Nashville singer-songwriter Caitlyn Smith's playlist of favorites

For this week's Music Monday playlist, we're handing the reins over to Nashville singer-songwriter Caitlyn Smith.

Smith, who has written songs recorded by Garth Brooks, Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton, is a formidable performer in her own right.

• Her song "High" is a frank examination of heartbreak and loneliness with powerhouse vocals.

The latest: It's featured on her new album "High & Low," which will be released Friday.

• She'll be performing songs from the album at two shows this week at the AB venue in Hillsboro Village.
• Ahead of the new album, we asked Smith to put together a playlist that captured her inspiration and influences. She responded with 34 songs that she says perfectly encapsulate "who I am, and try to be, as an artist."

The intrigue: Her selections span a variety of genres and styles, from Nashville mainstays like Chris Stapleton and Alison Krauss to Prince and Rufus Wainwright.

• "This is basically the playlist to my life," she tells Axios.
• "For my most recent record … I really tried to study the records that have meant the most to me, and I took so much inspiration from them."

❗ Stay tuned: We'll be sharing more from an interview with Smith later this week.

📬 Let us know: Who else would you like to see take over our Music Monday playlist?