Seemingly following the Morgan Wallen model of maximizing his image as a country star fit for the streaming and social media age, Bailey Zimmerman is both 7 years younger and doesn’t feel the need to overstuff his album with 36 tracks to rack those numbers up – two wins in my book. After breaking onto … Continue reading Bailey Zimmerman – Religiously. The Album.
Country
Luke Combs – Gettin’ Old
We all probably should have seen it coming. Joining the ranks of his contemporaries like Morgan Wallen, Zach Bryan and Bailey Zimmerman when it comes to modern country stars finding ways to send their streaming numbers into the stratosphere, Luke Combs has elected to drop what now manifests itself as the second half to last … Continue reading Luke Combs – Gettin’ Old
Morgan Wallen – One Thing At A Time
Released while his previous album, the 30-track Dangerous: The Double Album, is still hanging around the top 5 on the Billboard 200, a place that it hasn’t vacated since its release in January 2021, country-pop megastar and streaming titan Morgan Wallen’s monstrous success doesn’t seem like it’s going to slow down anytime soon – clearly, … Continue reading Morgan Wallen – One Thing At A Time
Kane Brown – Different Man
Shifting through different genres but always staying true to his roots, Kane Brown has been one of the most successful country cross-over acts of the past decade. After raising his profile and scoring his first #1 album with his last project, 2018’s appropriately titled Experiment, Brown’s third studio album mostly sees him returning to his … Continue reading Kane Brown – Different Man
Luke Combs – Growin’ Up
As country increasingly becomes a force in the streaming world for the first time, one of the acts decisively leading the charge is Luke Combs, who nearly beat out Ariana Grande’s “Positions” for a #1 debut on the charts the last time he had an album cycle. Now on his third studio album, it’s easy … Continue reading Luke Combs – Growin’ Up
Walker Hayes – Country Stuff The Album
You’ve gotta keep crediting the power of TikTok – it can even make a journeyman country singer in his 40s one of the genre’s biggest names and crossover smashes. Walker Hayes has attracted quite a lot of jokes and general derision for his biggest hit “Fancy Like,” a song that would be a lot more … Continue reading Walker Hayes – Country Stuff The Album
Brandi Carlile – In These Silent Days
Now having firmly established herself as an artist that you have to look out for at the Grammys every time she releases, Brandi Carlile continues to push on as one of the most celebrated working songwriters of the moment. Taking a break after her critically acclaimed last solo album to join the country supergroup The … Continue reading Brandi Carlile – In These Silent Days
Kacey Musgraves – star-crossed
Three-and-a-half years removed from taking home the coveted Album of the Year gramophone for her outstanding Golden Hour, country-pop icon and massive crossover success Kacey Musgraves continues to drift further from her country roots with fourth studio album star-crossed. Coming off a near-universally beloved, critically acclaimed trio of projects, especially given the state of Musgraves’ … Continue reading Kacey Musgraves – star-crossed
Dan + Shay – Good Things
Country-pop duo Dan + Shay have been making forays into the world of mainstream radio for quite a few years now, their crisp harmonies, periodically show-stopping vocal talent and cheesy, feel-good aura often universally appealing in the right mood. Nabbing Justin Bieber two years ago for the track “10,000 Hours,” which actually belongs to this … Continue reading Dan + Shay – Good Things
Morgan Wallen – Dangerous: The Double Album
One of the most unexpected musical developments as of late has to be the steady rise of country music on streaming services, so much so that tracks by Luke Combs and Morgan Wallen have shattered records, rivaled the popularity of hip-hop and forced their way into Billboard Top 10 debuts. A former contestant on The … Continue reading Morgan Wallen – Dangerous: The Double Album
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