With every new year, the country music scene continues to evolve and welcome new voices into the genre. As 2025 approaches, we’re taking the opportunity to look back on the latest batch of fresh talent that have already made waves on the stage and on the charts and are working tirelessly to solidify their place in the industry. From self-taught singer/songwriters and multi-instrumentalists to viral sensations, this year’s list of artists to watch offers a diverse array of styles, stories and sounds that are likely to take the genre by storm in the new year. Acts like Vincent Mason, Lauren Watkins, Maddox Batson and more have already begin paving a clear path to stardom and it’s clear from their early success that they are ready to get back on the road and continue shaping the future of country music in the new year.
Here are Country Now’s top 10 picks for artists to watch in 2025.
Vincent Mason
Over the past year, Georgia native Vincent Mason has elevated his career and expanded his global fan base, building a solid foundation for an exciting 2025. With the release of songs like his smash hit, “Hell Is A Dance Floor,” “Speak of the Devil,” “Train Of Thought,” and more, the rising star has begun to carve out his place in the industry. Mason’s flourishing catalog of tunes has found him pulling stories from his real-life experiences and offering fans an intimate look into his profound storytelling skills, thus racking up 120 million global streams across multiple platforms as a result. The 24-year-old got the chance to showcase his undeniable talent while touring alongside Ashley Cooke, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert and serving as direct support for Gavin Adcock throughout 2024. His run of milestones is slated to continue in the new year as he gears up for his sold-out debut headlining Hell Is A Dance Floor Tour and promises that a debut album is on the horizon.
Ty Myers
At just 17 years old, singer/songwriter/guitarist Ty Myers is already cementing his status as one of the most exciting new voices in country music. He burst onto the scene in 2023 with his debut single “Tie That Binds” and “Drinkin’ Alone,” and has continued to steadily prove his knack for storytelling and undeniable star power ever since. This year brought a slew of new releases from Myers including his latest, “Can’t Hold Me Down” as well as live-show fan-favorites “Ends of the Earth” and “Worry is a Sickness.” Myers’ rising popularity has extended beyond the stage as he saw an incredible uptick across social media, especially TikTok where he gained 250K new followers in 2024 alone. His music has been noticeably resonating with fans everywhere, leading him to notch 9 million streams per week and rack up 145 million total global streams. With so much momentum already behind him, it’s no surprise that Myers is generating major buzz as 2025 approaches. Beginning January 16, he will embark on 26-date national headline run dubbed, The Select Tour, which follows his sold-out debut headline run – LET ‘EM TALK TOUR. The upcoming trek comes in support of his debut album, The Select, dropping January 24.
Kayley Green
Kayley Green’s love for music began at a young age and blossomed while singing in church growing up. She honed in on her craft throughout her teenage years, gaining experience with a weekly gig at a local restaurant and bar in South Carolina, and eventually moved to Nashville where she became a regular act on the stages of lower Broadway. One day, she caught the attention of superstar Keith Urban, who invited her to join him at his upcoming Bridgestone Arena show. Her strong vocals and captivating stage presence was so palpable that Sony Music Nashville’s A&R team took notice of her talent and offered her a recording contract. Joining with the label earlier this year marked the start of a whole new chapter in her music career. Green began working with producer Ross Copperman and has since released her major label debut, “Live Fast Die Pretty,” along with “Catching Up,” “Shadow of a Cowboy,” and her newest holiday tune, “Please Come Home For Christmas.” For now, fans can continue to catch her performing every Saturday at Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row in downtown Nashville. We can’t wait to see how far Kayley Green will go in 2025!
Maddox Batson
In just a short time, we have come to know Maddox Batson’s name well, due to his rapid rise fueled by millions of streams, widespread acclaim and his online presence. The 14-year-old Alabama native first become known for his covers of Zach Bryan, Red Clay Strays and more, which paved the path for his transition into songwriting and releasing original tunes that showcase his unique blend of classic country, pop, and southern rock. It quickly became clear that Batson had the talent and the passion to pursue a career in country music. So in 2024, he leaned into the high demand from fans and learned to balance his time between enjoying his youth and releasing popular independent singles like “Tears In The River” and “I Wanna Know.” He then signed with Warner Records and released his breakout single, “X’s,” further solidifying his place in the industry. Over the past year, he has racked up over 3.5M social media followers, an impressive feat for such a young singer/songwriter. Additionally, he’s showcased the influence of his charismatic stage presence at this year’s CMA Fest and Nashville’s iconic Whiskey Jam, where Batson became the youngest artist to ever play the series. Following the announcement of his record deal, Batson embarked his sold-out headlining Just Gettin’ Started Tour and most recently landed a cut as a songwriter, co-writing Lana Del Rey and Quavo’s latest single “Tough.” With many more performances and new releases on the way, Maddox Batson is proving he’s a force to be reckoned with.
The Band Loula
Best friends Malachi Mills and Logan Simmons bring a unique set of skills to the table as the emerging country duo, The Band Loula, making them one of the most exciting acts to watch in 2025. They emerged out of North Georgia with a combined passion for storytelling and are now using their skills to bring attention to their gritty, soulful sound through raw harmonies and a powerful chemistry. Since signing with Warner Music Nashville and UMPG Nashville, the duo has been hard at work writing new music and touring with artists like Brothers Osborne, Ashley McBryde, Paul Cauthen, Brent Cobb and Elle King. In addition to their time on the road together, Brothers Osborne’s John Osborne also teamed up with the duo to act as producer on their first-ever murder ballad, “Marshall County Man” and its accompanying music video. Anyone looking for real and raw country music should look no further than The Band Loula, for they have just dipped their toes into their undeniable potential for greatness and are on track to bring even more electricity into the new year. The bar has officially been raised for this act, who is heading into 2025 with high demand from fans requesting new music and, most importantly, a debut album.
Hannah McFarland
Hannah McFarland has been pursuing music since the age of 15 and continues to act as an inspiration with her unwavering dedication to her craft. After working tirelessly the past few years to build her career by playing local gigs and writing authentic music, 2024 has turned out to be a year of memorable achievements for the songstress, making it easy to be a champion of her success. Originally from Mobile, AL, McFarland moved to Nashville in 2016 to attend college at Lipscomb University and further her music career. She quickly earned recognition for her undeniable talent, which led her to opening for major acts like Kelsea Ballerini, Old Dominion, and Travis Tritt as well as teaming up with Zach Bryan to perform his Grammy-winning hit, “I Remember Everything.” All of her hard work led up to her signing a record deal with The Core Records/Capitol Records and joining forces with Warner Chappell Music earlier this year. Her previous releases, including “The Bed I Made,” “R.I.P.,” “Run Out of Cowboy,” and her collaboration with Austin Snell on “I’ve Been Drinking,” certainly made waves, but it was her major-label debut, “Hey Highway,” that truly resonated with fans. These songs, along with her unreleased tune, “Common Ground,” perfectly cater to McFarland’s mission as an artist to always put authenticity at the forefront of her music. Hannah McFarland recently wrapped up her supporting role on Kip Moore’s 2024 Nomad World Tour where she brought her growing catalog to a larger audience each night, and is expected to further exceed expectations in 2025.
Lauren Watkins
Earlier this year, Lauren Watkins showcased her songwriting talent with her debut album, The Heartbroken Record. Featuring 17 tracks produced by Joey Moi and entirely co-written by Watkins, the album resonates deeply with fans through its authentic stories drawn from her personal experiences. It’s clear that the Nashville-born artist takes her responsibility as a songwriter seriously as she offers tunes that shine a light on the good, the bad, and the ugly all while providing an outlet of healing for her listeners. She spent the summer bringing this empowerment to fans by appearing at fairs and festivals nationwide as well as performing as an opener on Morgan Wallen’s One Night At A Time World Tour and joining Maddie & Tae and Corey Kent as a special guest on their U.S. dates in the fall. Next spring, the songstress will serve as support on Riley Green’s Damn Country Music Tour. We are excited to see what other incredible opportunities and emotionally-charged stories Lauren Watkins has in store for the upcoming year.
Braxton Keith
Braxton Keith has emerged among a new wave of country singer-songwriters who are dedicated to keeping traditional country music alive. He draws from his love of ‘80s country and his rich Texas roots to create a sound that is modern yet timeless. Over the past year, the Warner Music Nashville artist has spent countless hours fueling his addition to the stage with a slew of live shows that made him a standout act across his home state and beyond. We recently got a heavy dose of his honky tonk stylings with his six-song major label debut EP, Blue, which sets the tone for all the new music he has planned for 2025. Mark our words, Braxton Keith’s troubadour tendencies will shine even brighter as he continues to hone in on his songwriting through heartfelt portrayals of love, loss, and the raw realities of life.
Hudson Westbrook
Hailing from Stephenville, Texas, Hudson Westbrook is a promising addition to the new generation of country acts with his country-rock sound that developed while learning to play the guitar in 2020. The self-taught rising star experienced a break-out year in 2024, beginning with the debut of “Take It Slow,” a tune that amassed 14 million streams in just six months followed by “Two Way Drive,” “5 to 9,” “Dopamine,” “Johnny Walker,” “House Again,” and more. Since March, Westbrook has garnered over 52 million global career streams thanks to his first round of releases as well as his self-titled debut EP. Upon its November release, the seven-song project debuted in the top 10 on the iTunes Country Chart as well as in the top 10 on Spotify’s Top Debut Albums USA chart. Westbrook’s Texas country spirit will be carried in 2025 as he prepares to hit the road as a supporting act with bands such as Midland, the Eli Young Band, Cole Swindell and Ian Munsick. His spring headlining tour will also launch starting in early 2025, giving Hudson Westbrook the perfect opportunity to further showcase his electrifying stage presence and hopefully, some new music.
Max McNown
Max McNown, a fast-rising 23-year-old artist, is a must-listen for any country music fans who haven’t gotten a taste of his fusion of folk and country. Seemingly influenced by the aesthetics of Zach Bryan and Wyatt Flores, McNown’s journey to stardom ignited when a fan posted a video of him performing a Zach Bryan cover. The clip brought in so much encouragement from viewers that his passion for music was reignited, leading to the release of his first song, “Freezing in November,” which surpassed a million streams in just months and signaled the start of his next chapter. After signing with Fugitive Recordings, McNown dropped his debut EP A Lot More Free, causing him to rack up over 80 million streams in his very first year of releasing music. The title track to his EP quickly became a viral hit and resulted in a slew of milestone achievements. Now, with a growing fan base of 2 million TikTok followers and nearly 6.2 million monthly Spotify listeners, McNown is gearing up for the release of his sophomore album Night Diving (out January 24, 2025), which follows his debut album, Wandering. He will also embark on his nearly sold-out nationwide headline tour. From his Grand Ole Opry debut to opening for legends like Wynonna Judd and his rapid rise to fame, it’s safe to say that the 23-year-old Oregon native is finally pursing the path he was always destined for.
The post Country Next: 10 Artists To Watch In 2025 appeared first on Country Now.
