Grab ‘Em By The Horns, Boys
In the country industry, it is usually a male-dominant genre. We cannot ignore the ladies’ tremendous work, but the male country artists may have a jam-packed year ahead of them. Who can the fans count on to get them excited in 2021?
Devin Dawson
This northern-California artist has been incorporating more country into his music lately. Devin Dawson picked up traction via Taylor Swift and now he is on to his own individual projects. His 2018 album Dark Horse previewed one side of his artistry, while his new work foils it.
His latest EP The Pink Slip showcases Dawson veer towards a lighter realm of country. One track that has caught much attention is “Whatever Forever Is”. If this EP is an insight for whatever else Dawson has in store for the industry, it could strongly bring him up a tier in the male country artist hierarchy.
Eric Church
If “Springsteen” hasn’t attracted enough fans for Eric Church, perhaps another album could do the job. Church has proven that he has a great range in sound. His 2011 self-titled album proved his talent and launched him into stardom. Over the years, he has built up his resume with an impressive amount of live albums and a few more studio albums. This year, he is throwing it back once again.
His new single “Lynyrd Skynyrd Jones” takes on the name inspired by another classic rockstar. It’s much more mellow than his previous work and the acoustic guitar work is very calming. An album by Church with more tracks in this vein would make a great collection for country fans.
Jason Aldean
The lights are coming back on for Jason Aldean. He is still fresh off of his last album 9 and continues to release singles to promote the album. However, Aldean is not pressing on the breaks just yet. Recently, Aldean has confirmed that his tenth studio album will be released early this year.
Fans should hold onto their horses until they see promotion work happen. Lately, Aldean released a music video for “Blame It On You”, a single off 9. Should we expect the classic country artist to surprise fans with a new single in the coming months or even weeks? Whatever his strategy is, eyes and ears should be focused on Aldean.
Blake Shelton
Blake Shelton has one of the richest libraries of male country artists. Shelton is in a similar scenario as Aldean, but he has the proof. His latest album Fully Loaded: God’s Country was packed with hits such as “A Guy with a Girl” and “She’s Got a Way with Words”. This year, he’s already started off right.
“Minimum Wage” put him on our radar almost immediately. The new single still has the energy Shelton brings to radio hits. Shelton’s usual bluesy lyrics are amplified to a positive vibe. The groove is reminiscent of “Neon Light” and has the potential to reach its popularity. It will never matter if he’s rich or broke, Shelton will remain a top-tier male country vocalist for our generation.
Willie Nelson
This country icon is back. Willie Nelson has a wild discography and a special talent for cover songs. Whether it be Bing Crosby or Bob Dylan, Nelson has proven to have fun honoring the classic musicians. His cover of Elvis’s “Always On My Mind” proves he is one of the kings of cover songs. Now, it’s time for Nelson to honor his buddy Frank.
That’s Life will be an entire album dedicated to Frank Sinatra. Nelson decided to record the album in the same studio formerly helmed by Sinatra throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s. The tracklist has already been released online and confirms that oldies such as “I Won’t Dance” and “In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning” will be covered by Nelson. Willie Nelson’s new album is expected for a February 26th release.
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