Where does country music go after such a titanic couple of years? 2023 & 2024 saw the genre and the general aesthetic see some newcomers fall in love with what it had to offer. Americans are still trying to figure out how to grapple with their relationship with Americana. Nashville allows the groundwork to be laid to try and understand what that looks like, for better or worse. It's even better when the industry, its artists particularly, are inclined to lift one another up rather than isolate. Shaboozey and Post Malone could fit in just as easily as Luke Combs and Cody Johnson.
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But how does country continue moving forward in such a positive direction? These last couple of years saw the numbers go up and superstars fully establish themselves. Who should we look out for to have a great 2025 in Nashville? I think I have a few good artists to look out for this year in terms of releasing new albums.
Three Country Albums to Look Out for in 2025
Morgan Wallen
2024 was a massive year for country and that's without a new titanic Morgan Wallen record to boost it. He didn't really have to either. He's still peddling songs on the Hot 100 and radio stations. There's still songs I would push as singles he hasn't even touch ("One Thing at a Time" gets me hootin' and hollerin' every time). Wallen could theoretically afford to test the market out with singles from his last album and check the temperature with a few loosies.
Still, Morgan seems primed for a gargantuan year in 2025. Musically, I'm a bit wary with what he's shared so far. "Love Somebody" is barely a country song, closer to a Maroon 5 approximation than the Keith Whitley blues he excels in. "Smile" is fine, a largely neutral experience that doesn't swell in its production nor does it stand out lyrically. "Lies Lies Lies" is the best of this trio of singles, a sad lament where Morgan kicks dirt in his boots while he laments another rough heartache. However, I also had this issue with his last album One Thing At A Time too. Knowing him, he'll still give me a couple great records to treasure while he has another banner year in country music.
Jason Isbell
This one feels like a wild card. There's no telling if Jason Isbell's actually recording anything after a turbulent divorce from Amanda Shires of the 400 Unit. It's also possible that he's writing this pain away, the way a lot of great songwriters do. Isbell excels in creating some real heartbreakers, painting his blues with a little more gray than we might expect. There's never a good guy or a bad guy, there's complicated nuance that interrogates every party involved. Who knows what happens with the 400 Unit now that Jason and Amanda aren't together anymore? There's no telling how their separation will affect the music. But whenever Isbell comes back, it'll sure to break my heart. Hopefully, it's in 2025.
Zach Bryan
Being a Zach Bryan fan certainly comes with its caveats. Observing his behind the scenes failures in his relationship with Brianna LaPaglia paints him as angry and toxic, teetering in the bounds of abuse. This also mirrors the complicated man he sings about in his records. He can often drink his sorrows away in response to the grief and trauma he's experienced in his life. Bryan writes heartbreak with staggering clarity, where his failures are just as evident as the disagreements he shares with another woman.
These ideas make the prospect of a new Zach Bryan album so interesting. He's a courageous songwriter who bears his soul into his records. This fearlessness in junction with the thorny relationship almost guarantees Bryan to unpack another messy, brutal breakup. That's not to say we're indulging in country gossip. Rather, his delicate details should paint a stirring portrait of why he continues to struggle and what didn't work with his past loves.
