In its entirety, 2021 fell short of the recovery expectations we all so hoped for. It came and went without much growth. Country music – it seems, had one of the most show-stopping years in recent history. Between new artists rising, veterans releasing double and TRIPLE albums, and hit-makers remastered and re-released to please the artists’ audiences and their ears accordingly. And there’s no shortage of excitement coming down the pike of 2022.

Newcomers

The official debut of Mickey Guyton, with her album, Remember Her Name was one of the long-awaited albums of the year and her fanbase alike. After serenading us with her eponymous EP, featuring the hit single, “Better Than You Left Me.” Following up with her single “Nice Things,” Guyton made herself even more of a household name. She embodied everything down-home and sweet while making her audience do a double-take every time she stepped up to the mic. Now, she’s come full circle to claim our hearts with songs like “American Dream,” her airy cover “If I Were a Boy,” and the trailblazing title track; Mickey Guyton is a force to be reckoned with in the coming years ahead.

 

Morgan Wade and Lily Rose were also big newcomers on the country scene this year with their albums, Wreckless, and Stronger Than I Am respectively. Both artists showcase an amazing blend of folk-rock and country along with bone-chilling truth-filled lyrics with songs like “Villain” and “Take Me Away.” Singing of mischaracterization, judgment, and back-and-forth stories, as well as, a desire to be whisked off and free from the singer’s current life situation; these two pack a powerful punch of raw emotion into their writing and artistry.

Double-Triple Threats

 

There are certain points in an artist’s career where they are boiled over with experiences and creativity to surprise their fans with not just one, but two, sometimes even THREE, sets or albums to embody a story the artist wishes to tell to the listener. 2021 saw its fair share of jam-packed music from musicians like Cody Johnson, Eric Church, and one of the best-selling records of the year from Morgan Wallen, Dangerous: The Double Album.

 

From the singles – “7 Summers,” and “More Than my Hometown,” to songs like “865,” “Beer Don’t,” and “Whatcha Think About Country Now; the entire 30 tracks unveil a much-needed, bare-knuckled/outlaw sound that has been missing for quite a few years from country radio. Yes, we have the greats before like The Highwaymen supergroup of  Cash, Jennings, Kristofferson, and Nelson; as well as Eric Church and Jason Aldean. However, Morgan Wallen has proven to be a top contender, bringing a mix of crooning vocals and outlaw stylings in his lyrics.

Cody Johnson has a similar crooning tone to his voice but, lies more within a bluegrass/americana style. His album Human: The Double Album, really hits the heart of every listener with the lyrics. They are reminiscent and storytelling. Each time he begins a new song, Johnson finds his groove within a new tale to tell his audience. On “‘Til You Can’t,” Johnson encourages the listener to go at life and whatever direction or journey it takes you on with no reservations. It’s a fresh perspective on optimism. Additionally, songs like “Son of a Ramblin’ Man” and the title track “Human,” both offer unique senses of nostalgia and personal growth respectively. It is encouraging to see such an artist create and mold their songs into something retrospective and thought-provoking while committing to a strong sense of positivity.

The last of the major multi-layered releases this year came from Eric Church, and Jason Aldean (although we won’t hear the other half of Jason’s double – Macon / Georgia, until early 2022.) Aldean’s counterpart, Eric Church took it upon himself to write not only one record but instead, blend it into a three-tier album, Heart & Soul. Encouraged by long-time friend and producer Jay Joyce, Church took the time in lockdown to simply just write and emote everything he could possibly conjure up. Feeling pointless in leaving out a handful of songs, the triple-album (or surprise EP as I like to refer to it,) was born. While Eric Church has certainly garnered more mainstream attention in the last few years, at some points musically, it still feels as though artists like Church do not get a fair shake in airplay because of his blustery, badass style. Some may say a few songs are N.S.F.R. (Not Safe For Radio.) Regardless, of his style not being as mainstream as it ideally could be, “Heart on Fire,” “Rock and Roll Found Me,” and “Hell of a View” are all credit-worthy hits that entice the ear-worm of the modern listener.

 

Hit Makers Come Back for Nostalgia and Modernity

 

Late 2021 saw a host of artists that we all know and love re-release their music for different purposes, coating them with a variety of tones and textures. Some artists came back to simply state that they weren’t done yet and have no plan to rest. Taylor Swift re-released two of her hit albums, Fearless and Red, after a legal battle with her label; Reba McEntire served up her hits on, Revived Remixed Revisited; and Carly Pearce poured out her heart and soul during a year of heartbreak, lockdown, and soul-searching on; 29: Written In Stone.

Each of these leading ladies found a way to reinvent what had already made them household names in the first place. Taylor took her albums and essentially stripped them down to showcase her and her piano. Her soft and dark tonality brought us back to her beginnings of what made Swift such a lovable woman and artist alike. Reba took a more “disco” approach. While many of her songs already had a toe-tapping sensation to them, she cranked the volume up to ten and turned many of her hits into something every type of listener can enjoy. Carly, well, she won the award for most vulnerable album of the year and the last decade. If you didn’t shed a tear on songs like “Show Me Around” and the title track “29,” then you might as well be living in a dark and dank cavern. Giving her acknowledgments to songwriting superstar and mentor, Busbee (who passed away in 2019 due to his battle with cancer;) Pearce knew exactly how to channel the worst internal pain and turn it into something beneficial and wholesome.

 

Down The Line…

 

If 2021 showed the music world anything, it’s that music is timeless and endless. In an artist’s mind, the notes and lyrics know no bounds. The year ahead is already gearing up to continue and outperform every one of the releases mentioned above…or so we hope. Jason Aldean will be releasing the second half of his double album Georgia, while the queen of country returns with her forty-eighth studio album, Run, Rose, Run. Even more so, Thomas Rhett is set to return to the stage with not one but two releases this year; finishing out a double album of his own (Country Again: Side B) as well as, a stand-alone record Where We Started. All of these new releases, plus the return of Maren Morris with Humble Quest, and a host of debuting artists like Jessica Willis Fisher and Priscilla Block; are guaranteed to make 2022 a year of spectacular musicianship and wild artistry.