Country Music Almanac 2025: Our Journalists’ Survey

Once again, we invited journalists and authors who focus on country music to share their takes on the present and future of the genre. Here’s a sampling of their responses on topics from 2024’s best country releases to the biggest roadblocks to change in the industry in the year ahead.

Respondents:

Ben Arthur: No Depression, BOMB, Aquarium Drunkard, Nashville Scene

David Cantwell: co-founder, No Fences Review; The New Yorker

Rachel Cholst: editor, Rainbow Rodeo; contributor, Nashville Scene

Justin Cober-Lake: PopMatters, Spectrum Culture, Dusted

Steacy Easton: Mx.; journalist; author; critic

Amanda Haggard: co-editor, The Contributor; contributor, Nashville Scene and Chapter16.org

Jake Harris: audience development editor, Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Will Hermes: Rolling Stone, The New York Times, Will Hermes: New Music + Old Music

Joseph Hudak: senior music editor, Rolling Stone

Charles L. Hughes: co-founder, No Fences Review; writer; teacher

Hunter Kelly: Apple Music, Rolling Stone; forthcoming book on The Judds for Liveright, an imprint of Norton

Brittney McKenna: Nashville Scene, BBC, Forbes

Marissa R. Moss: journalist and author; co-founder, Don’t Rock the Inbox

Chris Parton: Nashville Lifestyles, Nashville Scene, The Bluegrass Situation

Amos Perrine: photo editor and Through the Lens columnist, No Depression

Ron Wynn: Tennessee Tribune, Nashville Scene, The Bluegrass Situation

Jacqueline Zeisloft: Nashville Scene

What was your favorite country song and/or album released in 2024?

Kassi Ashton, Made From the Dirt; Middle Sattre, Tendencies. —Rachel Cholst

Sierra Ferrell wins on both for me: Trail of Flowers and “Dollar Bill Bar.” But I loved so many records, from Kaitlin Butts to Lizzie No to Adeem the Artist to Lauren Watkins. Great music was made on and off Music Row, though most of the great stuff made on Music Row didn’t actually get heard anywhere. —Marissa R. Moss

Alice Wallace, Here I Am. —Amos Perrine

Shaboozey, Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going; Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter; Zach Top, Cold Beer & Country Music. —Steacy Easton

Beyoncé, “Bodyguard.” —Jacqueline Zeisloft

Silverada, “Radio Wave”; Koe Wetzel, 9 Lives. —Joseph Hudak

Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” embodied the best things about the stylistic synthesis that has always marked the most enduring country music. Blending hip-hop and country with ease and flexibility, Shaboozey flipped the script on J-Kwon’s hit and captured both escapist fun and ambivalence about the nightlife, anchored by his remarkable vocals. —Charles L. Hughes

Lainey Wilson’s Whirlwind doubled down on the way classic rock sounds continue to predominate the mainstream while My Black Country looked back on the Alice Randall songbook even as it previewed the Black-Country future I swear we all deserve. —David Cantwell

Billy Strings, “Leaning on a Travelin’ Song”; Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, Woodland. —Ben Arthur

Shaboozey, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” and Sierra Ferrell, Trail of Flowers — if I resist the temptation to broaden the supposed genre parameters to include Waxahatchee’s “Right Back to It” and the Tigers Blood LP. Conceptually, nothing touched Cowboy Carter. —Will Hermes

Sturgill Simpson aka Johnny Blue Skies, “Jupiter’s Faerie”; American Aquarium, The Fear of Standing Still. —Jake Harris

Dan Spencer’s Return to Your Dark Master was what I listened to most. It’s got a lot of what I think is missing from modern country: It’s got somber moments, but doesn’t dwell or feel fake sappy. The album companion to Alice Randall’s book My Black Country came out right at the same time as Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter — the two album releases experienced alongside Randall’s book feels like a perfect contextual experience of Black country music. —Amanda Haggard

Sierra Ferrell, “American Dreaming”; Adeem the Artist, Anniversary. —Justin Cober-Lake

Sierra Ferrell, Trail of Flowers. —Brittney McKenna

Examining yourself without artifice or remorse can be painful, but Jelly Roll showed a nation it can and should be done more often with “I Am Not Okay” and Beautifully Broken. —Ron Wynn

The Red Clay Strays, Made by These Moments. —Chris Parton

Hurray for the Riff Raff, The Past Is Still Alive. Alynda Segarra delivered their most self-assured album by channeling the hope and resilience in their rich life story. —Hunter Kelly

What country song and/or album disappointed you the most in 2024?

Post Malone’s album to me sounded like unimaginative arena rock filtered through a quasi-country prism. The fact that people would question Beyoncé’s credentials or her right to do a country LP, yet put the seal of approval on this one, really made me think that for all the progress made in this genre, it’s still easier for some to welcome someone like Malone into the fold than a Black woman who grew up in Houston and whose LP reflected a far deeper understanding of historical precedent and contemporary developments. —Ron Wynn

I continue to find little in Zach Bryan’s music that does anything for me. While I appreciate and admire his approach, I’ve yet to be particularly moved by his music in a way that feels quite subjective but remains unchanging. I know that there are many who love him, and I’m cool with that. —Charles L. Hughes

Kacey Musgraves’ Deeper Well has fetching moments. But the whole bougie, Goop-y gestalt of the thing moved her further away from the working-class miniatures that made her name while inching her music further toward being just another lifestyle brand. —David Cantwell

Jenna Paulette’s Horseback was a bit anemic compared to The Girl I Was (2023). I know she has it in her to break the sophomore slump as long as she avoids playing it as safe as she did on Horseback. —Rachel Cholst

Lainey Wilson’s Whirlwind — not so much because it’s bad, but because it’s far short of her potential. —Justin Cober-Lake

I am kind of over being disappointed, which suggests a kind of surprise. I thought that the Post Malone record would fuck things up more, but it’s flaccid and dull, playing the game in favour of capital. I thought Miranda Lambert would be angrier or smarter, but this is definitely a placeholder record. I’m disappointed in the country audience for loving Morgan Wallen as much as they do; I am disappointed in myself for loving the Justin Moore record as much as I do. —Steacy Easton

Who is your favorite country artist who flew under the radar in 2024?

With guest spots from Jim Lauderdale, Vince Gill and (yay!) Leona Williams, Shawna Thompson’s modern-retro country move Lean on Neon wasn’t all that under-the-radar, but it was off the radio, which might as well be a neon invisibility cloak. —David Cantwell

More in the folk realm and far, far away from Nashville, but Myriam Gendron’s songwriting on Mayday offers incredible and poignant reflections on grief, memory and loss. —Ben Arthur

Cecily Wilborn is an Arkansas-based Southern soul artist who — like many of her contemporaries — knows that country music exists on just the other side of the stylistic fence. Wilborn seems to be digging deeper into her country side and I hope that she’ll keep the swinging doors open to this side of her expansive artistic vision. —Charles L. Hughes

Valerie June is a superb vocalist and captivating, often surprising songwriter whose lyrics and voice neatly integrate elements of blues and folk into country. She only needs a couple of big songs to get the wider audience and media credibility she deserves. —Ron Wynn

Willi Carlisle is one of the finest showmen working today. Go see him live if you can. —Hunter Kelly

I wish Stephanie Lambring’s Hypocrite had gotten more hype. It’s just a devastating examination of womanhood, particularly parenting, and gets at some uncomfortable truths. —Rachel Cholst

Madi Diaz. —Will Hermes, Justin Cober-Lake

Shane Pendergast; Red River Rambler; the Métis fiddlers. —Steacy Easton

Lauren Watkins, Denitia. —Marissa R. Moss

Zach Top, Carly Pearce. —Brittney McKenna

The Pink Stones. —Jacqueline Zeisloft

Alice Wallace. —Amos Perrine

Silverada. —Joseph Hudak

Wyatt Flores, but I have the feeling he’s about to be on everyone’s radar. —Jake Harris

Stephen Wilson Jr. —Chris Parton

Who is a country artist you hope will make waves in 2025?

I’ve loved just about everything I’ve heard from Amanda Fields, both solo and as a duo with Megan McCormick. (Their beautiful single “Wild as a Flower” was one of my favorites of this year.) I’m not sure what this gifted singer-songwriter will come up with next, but I hope that her affecting mixture of textures and traditions gains a very wide audience. —Charles L. Hughes

I’m so thrilled for Jett Holden’s album The Phoenix, and I hope it gets the recognition it deserves. I’m excited to see what the Black Opry has in store for us in 2025. —Rachel Cholst

Daniel Bachman’s Quaker Run Wildfire for Longform Editions was incredible and groundbreaking. Primitive guitar meets freak-out drones and field recordings, all commenting on the climate crisis that’s degrading his native Virginia wildlife. —Ben Arthur

Miko Marks is a favorite at festivals, she’s made acclaimed Opry appearances, and her recent LP Feel Like Going Home was a masterpiece. —Ron Wynn

Kaitlin Butts. —Joseph Hudak, Marissa R. Moss

Kashus Kulpepper, Red Clay Strays, Zach Top, Sam Barber, Zandi Holup, Hailey Whitters. —Chris Parton

Sierra Ferrell, Madi Diaz, Shaboozey. —Will Hermes

Don Amero, Jason Benoit, Jesse Welles. —Steacy Easton

Noeline Hoffman, Jobi Riccio. —Marissa R. Moss

Joelton Mayfield. —Jacqueline Zeisloft

Morgan Wade. —Jake Harris

Kyle McKearney. —Brittney McKenna

What is the biggest issue facing country music in 2025?

I’m very concerned that the Trump administration’s rise to power and its explicit politics of hatred and exclusion will frighten industry players into shying away from the few steps toward actual diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives the industry has taken. Meanwhile, it will embolden others to amplify an agenda of Christian nationalist propaganda that will make “Try That in a Small Town” look quaint. —Rachel Cholst

Normally I would say country radio, but this year I’d more specifically say Trump — specifically how his pick to run the FCC will have grave implications for the future of diverse, unconsolidated broadcast radio. —Marissa R. Moss

We’ll see some interesting things come of collaboration with other genres, but we’ll also see a lot of folks doing crossover albums who have no business doing that. That’s not really commentary on anything we’ve seen thus far, as much as, “With growth comes grifters.” —Amanda Haggard

The blind hero worship and inflated egos of a select group of grating, problematic white dudes distracts from other country artists who are making exciting work. —Jacqueline Zeisloft

The best music will always survive at small venues, but regardless, it’s a shame that concerts are becoming more and more expensive with less of that money going to the artists. —Ben Arthur

Integrating emerging platforms into the mainstream, so the mainstream reflects what listeners are excited about. That, and Ticketmaster’s godawful dynamic pricing. —Chris Parton

Same as it ever was: a refusal of movement toward equity. The lazy jokes about Shaboozey’s name at the CMA Awards tell you all you need to know. —Brittney McKenna

Will fans (and even some musicians) finally stop acting as though the music lacks links and connections with every other genre in the pop music universe? Today country is arguably the most eclectic and wide-open of all pop genres, except to a segment of the audience and for that matter the gatekeepers (radio) who either don’t understand how much interaction the music’s always had with other styles, or want to pretend it didn’t and doesn’t happen. —Ron Wynn

What is the biggest hurdle to making important changes in country in 2025?

The push to normalize Trump and thus further squash dissenting voices out of fear of retribution from the right. You see it with network TV show bookings avoiding politics, and news organizations settling lawsuits with Trump. That is only going to make it easier for business as usual to continue on the country charts. I’d love to be proven wrong. —Hunter Kelly

I was lucky enough to speak at Country Radio Seminar in 2024, and the biggest hurdle seems to me that everyone is passing the buck. The radio people say that they only play what the record labels serve them, the label people say they only service the tracks they think radio wants. So who is making an actual decision here? And why only privilege major labels? If people want the change they say they do, take action — though that’ll be even harder under the new political regime. —Rachel Cholst

Getting more people willing to rock the boat at radio and give the voices that have historically been underrepresented their rightful place in the sun. Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter succeeded because audiences refused to buy into the notion that a Black woman who’d had huge hits in the R&B and hip-hop worlds couldn’t possibly also love country, know its history and be willing and able to showcase it brilliantly. The CMA not at least nominating the album for some award is super disappointing, but it’s not surprising. Until that mentality disappears among those making the decisions, the most important change needed in the country music field — the expansion of audience interest — will be significantly hindered. —Ron Wynn

Nashville cannot help but get in the way of itself. Build community outside of the control of country radio and a town that bows down to it constantly. —Marissa R. Moss

It’s never easy to change “the way things have been done,” and Nashville tends to really hold onto that. Specific to 2025, there’s probably also a barrier with regard to the grand-scale chaos happening over the next four years in the nation and several high-profile country folks attached to that nonsense. —Amanda Haggard

Capitalism. —Steacy Easton

Country radio’s limited programming formats and the lack of dedicated music journalists covering local scenes. —Jake Harris

It’s harder than ever to know what to take as a real signal of public interest versus what’s just a viral blip. Also, it feels like attitudes toward business regulation and consumer protection are about to change. —Chris Parton

Even as so many work for change both within and outside country music, the continuing embrace of destructive cultural politics at the expense of truly expanding the unbroken circle remains a fight that will, unfortunately, likely only need to be even stronger as we enter into another era of political viciousness. I gain hope, though, from the chorus that continues to insist on a country music that better represents the rich diversity of the country that it comes from. —Charles L. Hughes