Country Update BILLBOARD.COM/NEWSLETTERS JANUARY 19, 2021 | PAGE 1 OF 23 INSIDE BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE
[email protected] Wallen Swarms What’s New In 2021? 13 Country Acts Hot Country Songs >page 4 With Debut Projects Through June Garth Brooks On It’s a new year, thankfully, and it may turn out to be a signifi- says Barnes. “I had an amazing life, but I knew in my heart this Insurrection, Healing cant one for several new artists taking important first steps in is where I needed to be. God put all this together in the right >page 12 their career paths. time, and I had to say yes to it.” At least 13 acts have their first album or EP set for release Release schedules can change, but here’s a look at 13 country during the first half of the year, with the field including a couple artists planning their first album or EP for a label of significance of former contestants from The Voice, a teenage female who before June 30: Eric Church: earned attention by posting bedroom vocal performances on • Nate Barnes (Quartz Hill) — Signed to former BBR founder Super Man Facebook and a singer-songwriter who caught Nashville’s ears Benny Brown’s new label, Barnes owns a classic country voice >page 14 with a good old-fashioned with a reedy filter shading appearance on a heritage Jimmy Wayne’s tone. He media platform: terres- weaves Southern rock in- trial radio. fluence and a touch of Paisley, Shelton, With streaming pro- modern programming Opry Hit TV viding more means of into a mainstream coun- >page 14 exposure, the volume of try framework.