Best known for her single “Moral of the Story,” featured in the movie To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You, Ashlyn Rae Willson has now produced two studio albums along with many singles. Ashlyn, who goes by the stage name Ashe, released her self-titled and first studio album, Ashlyn, in 2021 and recently released her sophomore album, Rae, in October. Ashlyn consists of 13 tracks, 14 if you include the bonus track of “Moral of the Story” featuring Niall Horan. Ashe’s sophomore album, Rae consists of 14 tracks, many of which were released as singles prior to the album’s release date. 

If you enjoy listening to slower songs, I would recommend Ashlyn over Rae. Songs such as “Save Myself,” “Love Is Not Enough,” and “When I’m Older” are perfect for a relaxing day or drive in the rain. My favorite songs on Ashlyn are “I’m Fine,” “Me Without You,” and “Not Mad Anymore.” I also enjoy listening to the song “Till Forever Falls Apart” because it can be from the perspective of two friends or two significant others. It’s a cute song about loving those around you and sticking together even after the world comes to an end. Following the release of To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You, former One Direction member, Niall Horan, also contacted Ashe to record a collaboration of the hit song “Moral of the Story.” This version of the song went viral as fans of Niall Horan and Ashe came together to share their heartbreak stories on social media.

Unlike Ashlyn, Rae consists of a few more upbeat, catchy songs such as “Another Man’s Jeans,” “Angry Woman,” and “Emotional.” My favorite song on this album is “Emotional,” but I also enjoy listening to “omw” and “Shower With My Clothes On.” Rae also includes one featured artist, Diane Keaton, on the song “Love Is Letting Go.” I personally thought this was a really cool feature because when Ashe first started her career, she tweeted that she hopes to sing with her idol Diane Keaton one day. I think this feature brings Ashe’s career to a full circle because not only do they have a song together, but Diane Keaton has also posted videos on her social media accounts featuring Ashe’s work. Ashe doesn’t stray from the slower, emotional songs though. Rae does consist of a few sad songs such as “Hope You’re Not Happy” and “Fun While It Lasted.” 

Overall, I enjoy listening to both albums, and they both have their strengths and weaknesses. However, only one album can take the trophy for this edition of Battle of the Albums. And the winner is… Ashlyn!! I love a lot of the songs on Rae, but I was definitely expecting more songs with a similar style to “Another Man’s Jeans” and “Emotional.” I also think there are a few songs on Rae that sound too similar, and it’s harder to differentiate which song is which. Ashlyn, though it mainly consists of slower songs, has more of a difference between each song and is the perfect heartbreak album. Though Ashe just released her sophomore album, I look forward to a third studio album announcement, and I wonder if it will be named after her last name, Willson.