | [5] |
| Country Universe | The 40 Best Country Albums of 2025 | 2 | [6] | |
| Holler.Country | The Best Country Music Albums of 2025 | 4 | [7] | |
| Rolling Stone | The 25 Best Country and Americana Albums of 2025 | 2 | [8] | |
| The 100 Best Albums of 2025 | 18 | [9] | ||
| Stereogum | The 10 Best Country Albums of 2025 | Included | [10] | |
| Whiskey Riff | The Best Debut Country Albums of 2025 | 1 | [11] | |
| The 40 Best Country Albums of 2025 | 15 | [12] |
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Cherry Valley" |
| 3:52 |
| 2. | "Sex, Drugs, & Country Music" |
| 3:37 |
| 3. | "Arrows (Die For That Man)" |
| 3:51 |
| 4. | "Bar Star" |
| 2:52 |
| 5. | "Betty" |
| 2:54 |
| 6. | "Grudge" |
| 3:15 |
| 7. | "Six String" |
| 4:06 |
| 8. | "If I Had Never Lost My Mind..." |
| 3:11 |
| 9. | "Misery Loves Company" |
| 3:16 |
| 10. | "Drink Up, Baby" |
| 3:27 |
| 11. | "Burn My Memory" |
| 3:33 |
| 12. | "Sails" |
| 3:47 |
| 13. | "So I Sing" |
| 3:52 |
| 14. | "Changed" |
| 4:35 |
| 15. | "Still A Lover" |
| 3:23 |
| Total length: | 53:37 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16. | "Dead Horse" |
| 3:26 |
| 17. | "Nothin' Better To Do" (with Wyatt Flores) |
| 3:02 |
| 18. | "Pearl Handled Pistol" (with Laci Kaye Booth and Baby Nova) |
| 4:19 |
| 19. | "If A Man's From Texas" |
| 2:51 |
| 20. | "Ain't Over Me Yet" |
| 3:24 |
| Total length: | 57:00 | ||
Personnel
Credits adapted from Tidal.[14]
- Tofer Brown - production, piano, backing vocals, mellotron, bass, organ
- Alicia Enstrom - violin
- Carter Faith - vocals
- Billy Justineau - keyboard, mellotron, organ, wurlitzer, electric piano
- Annaleise Kowert - violin
- Betsy Lamb - viola
- Jordan Lehning - string arrangements
- Todd Lombardo - acoustic guitar, mandolin, banjo
- Tony Lucido - bass
- Rob Mcnelley - electric guitar
- Claire Indie Nunn - cello
- Russ Pahl - pedal steel
- Emily Rodgers - cello
- Aaron Sterling - drums, percussion
- Kristin Weber - violin
Charts
| Chart (2026) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Americana Albums (Official Charts)[15] | 16 |
References
- 1 2 "Megan Moroney & More Women Lead 2026 ACM Awards Nominations: Full List". Billboard. April 9, 2026.
- ↑ Hopkins, Megan (April 14, 2026). "Carter Faith Makes ACM History With Her Debut Album". Country Town.
- ↑ Mier, Tomás (October 3, 2025). "Carter Faith Finds Her Own Wonderland on Debut Album 'Cherry Valley'". Rolling Stone.
- 1 2 3 4 Sink, Lauryn (June 27, 2025). "Carter Faith Slates Debut Record For October Release". MusicRow.
- 1 2 Nicholson, Jessica (December 16, 2025). "10 Best Country Albums of 2025: Staff Picks". Billboard.
- ↑ Coyne, Kevin John (2026-01-31). "The Forty Best Country Albums of 2025". Country Universe. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
- ↑ Jones, Ross. "The Best Country Music Albums of 2025". Holler.Country. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
- ↑ Stone, Rolling (2025-12-12). "The 25 Best Country and Americana Albums of 2025". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
- ↑ Hudak, Joseph (2025-12-03). "The 100 Best Albums of 2025". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
- ↑ Moss, Marissa R.; Weiner, Natalie (2025-12-17). "The 10 Best Country Albums Of 2025". Stereogum. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
- ↑ Crabtree, Mary Claire (2025-12-23). "The Best Debut Country Albums Of 2025". Whiskey Riff. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
- ↑ Langeler, Wes (2025-12-10). "The 40 Best Country Albums Of 2025". Whiskey Riff. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
- ↑ "Cherry Valley Forever - Album by Carter Faith". Apple Music. Apple Music. 24 July 2026. Retrieved 25 June 2026.
- ↑ "Cherry Valley / Carter Faith / Credits". Tidal. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
- ↑ "Official Americana Albums Chart on 31/7/2026 – Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 1, 2026.