Nashville star Charles Esten says there's 'no overstating' Taylor Swift effect after album release

Nashville and Outer Banks star Charles Esten has praised the rise of Taylor Swift as "astonishing" after the release of her latest album, The Tortured Poets Department.

The actor-turned-singer admitted there is simply "no overstating" how impressive her meteoric rise has been, from intimate shows as an unknown in Nashville's iconic Bluebird Cafe to worldwide notoriety.

Speaking ahead of his own UK tour for his debut album titled Love Ain't Pretty, Charles told the Mirror how impressed he is with how Taylor has gone from the tiny venue to superstardom.

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Charles, who portrayed Deacon Claybourne in the hit music series, told us: "Honestly, no overstating it. It's really something quite astonishing," before saying he believes her performances at the Bluebird Cafe were the "genesis" behind her success.

Speaking of how his two daughters - one also named Taylor - are huge fans of the songstress and were blown away by her recent concert in Nashville. He continued: "My daughter is a singer songwriter too, and I know she draws enormous inspiration [from Taylor Swift]. Not just from her artistry, but from her sense of drive."

But it's more than just her ability of being a top performer that Charles paid credit to, he also praised her ability to boost the national economy. "I've heard that she changed national economy," he said, "as well as most local economies and any city that had that tour come through had that boom effect from from the time she was there."

He ended by saying Taylor has done a fantastic job in dealing with the pressure such fame must bring, saying she "tends to wear it with exceptional grace."

Fans were clamouring to hear Taylor's latest album - as well as her second new album that dropped just two hours after the release of The Tortured Poets Department - on Friday. Many were quick to dissect the meanings behind her hits, with a number being linked to her exes Matty Healy and Joe Alwyn.

Charles, meanwhile is set to entertain European crowds from tomorrow. It's a return to the UK that has him excited. He wrote all 14 songs on Love Ain’t Pretty, in tandem with hitmakers like Jon Nite, Eric Paslay, Gary Burr, Leslie Satcher, and more.

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