Three Artists Who May Change Country Music

For years now, country music purists have been looking for the voice that will bring country music out of the pop world and back to its traditional roots.

While current country hitmakers like Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line and Jason Aldean straddle the line between what listeners hear as pop and country, artists such as Kacey Musgraves and Jamey Johnson have recently been tagged as a few of the artists who may put a more traditional country sound back on the radio airwaves and the country charts.

While the influx of traditional music actually being played has been strong in recent years, three artists combined may have what it take to turn the tide.

Here are my three submissions for the new face of country music:

Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for HGTV
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for HGTV
1
Chris Stapleton
A former vocalist for the bluegrass outfit The SteelDrivers, Chris Stapleton recently made the music world pay attention when he took 'Album of the Year,' 'Male Vocalist of the Year' and 'New Artist of the Year' honors at the 2015 CMA Awards and followed that up with four 2016 GRAMMY Award nominations. Stapleton's superb songwriting ability (wrote Josh Turner's 'Your Man,' Thomas Rhett's 'Crash & Burn,' Luke Bryan's 'Drink a Beer' and others) combined with a soulful voice and commanding stage presence could be one pivotal point in a changing of the guards in the world of country music.
Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Firefly
Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Firefly
2
Sturgill Simpson
Merle Haggard recently said of Sturgill Simpson,
There’s a guy that’s stirring up some noise, his name is Sturgill Simpson. He’s doing it with traditional country and he’s hotter than a pistol.
Simpson comes into this list with an endorsement from a living country music legend which gives him instant street cred and access to be featured in the top three. Of those featured here, Simpson's music has the most traditional country sound, often being compared to Waylon Jennings. This guys isn't afraid to branch out and bring elements of other forms of music into his songwriting as is eveident o his most recent release Metamodern Sounds In Country Music which was described by one music critic as a "deep and unconventional relationship between traditionalism and new ways of thinking."
Jason Davis/Getty Images
Jason Davis/Getty Images
3
Jason Isbell
A former member of southern rock band Drive-By Truckers, Alabama native Jason Isbell released his fourth studio album Southeastern in 2013 to critical acclaim and has since followed up with Something More Than Free which debuted at #1 on Billboard's rock, folk and country record charts. Though Isbell's style cannot be directly classified as country, he has seen airplay on country radio in recent years.

Filed Under: chris stapleton, Jason Isbell, sturgill simpson

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