Rodney Atkins

Rodney Atkins may not be a well known artist but his presence in the country music is significant. He has an amazing ability to really connect with his fans because his songs can reflect the lives of his listeners. In Atkins' songs he really keeps close to a simple minded lifestyle, mainly because that's the way that he grew up. Throughout his infancy he was adopted by two different families both of which returned him because he was ill. Finally he was adopted by the Atkins family which raised him into the healthy country star he is today. In 2003 he put out his first album, "Honesty" followed by "If You're Going Through Hell" in 2006. Also, in 2006 four of his songs from the album, "If You're Going Through Hell", became number one hits, something that had not been done since 2002.

Easton Corbin

Easton Corbin is a breakthrough artist who already has two number one hits, "A Little More Country Than That" and "Roll With It". Corbin grew up in Florida listening to country singers like Mel McDaniel.  His self titled album, "Easton Corbin", was released in March of this year. Corbin also was lucky enough to get some of the songs he actually co-wrote on his first album. Just this year alone he has had seven nominations for the American Country Awards, only Lady Antebellum had as many nominations. Most of his songs speak of relaxing and having fun throughout life but they can also speak about the trials and tough times of life. All Easton Corbin wants is to make it as a country superstar and most country fans would agree that he is already on his way to stardom.

Brooks and Dunn

 

Even though Brooks and Dunn aren't technically working together as a duo anymore, I still think that they are still worth mentioning. The duo is made up of the singers Leon Eric "Kix" Brooks and Ronnie Dunn. The two singers grew up singing seperately until 1990 when Tim DuBois put them together, leading up to their first number 1 single, "Brand New Man" in 1991. Just six years after Brooks and Dunn hit the country scene, they won CMA's entertainer of the year award. Together the two of them have 37 CMA awards; Dunn leads all the CMA award winners with 19 of his own awards and Brooks is tied for second with Vince Gill with 18 awards. The duo aren't afraid to sing songs about issues in America and tell how they really feel about the experiences they've had. Brooks and Dunn just finished their last tour this year and they will be seriously missed by country music fans.

Lady Antebellum

Lady Antebellum is a group made up of Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott, and Dave Haywood. The trio has two albums currently out, "Need You Now" (2010) and "Lady Antebellum"(2008). Lady Antebellum's three consecutive chart-topping singles are "I Run to You", "Need You Now", and "American Honey" and they had a stay at the top eight weeks out of eight months. Over the past two years, Lady Antebellum has won numerous awards, including a couple of CMA awards, a Grammy, 5 ACM awards, and 2 teen choice awards. This group has such a great future together and should continue to put out spectacular albums and songs. The three of them have wonderful chemistry together, being that they're such good friends, that take their performances to the next level.

Trace Adkins

Trace Adkins is one of the most recognizable male voices in all of country music. Other than just being a country singer, over the past decade Adkins has been an actor, author, voiceover artist, a social commentator, and a reality show participant. His most recent album, "Cowboy's Back In Town", was released this August. While he may seem like a tough guy on the outside, his songs can range from tender and sweet to rowdy and rough. His new album, "Cowboy's Back In Town", leans more to the rowdy and rough side of things. Adkins has a way of bringing believability into all of the songs he sings. He has won several awards for all the years he has spent as a singer such as, Grammys, ACM awards, and CMT awards.

Luke Bryan

Luke Bryan is another up and coming country star. His debut album, "I'll Stay Me", was released in 2007 and has become a huge hit. From that album both "Country Man" and "All My Friends Say" became top ten hits and made Bryan an artist to watch by Billboard and Country Weekly standards. Bryan is not just a typical singer, he is also a songwriter who has written most of his songs. Early in his career he won Music Row's Breakthrough Songwriter Award. Touring with some of the top country artists like Kenny Chesney and Trace Adkins, has made Bryan an even better vocalist and entertainer. His songs are inspired by all the tough and moving times in his life like losing a brother and sister which deterred him for wanting to continue to his dream. With friends and family realizing his talent and pushing back towards his dream, Bryan eventually would go on to become an amazing artist.

Sugarland

Sugarland is a popular duo consisting of Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush. Their fourth album, "The Incredible Machine" was released in October of this year. Sugarland has sold over 8 million albums so far and are expecting even greater numbers with the release of their new album. Both Nettles and Bush say that this album is a sort of "musical awakening" and "creative rebirth" for them. This album is like a step up from their other albums; they are more open and take bigger risks on "The Incredible Machine" then ever before. Bush describes it has a "collection of anthems" and he thinks that they have finally achieved the grander side of country music that Sugarland has been trying to reach since their very first album. Sugarland's songs are truly inspiring and for the most part really happy, relaxed, and carefree.

Blake Shelton

Blake Shelton is the winner of the 2010 Country Music Association award for Male Vocalist of the Year. This year Shelton has put out three new albums, "Hillbilly Bone", "All About Tonight", and "Loaded: The Best of Blake Shelton". The album "Hillbilly Bone" debuted at #3 on the Billboard's all-genre Top 200 chart and #2 on the Top Country Albums Chart. His songs bring together the softer side of country music and the rough, rowdy side. While most of his songs are about having a good time and full of upbeat energy, he can have some very powerful and moving songs such as, "Draggin the River", which is a duo with his fiance Miranda Lambert. Shelton really knows how to liven up his audience and is one truly great entertainer that's just there to show his audience a good time.

CMA's!

Last night was the Country Music Awards show hosted by Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley  for the third year in a row with many performances from artists such as Jason Aldean, Zac Brown Band, and even Gywneth Paltrow. Two of the biggest award winners last night were Miranda Lambert and Brad Paisley. Lambert took home three awards including best album of the year, female vocalist of the year, and her song "The House that Built Me" won video of the year all while celebrating her 27th birthday. Brad Paisley took home the biggest award of the night: Entertainer of the Year. Other winners included Blake Shelton for Male Vocalist of the year, Sugarland took home Vocal Duo of the year, and Zac Brown band won New Artist of the Year award. Many other awards were given out and many other amazing performances were made last night during the 2010 Country Music Awards.

Dierks Bentley

Dierks Bentley has become a country singer famous for his mix of country music and bluegrass. His fifth album, "Up on the Ridge" came out in June of this year and focuses mainly the more bluegrass side of his music. Even though when he first heard bluegrass music he thought of it as "old folk's music", he eventually came to love and all his albums continue to have ties back to that style of music. Bentley has won countless awards and has a huge fan base because of  his mixture of bluegrass and modern day country music. He brings to the country scene a different type of music all his own that sets him apart of other country singers today. His songs portray a life touring on the road as a "modern day drifter" and the simple life of living out in the country.

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift is definitely one of the most popular singers today. Whether people listen to country music or not, everybody's heard of Taylor Swift. She has become immensely popular all over the world and her recognizable songs have become huge successes. Her newest album, "Speak Now" was released last week and has already hit the top of the charts across several genres, such as pop and, of course, country. This new album has also set billboard chart records by having 11 of its songs reach the Billboard Hot 100 chart at the same time. All of Swift's songs were written by her and all showcase the literal experiences she has had in her life which make them extremely relatable. In all of her songs she is very honest and not afraid to "name names" of people that have fallen in and out of her life. Her songs show her exactly as she is, nothing is faked, and it’s all real from her own life.

Eric Church

Eric Church's first album, "Sinners like Me" was released in 2006 and three years later his second, most current album, "Carolina" in 2009. His songs are straightforward and speak straight from the heart. While he has only been on the country scene for a couple of years, he has become a huge success with fans all around the nation. They enjoy Church's honest persona and realness that shines throughout his songs, without him being worried about what people might think of him. He is an outstanding performer with his ability to capture his audience and keep them entertained throughout the duration of his show. Through his hard work and dedication to music he should continue to make songs true to himself and become even more of a country superstar.

Darius Rucker

Darius Rucker was the lead singer of the popular band, Hootie and the Blowfish, and recently switched over to country music to become one of the most popular country singers today. His first country album, "Learn to Live", soared to success when it debuted at #1 on the Billboard Charts following a multi-week #1 debut country single, "Don't Think I Don't Think About It". Making the switch to country music was not a big leap for Rucker because when he was a member of Hootie and the Blowfish he said, "We talked about being a country band, and I just got outvoted!". Rucker grew up in South Carolina so his love for country music started at a young age and his songs today are influenced by the singers he grew up listening to. His songs describe the life experiences he's had and journey he has gone through to get to the place he is today.

Keith Urban

Keith Urban is a country superstar and an amazing guitarist originally from Australia. His new album, "Get Closer", will be released on November 16 of this year. One single, "Put You In A Song",  from that new album has already been released to the radio and has quickly become a big success. For at least a decade, Keith Urban has made countless #1 hits, platinum albums, and awesome video collections. Most of Keith Urban's songs are upbeat and postive compared some of the other stereotypically "sad" country songs. He's had a lot of good things happen in his life and he really showcases that throughout his songs and performances.

Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood is one of the winners of "American Idol" that has stuck around to become a great success. She has released three albums so far and she became the first country singer to pass the 10 million mark in CD sales with just her first two albums alone. Carrie has won many awards for her outstanding performances and songs, including ACM Entertainer of the Year and several Grammys. She sings about her own experiences with love gone wrong and new love found. She expresses her true feelings about life through her songs. Even though she has become so famous over the last couple of years, she knows how to keep herself grounded by giving to charities for things like her hometown, Africa, and even visiting troops overseas.

Josh Thompson

Josh Thompson is among the various rising country stars and his most recent album, "Way Out Here" was released earlier this year. His songs inspire people to be true to themselves and to be proud of the roots they come from. Josh has always had a working-class lifestyle; early in his career he would spend a whole day pouring concrete for a living and then go to a song writing appointment at night just to try and score a record deal. He is proof that if you work hard to get to your goals, you should eventually reach them. Josh is all about the people who "pretty much work their butts off all week and like to have a good time Friday night" and his songs really reflect this idea because he has the same mentality.

Billy Currington

Billy Currington's "Enjoy yourself" album is now in stores. It is the fourth album that Billy has completed since he first entered into the country music scene in 2003. Since then he has had eight top ten singles and six number ones. His songs are all about relaxing and enjoying life. He's a really laid back guy and his songs show that. I really like that most of his songs are upbeat and talk about just sitting back, relaxing and enjoying the time that you have. Billy Currington really preaches about not getting too caught up in the struggles of life. He also knows how to add a postive spin to otherwise sad situations, which most contry singers can't as well as he can and that’s one of the reason I enjoy listening to his songs. Billy isn’t one of the most well known country singers but judging by the songs he has now, one day I think he will become a country superstar.

Miranda Lambert

Miranda Lambert's newest album, "Revolution", shows how she is not afraid to say what she feels and is all about honesty. Miranda finished in third place on the reality TV show, "Nashville Star", during its first season. Since then she has come a long way when her first album, "Kerosene", became the highest selling debut album in 2005. In 2008, Miranda won many more awards for her sophomore album, "Gunpowder and Lead", including, Artist of the Year and Album of the Year. For her third album to do just as well as the previous ones, Miranda stuck to the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" philosophy and so far it's been working for her.

Toby Keith

Toby Keith has been a famous country singer for many years now. He first got his start in country music in 1993. He is a singer/songwriter that has spent the last 18 consecutive years on the top of the charts. In 2001, he was named the Academy of Country Music Awards' Male Vocalist of the Year and named his album, "How Do You Like Me Now?!", album of the year. Also, in 2006, Toby Keith started his own company, "Show Dog Nashville", and released the label's first record, "White Trash With Money", soon after. He has made several cameos in shows such as, "Touched by an Angel". Toby Keith's 15th and newest album, "Bullets In The Gun", will be released next Tuesday. This album brings together everything from his previous albums and in a sense, clarifies it.

Tim McGraw

Tim McGraw is not only one of the most famous country singers; he is one of the biggest names in all of music today. He has sold over 40 million albums and has had over 30 number one singles. His debut album came out in 1993 and ever since then he has won 3 Grammys, 14 Acadamey of Country Music Awards, 11 Country Music Association Awards, and 10 American Music Awards. He has also starred in movies such as, "Flicka" and "The Blind Side". Tim McGraw's tenth album, "Southern Voice", was released in 2009 and tells "unforgettable stories of lives lived and lessons learned, and reveal a man staring down what it means to be a father, a husband, a Southerner."

Justin Moore

Justin Moore is one of the rising stars in country music. His songs, like "Small Town USA" and "How I Got To Be This Way", portray the small town he came from and what helped to shape him into the man and artist he is today. His first and only album was released in 2009 and describes "the basic but unbendable truths of a place where your word is your bond, elders are respected and bullies are put in their place". Justin also wrote nine of the ten songs on his debut album, one of which, "Small Town USA", soon became a top 15 hit. His rising success helped him to go on tour with other artists such as Trace Adkins and Hank Williams, Jr.

Kenny Chesney

Kenny Chesney is one of the more famous country singers and his many of his songs are about the emotional experiences he has gone through. Kenny has made 16 albums and has had more than 30 top ten singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs Charts. Throughout the life of his career in country music he has received many awards from the Academy of Country Music, Country Music Association, American Music Awards, Country Music Television, Billboard Music Awards, People's Choice Awards, and even the French Country Music Awards. Kenny Chesney has won 4 Entertainer of the Year awards 4 years in a row. His new song "The Boys of Fall" was released August of this year and his new album "Hemingway's Whiskey" will be released September 28th of this year as well.

Rascal Flatts

Rascal Flatts are another one of my many favorites. Rascal Flatts consists of three guys, Jon Don Rooney, Gary Levox, and Jay Demarcus. Since their entrance into the music world in 1999, they have placed 10 #1 singles and 20 top tens and every one of their studio albums have gone multi-platnium. Their newest album "Unstoppable" was released in 2009 and has been a big hit so far. All their songs are powerful and relatable. They talk about real life experiences that most people have gone though and can relate with. The songs have to do with everything from "the pain of a broken relationship, to the pure fun of 'Summer Nights'".

Brad Paisley

I think Brad Paisley has some of the funniest songs in all of country music. He is a singer, songwriter, and an awesome guitar player. So far he has released eight albums and his newest album, "American Saturday Night", was released last year shortly followed by his new single, "Water". Brad co-wrote of all his songs on his "American Saturday Night" album and the album title was meant to celebrate "the one night of the week everybody is willing to be entertained, to let loose and forget about what’s going on during the rest of the week." Brad Paisley got his start in the music business at age 13 when he joined the WWWVA Jamboree USA and toured with other country singers also trying to make it big.

Zac Brown Band

Zac Brown Band is one of my favorite artists besides Jason Aldean. Zac Brown Band released their first album "The Foundation" in 2008 and it has been all up hill from there. Last year alone they won a well desevered  Grammy for "Best New Artist". They also won "Top New Vocal Group" and "Breakthrough Video of the Year" from the Academy of Country Music Awards and CMT in 2009. The many songs such as, "Chicken Fried" and "Toes", that made it all the way to the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot Country Chart were long awaited by Zac Brown who said "it took 13 years" to get to that point. There is much more to come from the Zac Brown Band as they are currently touring around the country and recently went over seas to sing for our troops.

Jason Aldean

Jason Aldean has sold over a two million copies of his first two albums and his new album "Wide Open" premiered in April of this year. His new song "My Kinda Party" was originally written by Brantley Gilbert 4 years ago, but Jason made it his own this fall by adding more electric guitar and pumping up the tempo. Jason Aldean likes to write songs about the experiences he has had, like moving away from his hometown to Nashville and being on the road most of the year. His songs like "Wide Open" and "Crazy Town" are two songs that came from the personal and emotion experiences he's had while trying to make it big in Nashville.