Wynonna Returns with the Best Album of Her Career
Wynonna’s The Hard Truth is an excellent country-pop record with a more rustic, organic sound, rather than the dense studio gloss of her early 1990s LPs.
country pop
Role Model Commits to Caricature on ‘Chuck Timely’
On Chuck Timely and the Hourglass, Role Model uses an affable alter ego to navigate relationships, commitment, and what it means to be a pop star.
With Dolly Parton, the Glitz Was Never Separate From the Genius
In tribute to Dolly Parton, we celebrate her genius not only in songwriting and singing, but also in being the creative force behind her indelible image.
The 10 Best Dolly Parton Songs (Plus One More)
Dolly Parton was perhaps the first country mega-star, and the first to successfully crossover into pop music. These are her 10 finest achievements.
Brandon Flowers Revisits the Americana Playbook with Compelling LP
Brandon Flowers’ melodies are largely airy, ebullient, even life-affirming. Articulating the troubles we face, he also, and perhaps ultimately, pays homage to our resilience.
Shania Twain Journeys to the Past on ‘Little Miss Twain’
More than anything, Little Miss Twain is a love letter to Shania Twain’s late mother, who acted as something of a manager when she first began performing.
Kacey Musgraves Renews Her Faith in Country Music
Kacey Musgraves’ Middle of Nowhere is the most classically country album she has released in over a decade. Lyrically, she’s still one of the genre’s biggest rebels.
Tenille Townes Says “we could use a little more” (premiere)
Tenille Townes’ “we could use a little more” works as a necessary anodyne to the troubled times in which we live. Extreme times call for radical responses.
Cat Clyde Is Searching on ‘Mud Blood Bone’
Cat Clyde is immensely talented, but Mud Blood Bone is a frustrating listen due to occasional missteps and a questionable cowboy-pop aesthetic.
Boy Golden Finds the Best Things in Life
Boy Golden has given us a soundtrack for good times, which is an achievement that, in our current world, feels nothing short of miraculous.
Lindsay Ell Reinvents Herself in Nashville’s Risky Business
Lindsay Ell was chosen as one of the “Next Women in Country” in 2014, but she has other ambitions and questions to explore after making her new EP.
Molly Tuttle Dives Headfirst Into Entertaining Country Pop
Molly Tuttle, hot off a significant Grammy nomination, pivots her sound into a lovely country pop new direction and tells PopMatters all about it.