There's definitely a reason to yeehaw in 2020, because there's going to be a whole batch of new country albums up ahead! Revel in everything from classic lyrics about small towns in Dustin Lynch's Tullahoma to ethereal pop sounds in Little Big Town's Nightfall. This year in country music, we'll also hear from more female artists, newcomers and veterans alike. If you're looking for fresh voices, get ready for folksy singer-songwriters like Caitlyn Smith and Aubrie Sellers. This year will also be the year the Dixie Chicks return to the music rodeo with Gaslighter after a beautiful collaboration with Taylor Swift on "Soon You'll Get Better" on Lover. Get your boots ready for the exciting new roads that 2020 has to offer in country music. Ahead, we've compiled the most anticipated country albums of the year.
New Country Albums in 2020
Get Ready to Giddy Up to These 2020 Country Albums
Brooks & Dunn's Ronnie Dunn now has an album out, and it's aptly titled Re-Dunn. The new project features a collection of covers for rock and country hits such as "It Never Rains in Southern California" and "That's How I Got to Memphis."
Release date: Jan. 10
Over the last few years, Little Big Town has emerged as one of the most beloved groups in country pop. Included in their new album Nightfall is "The Daughters," an emotional and empowering ballad about the expectations put upon young women. On the title track, band member Karen Fairchild told The Tennessean, "The chaos, the crazy when we'd drink too much and we have a good time, happens at night. And then the loneliness for people and the questions and the self-reflection often comes at night."
Release date: Jan. 17
Dustin Lynch takes on 2020 with the release of the extremely personal Tullahoma. "It's all about me and growing up in my hometown," he said in a release. "Every song on this album points to something that happened to me or my close friends and family."
Release date: Jan. 17
Need your fix of gritty Southern rock? Give The Cadillac Three's Country Fuzz a listen. Created with Travis Tritt and Chris Janson, the song "Hard Out Here For a Country Boy" will have you hankering for a cold beer to chug.
Release date: Feb. 7
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Aubrie Sellers comes from country royalty as the daughter of Lee Ann Womack and Jason Sellers. Over the years, she's carved out a path for herself, releasing her first album, New City Blues, in 2016 with a special alternative country sound. The last year has been busy for her; she recently wrapped up a stage production of Love Actually and will now kick 2020 off with her new album Far From Home and a tour alongside legend Tanya Tucker.
Release date: Feb. 7
Over the last decade, Carly Pearce went from a high school dropout who performed at Dollywood five days a week to one of country music's buzziest up-and-comers. The singer dedicated her second album to late producer and writer Busbee, who helped her write her debut album as well as her first number one hit, "Every Little Thing." The sophomore project features the song "I Hope You're Happy Now," a duet with fellow country singer Lee Brice.
Release date: Feb. 14
Caitlyn Smith is a bit of an underrated country gem, first making a splash with her debut album Starfire in 2018. She has a ton of songwriting credits under her belt as well, co-penning lyrics for musicians such as Lady Antebellum, Meghan Trainor, James Bay, and Garth Brooks. In a press release for her new album Supernova, she stated that the upcoming project is a "reflection of on the highs and lows that make life so beautiful."
Release date: March 13
After an eight-year hiatus, the Dixie Chicks are back with a new album to follow up Taking the Long Way, their seventh album, which garnered five Grammy wins. According to lead singer Natalie Maines, the album Gaslighter was partially inspired by her divorce from Adrian Pasdar. It's being produced by Jack Antonoff, who has collaborated with musicians such as Lorde and Taylor Swift.
Release date: TBA
Tim McGraw recently released his book Grit & Grace: Train the Mind, Train the Body, Own Your Life, but that doesn't seem to be the only project he has on his plate. Back in September 2019, McGraw confirmed that his new album is coming out in 2020. "This project is really a tapestry of life, and I can't wait for everybody to hear it," the singer told Taste of Country.
Release date: TBA