As this year quickly winds toward a close, we figured now would be a great time to spotlight 10 artists you should have your eyes on next year.
The artists are listed in no particular order.
Kylie Morgan– This has been a breakout year in many ways been a watershed year for the youthful singer-songwriter from Oklahoma. Morgan’s single Break Things, released in February has amassed north of 11 million streams on Spotify. While, her two older singles, Easy To Forget, and Boys Girl show off Morgan’s inquisitive songwriting ability and unique voice. Most recently, Morgan released, Cuss A Little which is a collaboration with Walker Hayes. We look forward to seeing what the coming year brings for Morgan.
You can check out the video for Break Things below.
Ashley Cooke– Cooke burst onto the scene late in the summer, releasing a beautiful, acoustic cover of Morgan Wallen’s #1 hit Chasin’ You. Cooke followed that up by releasing her debut single, Jealous Of They Sky. Jealous Of The Sky is a song Cooke wrote about her friend who passed away when they were teenagers. Cooke communicates the emotional subject manner beautifully, and lyrically she’s able to convey the message subtlety, yet extremally powerfully. Cooke is most definitely an artist to look our for next year and for years to come. Check out Jealous Of The Sky below.
Drew Parker- The songwriter has decided to branch out into the artist world. You may know Parker as a writer on songs from Luke Combs’ Forever After All to Jake Owen’s latest #1 hit Homemade. Parker’s incredible ability as a songwriter coupled with his gravelly, rocking drawl is on display throughout Parker’s EP, While You’re Gone. Throughout the EP Parker uses his vast experience in the writing world to make nuanced, inquisitive observations that takes his music to the next level. Hopefully, Parker keeps doing the artist thing as when he does it is truly a treat.
Ray Fulcher– Like Parker, Fulcher is another frequent Luke Combs cowriter making his way toward stardom in the artist realm. Fulcher has been releasing his own music on a semi regular basis in February of last year and it is all very impressive. However, none more so than Fulcher’s latest release Love Ya Son, Go Dawgs, in which Fulcher sings about the detailed voicemails he has from his father and closing out the chorus famously with “Love Ya Son, Go Dawgs”. This song is just one example of the genius of Fulcher that we hope to see throughout next year and beyond.
Ryan Clark– Ryan Clark is one of Country Music’s best up and coming story tellers. Clark has the ability to cleverly tell stories and hook in listeners with minute observations that paint a clear picture in the minds of listeners. You can listen to his latest single Trust Me With Your Love, in which he’s trying to convince this girl he’s the right man for her and that despite what may been her past he’s not that kind of guy.
Ashland Craft– Ashland Craft is one of the industry’s hidden gems that many are begging to uncover. Ashland Craft’s stardom will stem from her desire take risks in a time when many artists and writers simply opt to put out radio friendly content as opposed to the authenticity that artists like Craft display with reckless abandon, almost like a ‘trainwreck’
Kameron Marlowe- Kameron Marlowe is a star in the making it’s simply a matter of time until his star blows up. You can read our review of his debut EP below, needless to say we were very impressed.
Lainey Wilson– This small town Louisiana born hell raiser announced her arrival to the scene in a big way this year. Wilson’s biggest hit Things A Man Oughta Know, has amassed north of 7 million streams on Spotify, and Wilson’s star seems ready to really explode in the coming year. Wilson is another artist that is not afraid to be authentic which puts her a cut above. We look forward to seeing where the coming year takes Wilson.
Hailey Whitters– The “Heartland” raised, Whitters’ released her debut album, The Dream In February. The album features some of the best and most interesting songwriting of the year. Songs like Janice From The Hotel Bar display the full array of talent that Whitters’ possess. Her songwriting ability combined with her clear and subtle, yet powerful voice is reminiscent of the early days of Kacey Musgraves’ career.
Fun fact did you know that Whitters co-wrote the Little Big Town hit “Happy People”
Josh Kerr– When I look at my Spotify Wrapped at the end of the year, I would not be shocked to see Josh Kerr topping the list. The Buffalo raised songwriter, producer and now Artist has written many hots throughout the yard from Dibs by Kelsea Ballerini to Sugarcoat by Little Big Town, but now it’s Kerr’s turn to be the star. Kerr released his debut album “How Do You Remember Me” in November of last year and in June announced that he would be releasing one song a month for the next 12 months. Kerr combines his incredible writing ability and raspy voice to produce some of the industry’s top music. Kerr’s latest artist project has gotten a lot of love from listeners on Spotify, with his song “Thought This Through” a collaboration with up and coming songwriter Emily Falvey recently eclipsing 4 million streams, and Fall In Love (co-written by Falvey) closing in on 3 million. Kerr is scheduled to release a song each month for at least the next six months (we hope this nudges him to keep it going a little longer) and we are very excited to see what he has in store!
Worlds Of Country 