List of Country music artists

Country Artists to Watch

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Chris Stapleton became an overnight sensation after his CMA Awards performance. His Traveller album rocketed to No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and "Tennessee Whiskey" - which he sang with Justin Timberlake - took the No. 1 spot on the Hot Country Songs chart. (Notably, it did not crack the top 25 on the Airplay chart - radio is typically slower to move on newly-popular songs.) Stapleton is a longtime songwriter who finally got a chance to step into the spotlight. Here's a group of 13 young singers who could make a similar impact if they get the chance.

Few singers in or out of country can keep pace with Guyton vocally - she’d arguably make a better duet partner for Mr. Stapleton than Timberlake. “Better Than You Left Me” earned her some attention earlier this year, though it isn’t easy for youngsters to break through with slow-burn ballads. Her eponymous EP rifles through country, pop, and soul. A tune like “Pretty Little Mustang” may be the key to cracking radio: it’s a breezy slice of guitar pop that suggests Guyton will leave country behind as soon as she finds her own “Since U Been Gone.”

Cam cracked the charts with “Burning House, ” which got a major boost from the popular program The Bobby Bones Show. But even better is her first single, “My Mistake, ” an assertion of her right to a one-night stand, and the slippery “Half Broke Heart, ” which tackles failed romance with country’s typical cleverness. Cam has a writing credit for Miley Cyrus and the ear of Jeff Bhasker, who penned hits for Kanye West and Mark Ronson, meaning she’s well-positioned to extend country’s pop-crossover moment.

With the plethora of male singers in country music, there’s bound to be a lot of vocal overlap, but you won’t find many singers like T.J. of the Brothers Osborne. He sings in a low rasp but suddenly bursts into a seductive, malty mid-range, perfect for the angst-ridden love songs he and his brother John penned for their debut EP. One of those, “Stay A Little Longer, ” came together with the aid of ace writer Shane McAnally, and it’s at No. 13 on the most recent Country Airplay chart.

RaeLynn reached the top 10 on Hot Country Songs with “God Made Girls, ” which is not even the most impressive tune on her Me EP - that distinction belongs to “Careless, ” with its sing-song flow and cascading melodies. Among the current crop of youngsters, only Kelsea Ballerini and Sam Hunt can match her ear for contemporary, top 40-friendly production. But RaeLynn’s voice is unrepentantly country - instead of charting a course toward pop, she brings pop to her.