Although country music is not as popular on the East coast as it is in the South, Her Campus American encourages coutry music critics to take another listen to some emerging female artists who are topping country charts in 2016 already. While we all love Brad Paisley, Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan, we sometimes wonder why Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert are some of the only well-known female country artists. Well we have some news that feminists everywhere will be excited about: new female artists are making their 2016 debuts among those same male country singers (who we love) and topping them in the charts.
Lauren Alaina
The Georgia native got her start on the tenth season of American Idol, where she brought her country flare to viewers all over the country. Soon after, her first album was recorded and released in the fall of 2011. She released a self-titled album with just five songs on it this past October after taking a two-year hiatus from releasing her last single “Barefoot and Buckwild.” The new album features the hit “Next Boyfriend,” which is the perfect combination of soul and spunk. Her sound is reminiscent of Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert. Popular music style also is incorporated into Alaina’s album through tracks such as “History.”
Maren Morris
Morris released her EP in December of 2015, which includes the track “My Church,” which was the first song to put the artist on the map. Morris’ younger audience can relate to the liberating feeling of singing along to the radio on a long drive: “Feels like the holy ghost runnin’ thru ya when I play the highway FM.” Morris’ sound is similar to Sarah Evans and even Meghan Trainor. Her folk-style tunes are (you guessed it) perfect for a drive through the coutry on a Sunday morning. Odds are you haven’t heard of this new artist, so be sure to check out her music video for “My Church.” This is the “feel-good music” you’ve been looking for.
Kacey Musgraves
With the country music genre largely dominated by male singers, Musgraves has proved to be a thriving female presence, as she pushes boundaries with the subject matter of her songs. Her first album was released in 2013, titled Same Trailer Different Park. “Merry Go Round” topped charts from this album while simlutanously shocking and thrilling listeners who were interested to hear an artist who wasn’t afraid to sing about reality with lyrics like “Mama’s hooked on MaryKay, brother’s hooked on Mary Jane, and Daddy’s hooked on Mary two doors down.”
Pageant Material came out in the Summer of 2015 and blew fans away with Musgraves’ new refined sound. Hits from this album include “Dime Store Cowgirl,” “Pageant Material,” and the single “Biscuits.” Within Musgraves’ songs lie deep messages about how to treat others and how to live your own life regardless of the influence of others, with a country flare of course. Notable lyrics a from “Biscuits” include: “Smoke your own smoke and grow your own daisies…mind your own biscuits and life will be gravy.” Fans can also learn about Musgraves’ own experience growing up in the South, particularly the pageant culture. She sings: “I ain’t pageant material, I’m always higher than my hair, and it ain’t that I don’t care about world peace but I don’t see how I can fix it in a swimsuit on a stage.” Step aside Beyoncé, there is a new girlboss in town.
Cam
She began as a songwriter for artists including Miley Cyrus, and she finally released her own EP as a singer, Untamed, about a year ago, two years after the release of her last single. Her overwhelming success from her latest album comes from her strong and soulful voice that is showcased on smash hits like the ballad “Burning House” as well as quick-tempo showstopper “Runaway Train.” Cam’s voice also resembles Carrie Underwood’s, especially in chart-topper “Burning House,” which you can listen to here:
Cam has quickly taken the country music community by storm with her impeccable vocals that (caution) may give you chills. She has already played at major venues like the Grand Ole Opry, and is currently on tour in the Midwest with artists including Brad Paisley and Eric Paslay. She will finally make it to the East coast in May for a show in Pennsylvania.