For years, country music had found a home with songs about beers, trucks, and Friday nights—and, to its credit, the songs dominated the radio. But as radio airplay declined in the streaming era, this genre became niche, and was trapped in a cycle of predictable themes, sound, and songwriting.
Then, something changed. Country found a new sound with artists like Chris Stapleton, Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, and Zach Bryan, reigniting people’s interest in the genre with its unique style, a great sound, and raw storytelling in their lyrics. Recently, even global superstars like Beyoncé and Post Malone have found a home in country, proving that this genre is not only relevant again, but it’s one of the biggest movements in music today.
After the boom of the ’90s, country music started a slow but steady decline. By the late 2000s and early 2010s, it had become a shell of itself.
However, this all changed thanks to Stapleton and his album Traveller in 2015. This album brought back to radio a bluesy soul sound with a more complex set of lyrics. But this was only the beginning.
In 2017, Combs came out with his debut album, This One’s for You. If Stapleton opened the door for a country comeback, this album kicked it wide open. It’s a fun album from beginning to end and was a game-changer for modern country.
To follow it up, Wallen dropped If I Know Me, in 2018, which didn’t immediately make waves, but turned him into one of the biggest stars in country by 2020.
Country made its big return to the top of the charts, which gave way to artists like Bryan to become a household name with his heartbreakin’ lyrics and folk-induced sound.
In 2024, Beyoncé released an amazing country album in Cowboy Carter, which left everyone perplexed as to why a pop star of her calibre would make a switch like that. Her album not only won Album of the Year at the 2025 Grammys but it also challenged the genre’s gatekeeping. She didn’t hop on a trend; she made a statement about country’s roots, especially its Black origins. She reclaimed a space that historically excluded artists like her.
Country is one of the biggest music movements today and is showing no signs of slowing down.