Jesse Welles's third studio album, Middle, follows his viral social media rise and marks a departure from his signature topical protest songs to explore more abstract themes.

Commercial success

• The single 'Horses' debuted at No. 40 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay chart.

Cultural impact

• Earned a 2025 Americana Award nomination for Emerging Act of the Year.

• Named the recipient of the Newport Folk Festival’s 2025 John Prine Songwriter Fellowship.

• Sold out a 25-date headlining tour across the U.S. to support the album's release.

Critical response

• Saving Country Music called the album "a folk rock and country project that delves into the war we all wage inside our heads." Read full review

• Glide Magazine noted the album's shift to more abstract themes, highlighting how his worldview is "baked into several of these songs" rather than being overt. Read full review

• The music "demands a keen ear and attentive headspace," according to American Songwriter, which compared his lyrical knack to that of Bob Dylan and John Prine. Read full review