Country pop is a fusion genre of country music and pop music that was developed by members of the country genre out of a desire to reach a larger, mainstream audience. Country pop music blends genres like rock, pop, and country, continuing similar efforts that began in the late 1950s, known originally as the Nashville sound and later on as Countrypolitan. By the mid-1970s, many country artists were transitioning to the pop-country sound, which led to some records charting high on the mainstream top 40 and the Billboard country chart. In turn, many pop and easy listening artists crossed over to country charts during this time. After declining in popularity during the neotraditional movement of the 1980s, country pop had a comeback in the 1990s with a sound that drew more heavily on pop rock and adult contemporary. In the 2010s, country pop metamorphosized again with the addition of hip-hop beats and rap-style phrasing.
"Lips of an Angel" is a song by American rock band Hinder, produced and co-written by Brian Howes and Joseph Lombardo. It was released in April 2006 as the second single from their 2005 debut album, Extreme Behavior. It was their breakthrough hit, charting within the top ten on several US Billboard genre charts, reaching number three on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, and peaking at number one in Australia and New Zealand. It has sold 3.6 million copies in the US as of January 2015, making it one of the most downloaded rock songs.
"This Is How We Roll" is a song recorded by American country music duo Florida Georgia Line with fellow country music singer Luke Bryan. It is the fifth and final single from Florida Georgia Line's debut studio album, Here's to the Good Times, although it is only included on the 2013 This Is How We Roll re-release. Cole Swindell assisted the artists in writing the song. A remix, featuring Jason Derulo and Bryan was released on June 7, 2014.
"Dirt on My Boots" is a song recorded by American country music artist Jon Pardi. It was released to radio on September 19, 2016, as the second single to his second studio album California Sunrise. The song was written by Rhett Akins, Jesse Frasure and Ashley Gorley.
"Most People Are Good" is a song recorded by American country music singer Luke Bryan from his sixth studio album, What Makes You Country (2017). It was written by David Frasier, Ed Hill, and Josh Kear, and produced by Jeff Stevens and Jody Stevens. "Most People Are Good" was released in January 2018 as the album's second single.
"Good Girl" is a song recorded by American country music singer Dustin Lynch. It was released in May 2018 by Broken Bow as the lead single from his fourth studio album Tullahoma (2020). Lynch wrote the song with Justin Ebach and Andy Albert, and Zach Crowell produced it. It's about a woman that Lynch describes as being perfect and has changed him for the better. "Good Girl" gave Lynch his sixth number one hit on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, as well as his first as a writer. It also peaked at numbers eight and 44 on both the Hot Country Songs and Hot 100 charts respectively. It has sold 83,000 copies in the United States as of January 2019. The song achieved similar success in Canada, reaching number five on the Canada Country chart. An accompanying music video for the song, directed by Mason Dixon, tells a story inspired by Bonnie and Clyde.
Gabby Bernadette Barrett is an American country music singer. She finished third on the sixteenth season of American Idol. Her debut single "I Hope" was the first top 10 Hot Country Songs debut by an unaccompanied woman since October 2017. It became a top three hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and has been certified 7× platinum by the RIAA. Her debut album Goldmine was released on June 19, 2020. Country Now called Barrett "country music's next female superstar".
"The Bones" is a song by American country singer Maren Morris, released by Columbia Nashville on February 22, 2019 as the second single from her second studio album, Girl (2019). Morris co-wrote the song with Jimmy Robbins and Laura Veltz, while production was handled by Greg Kurstin. It serviced to hot adult contemporary radio on May 20, 2019. A sleeper hit, "The Bones" peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 the following year of its release. It became the second-most successful country song of that year in the US. The song has also received quadruple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and septuple platinum certification by Music Canada (MC).
"Beer Can't Fix" is a song recorded by American country music singer-songwriters Thomas Rhett and Jon Pardi. It was released to country radio on January 6, 2020 as the third single from Rhett's fourth studio album Center Point Road (2019). The song's thesis is that, regardless of the nature of one's life problems, beer is always the answer. Rhett wrote the song with Julian Bunetta, Ryan Tedder, and Zach Skelton.
"Ridin' Roads" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Dustin Lynch. It was released on March 25, 2019 by Broken Bow as the second single from his fourth studio album Tullahoma (2020). It was co-written by Lynch, Ashley Gorley and Zach Crowell, who also produced the song. Lynch described it as being thematically similar to "Small Town Boy", taking inspiration from a friend's Snapchat post of a farm truck. "Ridin' Roads" gave Lynch his seventh number-one hit on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. It also reached numbers five and 47 on both the Hot Country Songs and Hot 100 charts respectively. It was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and has sold 82,000 units in the United States as of January 2020. The song also charted in Canada, peaking within the top 10 of the Canada Country chart. An accompanying music video for the song, directed by Mason Dixon, features Lynch and his girlfriend going through the Everglades at night.
"I Hope" is a song recorded by American country music singer Gabby Barrett. She released the single independently following her third-place finish on season 16 of American Idol. It led to her signing a deal with Warner Music Nashville, and it was released on July 29, 2019, as her debut single and the first from her debut studio album Goldmine. Barrett co-wrote the song with Jon Nite and Zach Kale, with Kale and Ross Copperman handling production.
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in 2020.
"Just the Way" is a song recorded by American country music group Parmalee and American rapper Blanco Brown. It was released on December 13, 2019 as the first single from Parmalee's seventh studio album For You. The song was written by Parmalee's lead vocalist Matt Thomas, along with Kevin Bard and Nolan Sipe.
Goldmine is the debut studio album from American country music singer Gabby Barrett. It was released on June 19, 2020, through Warner Music Nashville.
"Good Time" is a song co-written and recorded by American singer and songwriter Niko Moon. It was released on July 19, 2019, and serviced to country radio on March 16, 2020, as the lead single from his debut album of the same name (2021). Originally writing the song to pitch to other country artists, Moon ended up keeping it for himself when working on his album. In March 2021, "Good Time" became Moon's first number-one hit on both the Billboard Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs charts. It also reached number 20 on the Hot 100. The song was certified 2× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting sales of over two million units in that country. In Canada, the track reached the top 10 of the Canada Country chart and number 74 on the Canadian Hot 100. An accompanying music video for the song, directed by Moon, features a campfire party in the woods.
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in 2021.
"Pick Me Up" is a song recorded by American country music singer Gabby Barrett. It serves as the fourth single from her debut album Goldmine. Barrett co-wrote the song with Jon Nite and Ross Copperman. The official music video for the song premiered on May 5, 2022.
"Watermelon Moonshine" is a song recorded by American country music singer Lainey Wilson. It was released in May 2023 as the second single from her third studio album, Bell Bottom Country. It was written by Wilson, Josh Kear, and Jordan Schmidt, and was produced by Jay Joyce.
