Ashley Anne Makes Her Mark in Country Music With ‘Dear Dolly’

One of the coolest things about Nashville and working in country music is witnessing the very start to someone’s career and watching their inevitable rise to superstardom. Ashley Anne released her single, “Dear Dolly”, this past Friday, and it could not be more perfect. A 19-year-old native of Virginia Beach, Virginia is a freshman at Belmont University. It is not often that an artist comes to Nashville at such a young age and manages to find such quick success. Ashley Anne’s career just took quite the turn after this release. Ashley began promoting the single on Tik Tok, where she currently has 36K followers. “Dear Dolly” first gained its traction after a video posted in December 2022 received 1.5M views and 350K likes.

Here is what Ashley Anne had to say about her newest single, “Dear Dolly”:

“Dear Dolly” was born in my Toyota FJ Cruiser back in Virginia Beach, VA. I wrote it when I was 17, at a really dark period in my life when my relationship with Jesus felt empty. I looked to Dolly as a physical being to fill that void, resonating with her lyrics and storytelling. I wrote it solely for me, to help me heal what I was going through at the time; it was sort of a cry for help in a bittersweet manner. I released the song as a 19-year-old. It took a while for me to show it to anyone. However, once I did, I found all my friends, along with friends of friends, humming along to it throughout their day. It was when I realized other people loved it that I figured I ought to do something with it. I am so humbled and blessed for this song to reach the people it has reached. I have people telling me it has saved them, which is all I could have ever hoped for and more. I write raw lyrics, songs about real life things. “Dear Dolly” is not only an authentic song, but it sparks insight on who I am as a person, which I think is so important to incorporate into your own songs. I am a pink-loving, loud and energetic, Dolly admirer and I never wish to stray from the world as far as who I truly am. Identity is everything to me, and the response I have gotten in exchange for being who I am has been heart- warming and inviting. “Dear Dolly” really did save me, and I hope it acts as an angel to those who listen.

I first heard of Ashley when she was brought up on stage for a song during the “In the Round” writers’ round at Live Oak Music Row in Nashville just a few weeks ago. Her powerful vocals stunned the entire crowd and silenced the room. “Dear Dolly” showcases Ashley’s undeniable talent with such an incredible and unique voice. Not only does this song showcase her vocal ability, but her top-notch songwriting as well, considering that she is the only writer on the song. With a strong message and backstory, this record was destined for success. This may have been the first time you’ve heard of Ashley, but it’s far from the last. It won’t be long before she’s up there with the best of them in country music.

Hear “Dear Dolly” HERE

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