In January 2024, Porter announced the album concurrently with the release of four songs: "Easy to Miss", "Young at Heart", "Pay Me Back in Change", and "Nobody's Born with a Broken Heart".[5][6] The album was Porter's first full-length album to be released in the United States, and marked her debut full-length album on Big Loud Records, six years after signing with the label.[7][8] Some of the songs on the album were written as early as 2017, while others were written as recently as 2023.[9]
Content
Porter stated that the album's title, Nobody's Born with a Broken Heart, reflects the sentiment that, "we all have these experiences, whether it's actual heartbreak in a relationship, work heartbreak, family heartbreak or whatever your situation may be. You always feel a little broken from different situations that you had envisioned to go a different way in your head, and overall that builds who you are as a person".[2] Despite being in a happy marriage, Porter elected to record several "heartbreak" songs, including "Pay Me Back in Change" and "Foreclosure", as there "are times even in a really happy, healthy relationship where it feels dark," and that they are "part of the story too".[10] She also remarked that she was happy to have more songs containing the banjo, fiddle, and mandolin on this album.[11]
Critical reception
Madison Hahnen of Music Row stated that the album "features vulnerable lyrics and clever lyrical hooks," noting that it "bridges the gap between country and pop".[2] Hannah Compton of Building Our Own Nashville favourably reviewed the album, opining that it "paints a picturesque journey of heartbreak in a series of songs that are painfully relatable but also lead you onto the road of self healing".[12] Stephen Andrew of Popculture described the album as a "phenomenal offering of pop-country songs full of sincerity, maturity, and driving-with-the-windows-down melodies".[13] Laura Cooney of Entertainment Focus called the album a "strong introduction" to Porter's sound, highlighting "her vocal skills and ability as both a songwriter and an interpreter".[14] Chris Parton of Nashville Lifestyles stated that the album "captures all different kinds of heartbreak, from the typical romantic ups and downs of dating (or even married life) to the struggle of getting a career off the ground".[9]
