Martina Mariea McBride is an American country music singer-songwriter and record producer. She is known for her soprano singing range and her country pop material.
Beverley Mahood is a country music singer-songwriter and television host in Canada. Beverley emigrated from Belfast to Canada as a child. She is also formerly part of the all-female trio Lace, produced by the renowned Los Angeles producer, David Foster. From 2004 to 2005, she co-hosted the Citytv Vancouver morning show, Breakfast Television. Mahood was then named to co-host CMT Canada's flagship show, CMT Central. She starred as the anchor judge on the series "CMT Chevy Karaoke Star." Other hosting duties have included the reality series Project Mom/Project Dad and Pick a Puppy (2010–2013) and the countdown program Ultimate.
Carrie Marie Underwood is an American singer. She rose to prominence after winning the fourth season of American Idol in 2005. Underwood's single "Inside Your Heaven" made her the first country artist to debut atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the only solo country artist in the 2000s to have a number-one song on the Hot 100. Her debut album, Some Hearts (2005), was bolstered by the successful crossover singles "Jesus, Take the Wheel" and "Before He Cheats", becoming the best-selling solo female debut album in country music history. She won three Grammy Awards for the album, including Best New Artist. The next studio album, Carnival Ride (2007) had one of the biggest opening weeks of all time by a female artist and won two Grammy Awards. Her third studio album, Play On (2009), produced the single "Cowboy Casanova", which had one of the biggest single-week upward movements on the Hot 100.
Jessica Danielle Andrews Chagnon is an American country music singer. At age 15 in mid-1999, she made her debut on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts with the single "I Will Be There for You", from her debut album Heart Shaped World, released in 1999 on DreamWorks Records Nashville. Andrews had her biggest chart success in 2001 with the song "Who I Am", a No. 1 country hit and the title track of her second studio album, which was certified gold in the United States. A third album, Now was released in 2003 to lower sales, while a fourth album was never released due to DreamWorks' closure. In late 2008, Andrews signed to Carolwood Records, an imprint of Lyric Street Records, however, she was dropped from the label in 2009 without issuing an album.
Kellie Dawn Pickler is an American country music singer, songwriter, actress and television personality. Pickler gained fame as a contestant on the fifth season of American Idol and finished in sixth place. In 2006, she signed to 19 Recordings and BNA Records as a recording artist. Her debut album, Small Town Girl, was released later that year and has sold over 900,000 copies. The album, which was certified gold by the RIAA, produced three singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts: "Red High Heels" at No. 15, "I Wonder" at No. 14, and "Things That Never Cross a Man's Mind" at No. 16.
Tara Oram is a Canadian country music recording artist and TV personality. She was a top six finalist on the fifth season of Canadian Idol in 2007. In 2009, Oram received the "Rising Star" Canadian Country Music Award and was nominated for a Juno Award, for Country Album of the Year, for her debut album Chasing the Sun.
"Picture to Burn" is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, taken from her self-titled debut studio album (2006). Swift and Liz Rose wrote the track, which was produced by Nathan Chapman. The song was released as the album's fourth single on February 4, 2008, by Big Machine Records. For the lyrics, which narrate a protagonist's contempt and vengeance against an ex-lover, Swift was inspired by the narcissistic and cocky nature of a high-school classmate. Musically, the country rock track features prominent plunking banjo and distorted guitars.
"You Belong with Me" is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released to US radio on April 20, 2009, as the third single from her second studio album, Fearless (2008). Inspired by a phone call between a member of her touring band and his girlfriend that she overheard, Swift wrote the song with Liz Rose to depict a narrator's unrequited love for a boy unappreciated by his girlfriend. Swift and Nathan Chapman produced "You Belong with Me", which features a banjo-led production and incorporates fiddle, mandolin, and rock-influenced bass and electric guitars. Although the single was promoted to country radio by Big Machine Records, critics deemed it a pop song that stylistically aligns with 1980s subgenres such as pop rock and power pop.
"Fifteen" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her second studio album, Fearless (2008). Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, it is a country pop song with narrative lyrics inspired by Swift's freshman year of high school. In the lyrics, Swift and her high school friend Abigail Anderson, both at 15, go through teenage love and heartbreak together. Swift included the track on Fearless after Anderson consented to the personal references. The lyrics mentioning Anderson's disappointment after she "gave everything she had to a boy who changed his mind" received criticism for its allegedly sex-negative connotation.
Gloriana was an American country music group founded in 2008 by Cheyenne Kimball, Rachel Reinert (vocals), and brothers Tom Gossin and Mike Gossin. Prior to the group's foundation, Kimball recorded as a solo artist. The original lineup recorded one self-titled album for Emblem/Reprise Records in 2009, which included their first chart hit, "Wild at Heart". Kimball left before the release of the band's second album A Thousand Miles Left Behind, which produced their highest-charting single, "(Kissed You) Good Night", along with the top 20 "Can't Shake You". After a third album, Three, Reinert left as well, effectively disbanding the group.
Veronica Jean Ballestrini is an Italian-American singer and songwriter. She has released two studio albums. Her self-made success story has caught national attention as Jon Caramanica wrote in The New York Times, "... When someone like Ms. Ballestrini arrives essentially unannounced and begins to attract attention, it’s significant."
Play On is the third studio album by American country music singer Carrie Underwood. It was released in the United States on November 3, 2009, through Arista Nashville. Play On was produced by Mark Bright who also produced Underwood's Carnival Ride and seven other songs off of Some Hearts.
Codie Prevost is a Canadian country music artist. He is a four time Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) nominee and a six time Saskatchewan Country Music Association (SCMA) Entertainer of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year winner. In total, he has received 26 SCMA Awards. Prevost's past performances include CMA Music Festival, Dauphin Countryfest, South by Southwest, American Tours Festival, Havelock Country Jamboree, Craven Country Jamboree and Manitoulin Island Country Fest.
Emma-Lee is a Canadian pop singer, songwriter and photographer from Toronto, Ontario. She is considered a mezzo-soprano and is a self-taught vocalist. She has written hit songs for other artists in both the pop and country genres.
"Ours" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for the deluxe edition of her third studio album, Speak Now (2010). It was released to US country radio as the album's last single on December 5, 2011, by Big Machine Records. Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, "Ours" is an understated country pop ballad with a folk-influenced production. The lyrics depict a young couple's resilience to protect their relationship despite others' scrutiny.
"Mine" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her third studio album Speak Now (2010). Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, it combines country pop and pop rock and has lyrics about the ups and downs of a young love, inspired by Swift's tendency to run away from love for fears of heartbreak. Big Machine Records released "Mine" for download as Speak Now's lead single on August 4, 2010, two weeks earlier than intended because of an unauthorized internet leak. In the United States, the single impacted country radio on August 16, 2010.
"Back to December" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her third studio album, Speak Now (2010). Big Machine Records released the song for download onto the iTunes Store on October 12, 2010, and sent it to US country radio as the album's second single on November 15, 2010. "Back to December" is a power ballad combining country and pop, and it incorporates orchestrated strings; an acoustic version was included on the deluxe edition of Speak Now. The lyrics are about a remorseful plea for forgiveness from a former lover.
"Mean" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her third studio album, Speak Now (2010). It was released to US country radio as the album's third single on March 13, 2011, by Big Machine Records. Produced by Nathan Chapman and Swift, "Mean" is a banjo-led country and bluegrass track with a production incorporating hand claps, fiddles, and multitracked vocals. Inspired by critics of Swift, the lyrics narrate a protagonist's self-awareness of her own shortcomings, efforts to overcome the criticism, and ridicule of a "mean" antagonist.
"Like My Mother Does" is a song written by Nathan Chapman, Liz Rose, and Nikki Williams. It was first recorded by American country music artist Kristy Lee Cook from her 2008 album, Why Wait. It was later recorded and released as a single by country music singers Jesse Lee and Lauren Alaina in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Alaina's recording became the first version of the song to chart; it debuted at number 49 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, and later reached a peak of number 36 on the chart in October 2011.
Ryan Laird is a Canadian country music singer-songwriter. He received recognition and media attention across The United States and Canada in December 2008 after putting up a billboard on Nashville, Tennessee's music row asking Taylor Swift to produce his album.
