{"id":2504586,"date":"2026-07-16T13:59:24","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T13:59:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2504586"},"modified":"2026-07-16T13:59:24","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T13:59:24","slug":"country-has-more-women-in-the-pipeline-a-look-at-new-acts-for-q3-q4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/country-has-more-women-in-the-pipeline-a-look-at-new-acts-for-q3-q4\/","title":{"rendered":"Country Has More Women In The Pipeline: A Look At New Acts For Q3, Q4"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n\tCoincidence or a reaction to the trend?<\/p>\n

\n\tEach of the top 5 singles on the Hot Country Songs<\/a> chart dated July 11 are by female artists, or a female-male collaboration. And 11 of the top 20 fit that description, too.<\/p>\n

\n\tWith women suddenly getting equal treatment in the top layers of the country chart, they also make up almost half of the genre\u2019s new solo artists putting out key inaugural products in the next six months. At least 20 acts have their debut album or EP on the way in the last half of 2026, and of the 16 solo performers, seven (44%) are females. They include a range of acts: BELLES<\/strong> filters memorable hooks through numerous styles, Ava Claire<\/strong> is sonically unpredictable, Mary Kutter<\/strong> explores difficult subject matter and Lakelin Lemmings<\/strong> brings a youthful approach to solid country sonics.<\/p>\n

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See latest videos, charts and news<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n\tHere\u2019s a look at the acts who have milestone first releases from July 1 through Dec. 31:<\/p>\n

\n\t\u2022 BELLES<\/strong> (East Music Row) \u2014 How many acts have Dolly Parton<\/strong> on their first album? Try Omaha-raised BELLES. She\u2019s also got a penetrating voice, melodic command, strong hooks and a revisionist take on country\u2019s established textures. The album arrives in October.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u2022 Ava Claire<\/strong> (3686) \u2014 A Belmont student, Claire\u2019s music veers from the folkie \u201cSalt Mine\u201d to the almost-experimental, banjo pop-rock of \u201cThe Sound,\u201d with those wide-ranging textures presenting her as an emotional chameleon. Her debut EP, Honestly<\/em>, is in the works.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u2022 The Creekers<\/strong> (Warner Nashville) \u2014 The six-piece Eastern Kentucky ensemble is a product of its place. Bill Monroe<\/strong> bluegrass, Tom T. Hall<\/strong> simplicity and Chris Stapleton<\/strong> moodiness are all discernible in the sound. Their first major-label album is targeted for September.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u2022 Colton Dawson<\/strong> (Warner Nashville) \u2014 The influence of \u201890s country isn\u2019t over. Dawson is the latest example, playing amped-up honky tonk and tender ballads that evince Garth Brooks<\/strong>, Doug Stone<\/strong> and Joe Diffie<\/strong>. His self-titled debut album is expected this fall.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u2022 Thomas Edwards<\/strong> (Warner Nashville) \u2014 Originally planned for the first half of 2026, Edwards\u2019 inaugural EP is now on the way in the second half. The high-school football player scores with blue-eyed soul, rambunctious boogie and a glimpse of deeper humanity.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u2022 Jacob Hackworth<\/strong> (MCA\/Goat Island Sound) \u2014 Hackworth has already written hits for Corey Kent<\/strong>, Tucker Wetmore<\/strong> and Bailey Zimmerman<\/strong>, but his voice is so admirably smooth, he deserves his own spotlight. His What Took You So Long<\/em> EP arrives in September.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u2022 Zach John King<\/strong> (Sony Music Nashville) \u2014 King co-wrote his entire debut album, I\u2019m What You Get<\/em>, expected Aug. 28. Current single \u201cGet to Drinkin\u2019,\u201d top 20 on Country Airplay, exemplifies his knack for crisply-cadenced melodies. He\u2019s capable of sensitivity, too.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u2022 Erin Kinsey<\/strong> (199) \u2014 Kinsey\u2019s clear tone and regional enunciation shadow fellow Texan Miranda Lambert<\/strong>, though those qualities are conveyed more innocently. Her first album \u2014 Suede<\/em>, dueAug. 7 \u2014 includes a raw harmonic blend with Dylan Marlowe<\/strong> in \u201cSay I\u2019m Wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u2022 Kinsley<\/strong> (MCA) \u2014 She\u2019s lived in three Southern states and brings a gritty, dramatic vocal state to her first EP, Learn to Live<\/em>, this September. There\u2019s a crack in her delivery that houses earthy experiences, ready to appear during her performances.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u2022 Mary Kutter<\/strong> (BBR Music Group\/BMG Nashville) \u2014 Born in Kentucky\u2019s bourbon belt, Kutter distills the hard side of life with unforgiving intensity, capturing harsh extremes with cutting lyrics and a vocal delivery to match. Expect a 10-song introductory album this fall.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u2022 Lakelin Lemmings<\/strong> (Quartz Hill) \u2014 A West Tennessee girl with big ambitions, Lemmings is sometimes airy, sometimes commanding, using pedal steel and baritone guitar to underscore her country upbringing. Her 16-track, eponymous debut album is slated for a July 24 release.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u2022 Cody Lohden<\/strong> (DeVille\/Big Loud) \u2014 The former Kentucky-bred first responder got a positive response from ERNEST after making noise on TikTok. A little Southern rock, modern production and a commanding tone create commercial potential, with his initial label project in process.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u2022 Marfa<\/strong> (Big Machine\/ASCEND) \u2014 The duo, Bryce Menchaca<\/strong> and Kellen Wall<\/strong>, specializes in elaborate harmonies, but its music ranges from Everly Brothers<\/strong>-like folk-pop to buzzy Americana-rock. A debut EP is likely this fall, highlighting music that\u2019s daring, unpretentious and commercially accessible.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u2022 Wyatt McCubbin<\/strong> (MCA\/Lucille) \u2014 Rural Ohio native McCubbin co-wrote Zach Top<\/strong>\u2019s \u201cSounds Like the Radio\u201d and weaves snarling guitars into songs about heartland America. Following hisMay 12 Grand Ole Opry debut, his first, Dave Cobb<\/strong>-produced album, 650<\/em>, releases in October.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u2022 Slater Nalley<\/strong> (Warner Nashville\/Warner) \u2014 Nalley made an emotional impression on American Idol<\/em>, with a worldly vocal sound and a compassionate heart on display in his self-penned audition piece. The Georgian\u2019s blues-tinged voice is the centerpiece of an August debut EP.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u2022 Blake Proehl<\/strong> (MCA) \u2014 American Idol<\/em> viewers will remember Proehl as an ex-Minnesota Viking with admirable stage presence. With a first EP on the way in October, he appears focused on mid- to uptempo sing-alongs with sunny dispositions and guy-next-door sonics.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u2022 Ryan and Rory<\/strong> (BBR Music Group\/BMG Nashville) \u2014 For a good time, call Ryan Folles\u00e8<\/strong> and Rory Van Zak<\/strong>. The duo puts a positive spin even on difficult scenarios \u2014 including loneliness, rejection and mortality \u2014 in its first album, coming this fall.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u2022 Landon Smith<\/strong> (MCA\/Lucille) \u2014 \u201cI retired my inner child at 17\/And I hope that he\u2019s alright.\u201d A 20-something Georgian, Smith delivers quirky, insightful, guitar-driven folk\/country with urgency. His inner child would, quite likely, approve. Smith\u2019s first full album arrives in September.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u2022 Thelma & James<\/strong> (Big Loud) \u2014 Recently nominated for duo of the year by the Academy of Country Music, the married team \u2014 Jake Etheridge and MacKenzie Porter \u2014 tends to place dramatic harmonies over austere productions. A debut album is under construction.\u2022 Kat Velasco<\/strong> (KV Music) \u2014 Velasco\u2019s country is shaded by 1980s and \u201890s pop-rock, leaning on darker textures. She\u2019s released five songs thus far for an October album, Cowgirl Complex<\/em>, including melodically compact \u201cShow Pony\u201d and vulnerable \u201cI Should Quit Drinking.\u201d<\/p>\n


\"Billboard
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\u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n

\u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.billboard.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Coincidence or a reaction to the trend? Each of the top 5 singles on the Hot Country Songs chart dated July 11 are by female artists, or a female-male collaboration. And 11 of the top 20 fit that description, too. With women suddenly getting equal treatment in the top layers of the country chart, they […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2234271,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25179],"tags":[309228,21932],"class_list":["post-2504586","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music","tag-genre-country","tag-music-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Heres-Where-To-Buy-Dolly-Partons-New-Biography-Aint-Nobodys.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2504586","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2504586"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2504586\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2504587,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2504586\/revisions\/2504587"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2234271"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2504586"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2504586"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2504586"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}