Another month, another new country music roundup! So far, 2024 has been dominated by the format’s new generation of singers. After closing the year with an impeccable cover of “How to Save a Life,” Wyatt Flores followed it up with the release of his latest single “Milwaukee.” Flores announced the song during his Opry debut and had been drumming up anticipation on his social media for weeks prior. Poised for a true breakout year, he’s keeping his foot on the gas pedal with this latest release.
Even though there are so many new males with a dark raspy voice, it’s Megan Moroney’s whimsical upper range that puts her miles ahead of her competition. Releasing the fan favorite “No Caller ID,” she made an instant impact on the charts with the song debuting at 58 on the Billboard Hot 100 shortly after the release. This was her third song to chart and surely won’t be the last as she gears up to tour with Zac Brown Band and Kenny Chesney this summer. Poised to earn exposure to a whole new sect of country fans, Meg is well on her way to becoming country music’s leading lady.
RELATED: COUNTRY MUSIC POWER RANKINGS, JANUARY 24
After spearheading country music’s most commercially successful year in decades, Morgan Wallen refuses to stay out of the spotlight whether he wants to or not. Earlier this month was announced that his old record label, Panacea Records, would be releasing a 10th anniversary record of his Stand Alone EP and old songs from the vault that Wallen never intended to be released. Wallen immediately took to social media to explain how those songs were some of the first he had ever written, and he had no intention of ever releasing them officially. In the same post, he announced that the fan-favorite “Spin You Around” would be released by Wallen’s current team at Big Loud Records.
Despite the limited single releases, two albums dominated the release cycle in the last week of the month. Randall King and Conner Smith each released new projects, Into the Neon and Smoky Mountains. After two years of virality and trying to solidify a music identity, Conner Smith’s debut LP hits all the right notes with lots of modern cadences and trends, but still feels true to Conner’s older influences. Not to be overshadowed on the same day, Randall King also released his third LP and second on a major label.
RELATED: INTRODUCING COUNTRY CENTRAL’S THROWBACK PLAYLISTS
After the monstrous year that was 2023, country music continues to climb the charts in the new year. On January 20th, Dylan Gossett’s “Coal” debuted at #89 on the Billboard Hot 100 as his young career gains more steam; he’s currently on tour opening for Noah Kahan. Just as exciting, more than a decade into his storied career, Appalachian folk hero Tyler Childers finally got his first-ever charting single on country radio with “In Your Love.”
The young year also laid the groundwork for several young careers as well. Zach Top and The Castellows each released singles and announced upcoming projects for the year. Additionally, Gavin Adcock has been picking up steam with his song “Four Leaf Clover.”
Even though it’s still the dead of winter, summer tour announcements are heating up with Brooks and Dunn announcing that they’re heading out on another “Reboot” tour, this time joined by ERNEST and David Lee Murphy. Morgan Wade and Charles Wesley Godwin also announced they’ll be hitting the road again this year. In addition to tour announcements, Kenny Chesney and Sierra Ferrell each let fans know that new full-length projects are finally on the way on March 29th and 22nd, respectively.
