Country singer Ashley Cooke has spoken about her forthcoming self-titled second album, due for release on 14 August, describing it as "beautiful chaos." Appearing on American Songwriter's Off the Record podcast with host Lisa Konicki, Cooke explained that she chose to name the record after herself because friends and family felt it revealed who she truly is, more so than her 2021 debut. The singer said she wanted listeners to know her as a person rather than just as an artist, despite finding the honesty required "scary as hell."

Cooke, who has been signed since 2021 and has previously scored a number one hit, said producer Dan Huff shaped the album's sound, while she relies heavily on her phone's Notes app to capture lyrical ideas. She discussed several tracks, including "Baby Blues," written during a hungover writing retreat session with Seth Ennis, and the unreleased "When We're 30," a tongue-in-cheek song about making a pact with a friend to marry if both are still single by that age. The album also closes with a track titled "The Girl Who Cried Wolf."