5 Up-and-Coming Country Music Stars You Need to Know

Get to know five up-and-coming country music stars that are making a name for themselves in the industry. These artists are sure to be household names in no time!

Kacey Musgraves

Kacey Musgraves is a country music singer and songwriter from Golden, Texas. Musgraves first attracting attention when she placed seventh on the reality television show Nashville Star in 2007. Her first album, Same Trailer Different Park, was released in 2013 to positive reviews and commercial success, reaching number one on the US Country charts and winning the Grammy Award for Best Country Album.

Musgraves’ follow-up album, Pageant Material, was released in 2015 to continued critical and commercial acclaim. The album included the hit single “Biscuits”, which peaked at number one on the US Country charts. Musgraves has won numerous awards for her work, including two Grammy Awards, three Academy of Country Music Awards, two Country Music Association Awards, and one Billboard Music Award.

Brandy Clark

You may not have heard of her yet, but chances are you’ve sung along to one of Brandy Clark’s award-winning songs. A successful songwriter for years, Clark is now making a name for herself as a performer with her 2013 album, 12 Stories. She’s been nominated for Grammy awards, and won the CMA Award for Song of the Year in 2014 for her song “Follow Your Arrow.”

Rodney Crowell

Rodney Crowell is one of the most respected songwriters in country music, and he’s also an excellent performer in his own right. A Texas native, Crowell began his career as a member of Emmylou Harris’s backing band, and he has since released more than 20 albums. His most recent album, “Close Ties,” was one of the best country albums of 2017, and it features guest appearances from some of Crowell’s famous friends, including Sheryl Crow, Steve Earle, and Rosanne Cash.

Lori McKenna

Lori McKenna is a country music singer and songwriter from Stoughton, Massachusetts. She has released eight studio albums, two of which have charted on the Billboard 200. Her 2016 album, The Bird & the Rifle, peaked at #41 on the charts and received critical acclaim from outlets such as NPR, Paste Magazine, and The Washington Post. McKenna has also co-written numerous singles for other country artists, including Tim McGraw’s “Humble and Kind” and Carrie Underwood’s “Somethin’ Bad.”

Margo Price

Margo Price is a country singer-songwriter from Nashville, Tennessee. She first gained attention with her 2016 album, Midwest Farmer’s Daughter, which debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard Country Albums chart. Her follow-up album, All American Made, was released in 2017 and reached No. 5 on the same chart. In 2018, she won the Grammy Award for Best Americana Album for All American Made.