You’re telling me in two weeks and a day it’s going to be 2025? I know it’s cliche and all but this year really did fly by…
As Christmas and New Years march closer by the second, the internet has been flooded with a ton of year end lists and I’m absolutely loving it. From Spotify Wrapped to more general “The Year That Was” type news posts, to Twitter/X threads of the best memes from the year, I find myself getting sucked in by so many of them, which is no surprise because it happens ever December.
Here’s a personal favorite meme from this year (just because I made it doesn’t make me biased).
2024 was a banner year for country music. It’s now very safe to say that the Independent and quasi-Independent country music scene has never been more relevant or successful in nearly every regard. Zach Bryan remains a top 3 figure in the entire genre, Sturgill Simpson sold out nearly every venue he showed up at, and Muscadine Bloodline found themselves in the middle of Post Malone’s huge country rise along with continuing to release some incredible and very popular music of their own.
Even the mainstream was the best it’s been in a long time. Megan Moroney, Lainey Wilson, and Miranda Lambert all released excellent, true country records while Chris Stapleton and Luke Combs provided the anchor for the guys. Sure, there was still plenty of bad stuff (We try to ignore songs like these) but it appears the industry has listened to fans and is letting more artists just make the music they want with little to no restrictions.
As is always the case, there were a few artists that really made a statement with their music this year. Ones who brought something new to the table and set themselves up for a massive 2025.
Here are 10 country artists that made a big statement in 2024:
Wyatt Flores
Without question, 2024 is a year that Wyatt Flores will never forget.
After his 2022 single “Please Don’t Go” blew up online, Wyatt has consistently released new music, giving us all a behind the scenes type look at how an artist evolves as they mature (Wyatt is only 23 years old). All of his work came together in October when he released Welcome To The Plains, his first true LP, which followed his Half Life EP from April.
Unfortunately I haven’t gotten the chance to see him yet but everyone who has does nothing but sing his praises, showing that Wyatt Flores is certainly set up to be a household name in a very short amount of time.
The Red Clay Strays
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: The Red Clay Strays Made by These Moments album will be looked back on as one that changed the sound of country music made after it. Like Stapleton’s Traveller, I truly believe it is a work of art that is so good it will alter the very platform it lives on, and it’s an incredibly good thing.
If you’re reading this I doubt you have yet to give it a listen, but if somehow it’s missed your ears to this point, do yourself a favor and get on it. Not trying to be dramatic, but it will change your life.
Taylor Hunnicutt
People in the industry have loved Taylor Hunnicutt for years and it appears the general public is starting to take notice as well.
The Queen of Alabama released her debut album, Alabama Sound, in March and followed it up with a 6-song EP in October titled With All Due Respect. The streaming numbers and radio play are going to come soon, just take a listen for yourself to understand why.
Chase Rice
If you told me I’d be writing favorably about Chase Rice’s music a couple years ago I’d tell you to get your head checked, but without question he’s one of the country music artists that made the biggest statement with their music this year.
Go Down Singin’ and last year’s I Hate Cowboys & All Dogs Go To Hell are a special back to back album release which shows the evolution that Chase has made, moving from a key member of the bro-country era to collaborating with Lori McKenna and Southall.
Jamey Johnson
After nearly 10 years, Jamey Johnson finally gave us all some new music. Midnight Gasoline is a tried and true country record that lets Jamey’s lyricism and baritone shine, proving once and for all that he’s not hanging it up just yet.
Ella Langley
It seems like an Ella Langley collaboration is one that will standout on the resume these days… we’ve seen Ella work with Tanner Usrey, Koe Wetzel, and Riley Green, all of which are super fun moments, but don’t sleep on her individual work. Hungover is a great project that proves she’s got a whole lot to offer as a solo artist and I expect we’ll be hearing Ella’s name for a long, long time.
Maggie Antone
It’s understandable why artists make giant albums these days (more songs = more streams = more money) but Maggie Antone’s Rhinestoned once again proved to me that the best albums are 10 tracks long.
Rhinestoned really does a great job of putting you in the headspace of the attractive, popular girl that’s sadder than she lets on, with tight lyrics being cushioned by just the right hazy production for a stoner record. Maggie is still very new in her career but it’s pretty much an open secret that she’s going to be a big time name one day.
Zach Top
What can be said about Zach Top that hasn’t been said already? The guy with the mustache and killer throwback voice can pretty aptly be described as the winner of the whole dang year given how much both mainstream radio listeners and traditionalists love everything he does.
Cold Beer & Country Music is just top to bottom a rock solid country record that sounds straight out of the ’90s. Chances are you’ve probably heard “Sounds Like the Radio” and “I Never Lie”, the title track is well worth a listen as well.
Leon Majcen
Few artists have written an album that so wholly transports me to another place like Leon Majcen’s self-titled record from this year.
The Florida native captures the essence of breezy afternoons on the water interrupted by moments of vulnerability and longing for something more while still loving and wanting to be at home. I probably let it run top to bottom more than any other album this year and can’t wait to see what else he’s got in store for us.
Treaty Oak Revival
I was worried that the Treaty Oak boys wouldn’t be able to follow up their insane debut album No Vacancy, and while it took a few listens to Have A Nice Day to fully understand it, it’s now evidently clear that TOR is just as good, if not better.
I also finally checked seeing these guys live off my bucket list this year and can’t recommend catching a show more. It was crazy… like actually crazy… Read the story here.
J.R. Carroll
The last addition to this list because he released his debut album Dark Cloud just last week.
If you thought J.R. Carroll was going to be nothing more than a solid backing musician for Zach Bryan, this proves otherwise in a huge way. Easily my favorite part of J.R. is his songwriting, he has a way of crafting lyrics is so poetic is seems they can easily fit in some classic work of literature, but I connected with his vocal delivery more than in the past on this record, showing either that my dumb self finally caught up to what he was doing or he’s continuing to improve and add to his already deep tool box.
