The Rise - Rise - Rise and EXPLOSION of Country Music
Geoff Langston
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Beyonce has announced a Country Music album
Lana Del Rey will be releasing a Country Music album
Post Malone is already recording his Country Music album with guest appearances from Country Music ‘royalty’ such as Morgan Wallen , Ernest and Brad Paisley
In 2020 I wrote an article called The Rise and Rise of the Country Music Business
In 2022 I wrote an article called The Continued Rise and Rise of the Country Music Business
In 2022 I wrote an article called Business Lessons from The Rise and Rise of the Country Music Business
In 2024 it’s highly likely that Country Music is more than rising, it’s exploding!
As well as the recent announcements about Beyonce, Lana Del Rey and Post Malone’s country albums, evidence of the Country Music explosion is coming in thick and fast from many reports, stats and articles including:
‘In IFPI's annual chart of the biggest-selling recording artists published in February 2024, based on worldwide sales and streams last year (2023) new entries in the 2023 chart include Country Music artist Morgan Wallen (sixth) and another Country Music Artist Zach Bryan (16th)’
‘The biggest track on Apple Music in 2023 went to country artist Morgan Wallen's 'Last Night'.
In its announcement, Apple noted that 11 country tracks are in its top 100 for 2023, up from just four last year. Wallen also had the most popular album on Apple Music this year with his 'One Thing at a Time' long-player’
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‘Google's 2023 top five music searches that included Country Music singer Jason Aldean's 'Try That In A Small Town'.
‘Country music streaming grew 24% YoY through Q3 2023. Morgan Wallen was responsible for almost a third of the growth, according to entertainment data company Luminate’.
'Last June, No. 1 and No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart were country songs: “Last Night” by Morgan Wallen and the “Fast Car” cover by Luke Combs’.
It also seems that the surge in popularity of Country Music is being driven by Gen Z and Millennials with 36% of Spotify’s Top 50 songs were Country compared to 2% in 2016.
Already one of Beyoncé ’s new songs “Texas Hold ’Em ,” off her forthcoming album, has landed at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs?chart, Billboard reports. She is now the first Black woman to ever hold the spot, Variety notes. The superstar’s “16 Carriages ,” released simultaneously, also charted at No. 9 on the Hot Country Songs chart. Both songs are Beyoncé’s first entries on the chart.
This leads me to a couple of observations about topics that this explosion in Country Music has highlighted.
Firstly, the historic lack of diversity in the Country Music scene as evidenced by the the fact that Beyoncé is the first Black woman to achieve No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs?chart. There are a few successful black Country Artists such as Darius Rucker and and Breland however they are the exception rather than the rule. Let’s see how this changes in 2024.
Secondly, the pressure that many artists are feeling in all genres of music as highlighted by 22 year old Country Singer Wyatt Flores who opened up to fans during a gig about the numbness and apathy he's been experiencing, before apologising to fans. In a statement Wyatt shared with fans later he said:
‘This is the only thing I've ever cared about, and for some reason I can't figure out, I don't feel a thing. I'm struggling with it, I'm sorry guys. I've got to tell my truth. I don't know why. [This is] the only thing that I give a shit about, and I'm sorry. I can't give you all what y'all deserve, and I love y'all. I'm very thankful for y'all being here’.
I will be sharing more thoughts about how you can manage the highs and lows of working in the music industry (and in other sectors) in my next article including the power of coaching to support your physical and mental health.
What are your thoughts about why this explosion in the popularity of Country Music is imminent?
Who will be the next artists to embrace this amazing music genre?
I look forward to your thoughts.
#countrymusic #music #musicindustry #musictrends #nashville