Where is country music's female superstar?

[Feanor]

 

There's no doubt that country music has seen a huge resurgence on the charts in the 2020s, and if you look at who the biggest country stars are right now, you'll see Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs and Zach Bryan leading the pack. They have the biggest albums, the most streamed projects and are selling out stadiums & arenas worldwide.

 

And while country music is a notoriously difficult genre for female artists, it still produced female superstars in the past, like Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, The Chicks, Carrie Underwood & Taylor Swift. These women were able to go head-to-head with the biggest male stars of their time in terms of sales, celebrity & touring power.

 

Right now there are a few female country artists who manage to stand out, like Lainey Wilson or Megan Moroney, but they're still so far behind the three male country superstars mentioned above that it's hard to call them their female counterparts.

 

So where are country music's female superstars?

When will we get another Shania, Taylor, Carrie?

 

[americanlife]

Lainey Wilson, Kelsea Ballerini

[kimberly]

a big chunk of today's country bro listeners hate women lol.

[ChooseyLover]

Isn't Kacey Musgraves really loved? Or is she kinda for the gays and girls mostly?

[Shimenawa]

We have Beyoncé & Gwen now

 

 

[MP3]

6 minutes ago, kimberly said:

a big chunk of today's country bro listeners hate women lol.

Will they turn on men then? 

[kellebrity98]

Kelsea Ballerini just dropped her magnum opus, feel free to listen

[Tylerbv]

For new(ish) artists I'd say Kelsea and Kacey.

 

The industry is trying so hard to push Lainey, but she doesn't have the talent or fanbase to support it.

 

I'd argue despite her last album flopping that Carrie is probably still the biggest "name" for female country artists currently though.

[Tylerbv]

Just now, kellebrity98 said:

Kelsea Ballerini just dropped her magnum opus, feel free to listen

Rolling Up the Welcome Mat out-acclaimed but talent still was served here

[Radical Pessimism]

2 minutes ago, kellebrity98 said:

Kelsea Ballerini just dropped her magnum opus, feel free to listen

I love first rodeo 

[kellebrity98]

7 minutes ago, Tylerbv said:

Rolling Up the Welcome Mat out-acclaimed but talent still was served here

that too, i love RUPTWM, first time i got mad on a Grammy country category win, she deserved that, hope she will get it this time

[iheartshania]

 

 

she is very busy selling out arenas on her world tour

[Wicked]

The men in the OP don't have one yet. Kacey just had her biggest opening week though.

 

Kelsea Ballerini will get there eventually. She's going on her first arena tour. It's probably gonna be a slow grind for her.

[nadiamendell]

I don't know, but Cam deserves to smash.

 

 

[Tylerbv]

5 minutes ago, nadiamendell said:

I don't know, but Cam deserves to smash.

 

 

Ugh Burning House is obviously a smash, but this song should've been #1 for 27 weeks:

 

 

[Wicked]

I will say, I think a woman would be more successful with the Zach print than trying to mirror Morgan or Luke these days.

 

 

[jakeisphat]

[Just a Gay on ATRL]

Kacey could've filled this void and been really massive in country-pop but she herself doesn't seem to care, she keeps going back to folky country. "High Horse" and her guest appearance on Troye's "Easy" were fantastic. Country has always unfairly shunned her so she should've just fully embraced pop imo

[schnetzka]

Unfortunately, there really isn't a female superstar in country these days. I miss the days of the big vocalists from the late 90s into the 2000s (Martina McBride, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Nettles, etc.)

[aedeus]

44 minutes ago, Tylerbv said:

Ugh Burning House is obviously a smash, but this song should've been #1 for 27 weeks:

 

 

For me it's the gem:

 

 

 

But actually all The Otherside album is just stunning!

Is she working on her third album? I'm really looking forward to listening to it!

 

OP: Carrie is probably the reigning queen still, despite her last album flopping. It was a more than decent record though, I don't understand its underperformance...

[l3disko]

She is busy riding her husbands dick

 

but she is coming!

[iheartshania]

35 minutes ago, Just a Gay on ATRL said:

Kacey could've filled this void and been really massive in country-pop but she herself doesn't seem to care, she keeps going back to folky country. "High Horse" and her guest appearance on Troye's "Easy" were fantastic. Country has always unfairly shunned her so she should've just fully embraced pop imo

I think she tried with star crossed, but the world was not ready 

[Raphy23]

Dasha.

[Abracadabra]

6 minutes ago, iheartshania said:

I think she tried with star crossed, but the world was not ready 

Star-Crossed was less country than Golden Hour or Deeper Well