With CMJ Music Marathon underway, and PopMatters own showcase being held the same evening, the online music streaming site Pandora hosted a treat for its listeners on October 14th. They welcomed three country singers, two up-and-coming and one a bit more established, to perform at a free show. The genre doesn’t really get represented during CMJ and on top of that, Pandora selected only female artists to perform dubbing it “Women in Country”. The night also doubled as a charity event as money was raised for the T.J. Martell Foundation to help support Leukemia, cancer and AIDS research.
Treating it like a CMJ event, by where I mean I went into the show with the mindset to explore and experience music unknown (to me), I caught sets from RaeLynn and Cassadee Pope, the two newcomers and both participants of The Voice, missing Martina McBride. RaeLynn’s songs sounded weighted towards the more pop-friendly side of country while Pope’s tunes definitely were honed towards country, though her newest single, “I am Invincible” could mix in with Top 40 radio.
From her bio: “RaeLynn’s star continued to shine with the release of “For A Boy,” depicting an evolved maturity and exhibiting her diversity as an artist and songwriter. The dynamic entertainer earned her first CMT Music Awards nominations for Female Video of the Year and Breakthrough Video of the Year earlier this summer with her GOLD-certified single “God Made Girls”.”
From her bio: “With soaring vocals, slots touring with Superstars Tim McGraw and Rascal Flatts, impressive sales and being selected for CMT’s Next Women of Country, Cassadee Pope continues to add to her growing list of accolades. Mentor Blake Shelton presented the season three winner of The Voice with another fan-voted honor – 2014 CMT Music Awards’ Breakthrough Video of the Year.”
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