Named a CMT Next Women of Country Class Member of 2022, singer-songwriter Jenna Paulette — a cowgirl who came of age amid the gritty realities of ranch life — is part of Nashville’s growing wave of female artists who are rewriting the rules and charting their own paths. Her finely calibrated blend of toughness and sensitivity is on full display in tracks like “Country in the Girl” and “Pretty Ugly” while former single “Bless Her Heart” unleashes the sass and storytelling gleaned from those who precede her: Miranda Lambert, Shania Twain, The Chicks. Paulette earned a marketing degree at the Savannah College of Art and Design, and ultimately settled in Nashville, where she struck up a mentorship with Ashley Gorley, a veteran songwriter with 50+ No. 1 tunes under his belt. Since collaborating with songwriters like Will Bundy, Heather Morgan and Parker Welling, as well as opening for Mason Ramsey on his 2019 national tour, Parmalee, John Michael Montgomery and Clay Walker, Paulette landed brand partnerships with Boot Barn, George Dickel Whiskey and Ranch Water, and ultimately signed a publishing deal with Sea Gayle Music last year. With more new music on the horizon, Paulette’s first solo release of this year, “El Paso,” is available now.