Maggie Antone’s voice has always won people over. Singing along to the radio from her carseat, it first won her parents over—enough so that they supported her through voice lessons, musical theater, and national anthem gigs around her hometown of Richmond. Later, with her recording of Tyler Childers’s “Lady May,” Antone’s voice would win the Internet over, too, gaining so much praise that she would go on to release an entire collection of covers, Interpretations, the following year. But lately, the fans at Antone’s packed-out gigs are singing every word to her songs: After all, even if her voice is what draws you in, it’s the vulnerability of her songwriting that will keep you coming back.
The American south isn’t just Brent Cobb’s home. It’s his muse, too. A Georgia native, he fills his Grammy-nominated songwriting with the sounds and stories of an area that’s been home to southern rockers, soul singers, country legends, and bluesmen. Cobb has a name for that rich tapestry of music — “southern eclectic” — and he offers up his own version of it with his newest album, Southern Star.
With an inimitable voice The New York Times describes as “wholly different, thicker and more throbbing, a caldron bubbling over,” Randy Houser has racked up over half a dozen hits and 1 billion streams. His How Country Feels album topped the charts with the title track, “Runnin’ Outta Moonlight” and “Goodnight Kiss” (also his first No. 1 as a songwriter) and earned critical acclaim for his powerful delivery of the Top 5 smash and nominated CMA Song of the Year, “Like A Cowboy.”
For the past decade, Flatland Cavalry has built a reputation as “one of the most dynamic presences in country music” (Rolling Stone) with their signature “Easy on the ears, heavy on the heart” sound. In 2024, the sextet celebrated 10 years together with Flatland Forever, an acclaimed album that pays tribute to their journey, revisiting fan favorites while introducing new songs that showcase how far they’ve come.
Country music trailblazer Lainey Wilson continues to take over the world, capturing the hearts of music fans, the excitement of the industry and the recognition of her peers, while keeping her boots firmly planted on the ground. Her monumental rise continues with major milestones, including her induction into the Grand Ole Opry, co-hosting the 58th Annual CMA Awards alongside Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning, headlining the Dallas Cowboys’ Thanksgiving Halftime Show as part of The Salvation Army’s 134th Red Kettle Campaign and her upcoming, nearly sold out Whirlwind World Tour, which will span across Europe and North America.
Born in Texas, raised on a Kentucky farm, and educated in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the heart of the Bible Belt, Nichols became a TikTok phenomenon for her original songs like “Bad Taste,” “Trailer Treasure,” and “Okie Boys.” When her embarrassed brother discovered her account, he begged her to delete it — until a cute girl approached him at school and excitedly asked, “Is Elizabeth Nichols your sister?” Unbeknownst to her sibling, Nichols, who fell in love with the Country storytelling of legends like Dolly Parton, Shania Twain, and John Prine, had cultivated a following in just a few short months, attracting listeners with her plainspoken and often humorous songs about life as a 23-year-old. Her writing style is a mix of Kacey Musgraves cleverness and Toby Keith brashness, delivered in a sweet drawl that’s both relatable and disarming.
Originating as The Tennessee River Boys in the 80’s, the band evolved into Diamond Rio in 1989. The following year, they signed with Arista Nashville, and in 1991, with the release of “Meet in The Middle,” became the first country music group in history to reach No. 1 with a debut single. The band is also known for their multi-week chart-topper “How Your Love Makes Me Feel,” crossover hit “One More Day,” as well as timeless hits “Beautiful Mess,” “Unbelievable,” “I Believe,” and many more.
Max McNown creates the kind of songs that perfectly soundtrack our most intimate moments: times of intense heartache and tremendous loss, immense upheaval and life-changing revelation. Within just a year of teaching himself to play guitar, the Oregon-bred, Nashville-based musician turned out three EPs spotlighting his emotionally potent yet nuanced lyrics—an element beautifully displayed on his breakout single “A Lot More Free,” a track that landed on Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart and greatly expanded his grassroots following. Anchored in the charmingly warm vocal presence he partly honed by busking at the beach in Southern California, McNown’s debut album Wandering brings an even deeper sense of purpose to his songwriting—and, in turn, reveals his extraordinary capacity to ease the mind and strengthen the soul.
GRAMMY, ACM, CMA, AMA, and Emmy Award-winning group, Little Big Town – consisting of members Karen Fairchild, Phillip Sweet, Kimberly Schlapman, and Jimi Westbrook – burst onto the music scene 25 years ago with smash hits “Boondocks,” “Bring It On Home,” “Good As Gone” and the GRAMMY-nominated “Little White Church.” The band’s breakthrough albums Tornado and PainKiller produced multiple No. 1 singles, including “Pontoon,” “Tornado,” and “Day Drinking,” as well as the history-making, best-selling country single of 2015 “Girl Crush.” 2017’s The Breaker debuted at #1 on the Billboard Country Charts to critical acclaim and features their GRAMMY-winning, multi-week #1 single, “Better Man,” as well as the 2019 GRAMMY-nominated, “When Someone Stops Loving You.” In January 2020, the band released their self-produced ninth studio album, Nightfall, which once again hit the top of the Billboard Country Charts. The record included critically…
Pairing his laid-back perspective with a vocal drenched in casual country soul, Thomas Rhett has spent just over 10 years gathering 24 Number Ones, 16 billion streams and armfuls of awards–eight ACM Awards including 2020 “Entertainer of the Year,” two CMA Awards, five GRAMMY® Awards nominations, plus trophies from the CMT Music Awards, Billboard Awards and iHeartRadio Awards, in addition to being recognized with five CMA Triple Play awards for penning three No. One songs within a 12-month period, he’s never remained static. With both songwriting prowess and charisma, his career has been fueled by equal parts energy and emotion, to continually keep fans on their toes. On the road, his BETTER IN BOOTS TOUR will continue lighting up amphitheaters and arenas across the country through early fall including a return to Fontainebleau Las Vegas for two nights next month. For more information and a full list of upcoming tour dates, visit ThomasRhett.com
The Droptines are an alternative country band born in Concan, Texas. Established in 2019 by frontman/songwriter/musician, Conner Arthur, also known as “The King of Concan”. This band puts in the work taking none of the traditional or convenient routes when crafting songs.
With a legacy spanning decades, Shenandoah remains one of country music’s most enduring and influential bands. Known for their rich harmonies and heartfelt storytelling, the Grammy, CMA, and ACM Award-winning group has delivered timeless hits like “Two Dozen Roses,” “Church on Cumberland Road,” “Next to You, Next to Me,” “Sunday in the South,” “I Want to Be Loved Like That,” and “Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart.”
Bursting onto the scene a few short years ago, country vocal powerhouse Nate Smith has accumulated over 2 billion career streams, scored three multi-week No. 1 records (“Whiskey on You,” “World on Fire” and “Bulletproof”), garnered multiple gold and platinum records, sold-out shows across the US and received numerous nominations for best new artist from the CMA Awards, ACM Awards, CMT Awards, iHeart Radio Awards and so many more. Most recently, Smith received the award for ACM New Male Artist of the Year, Billboard’s Rookie of the Year and Amazon’s Breakthrough Country Artist for 2024. Smith’s sophomore album, California Gold, was just released and debuted Top 15 on Billboard’s Country Albums Chart.
Johnson, a ten-time GRAMMY nominee, has been called “one of the greatest country singers of our time,” by The Washington Post. His music has garnered international acclaim and is embraced by fans of classic and contemporary country, as well as Americana and mainstream rock.
Once artists like Brooks & Dunn hit the Country Music Hall of Fame, folks don’t expect much in the way of new ideas. But Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn have always been the restless type. Out November 15 via Sony Music Nashville, REBOOT II is the sequel to their 2019 album and follows the same format; except this time, a brand new group of artists were given maximum creative freedom. Introducing a fresh concept with REBOOT, the duo gave today’s most engaging artists in and out of country music the near-impossible task of reimagining an iconic Brooks & Dunn song to fit their own tastes and style. The result highlighted just how alive Brooks & Dunn’s influence is across the musical scene—and how versatile their songwriting really was. With styles ranging from progressive country and classic bluegrass to heavy metal, orchestral pop, and beyond, the very fabric of songs most country fans know by heart was transformed. Whether it was ‘90s grunge, ‘70s style studio rock,…