Chris Stapleton released ‘Higher’ on Nov. 23, 2023, his fifth studio album. (Used with permission by Merucry Nashville)

With Chris Stapleton having seven Male Vocalist of the Year wins under his belt, his newest album “Higher” is not one to miss.
This album itself proves why Stapleton has won these seven awards over the past nine years. His raw vocals make listeners more engaged in how much emotion is being poured into each song. Stapleton focuses on creating detailed stories in each song which are told and guided with even more emotion because of his unique voice. The stories being told in the songs of this album are constructed well and sung with wording easy to understand and imagine. His vocals make not only this album but himself stand out.
One thing I applaud Stapelton for doing is creating a full-circle moment in the album. Stapleton starts off the album with the song “What Am I Gonna Do” asking “What am I gonna do? When I get over you?” He then finishes the album with the song “Mountains Of My Mind” expressing “don’t worry I’ll be fine.” Stapleton is saying he does not know what he is going to do but that he will be fine in the end. I see this as a full-circle moment because he is beginning the album with a question and ending with an answer that fits his question. The drowning of emotion that Stapleton expresses through his vocals also makes this full-circle moment in the album more distinguished and relatable.
Another great song on this album as well as my personal favorite is “White Horse.” This song was the first single released off the album and was written by Stapleton himself.. Not only are Stapleton’s vocals in this song bound to get heads bobbing and feet tapping but his guitar skills are too. This song is catchy and more upbeat making it my favorite on the album.
As an avid Stapleton fan, I would consider this album one of his best so far. The song “South Dakota” does give this album bonus points as a fellow South Dakota resident. Not only because I am a resident but also because of how well this song was crafted. My favorite lyrics are “I’m in South Dakota, trouble ain’t hard to find.” Stapleton knew what he was doing while composing this song and overall the entire album.