For country music fans, 2021 is definitely the year that keeps on giving. After 2020 put on a brake on the whole world, country music artists found themselves with an empty live tour booking and a full studio where they kept busy for months. And now, fans are enjoying the fruit of these silent days.
The country music calendar is yet to be finalized, but here we feature country’s most favorite artists and their most anticipated albums this fall. Take a scroll and hit the play button to listen to these absolutely good albums, or take note of when they will be going to be released! Lastly, enjoy!
A lot of these albums have been created to comfort and empower people to embrace change and turn a new page or chapter in their lives. Some of these have already been released, but there is still a lot that will be coming in the next month.
‘Jon Randall’ by Jon Randall
The multi-awarded and one of Nashville’s most prolific hitmakers finally released his first solo album after 15 years. The self-titled, nine-track album marked not only his return to the limelight but also his roots as he showcased the Texas landscape with his vivid scenes. And across the whole album, Jon Randall’s evocative storytelling crafted an empowering message of finding balance in being broken.
This followed his success as one-third of the Marfa Tapes, which was in collaboration with Miranda Lambert and Jack Ingram.
‘Sitting Pretty on Top of the World’ by Lauren Alaina
Described as Lauren Alaina’s ‘most personal and soul shifting’ album yet, Sitting Pretty on Top of the World is a 15-track project following her two 2020 EPs, Getting Good and Getting Over Him. According to the singer, this album is all of her – from the total appreciation of her past to the new beginnings to the hope for the future. This third full-length album offered 12 brand new songs and three previously released collaborations with Lukas Graham, Jon Pardi, and Trisha Yearwood.
Stay tuned on November 2 as well as Alaina will also be releasing her book titled “Getting Good at Being You.”
‘Storms of Life’ by Randy Travis
To celebrate the 35th anniversary of his 1986 debut album Storms of Life, Randy Travis revisited it again with a 2021 reissue. The ten-track album, which was also the first country album to ever achieve multi-platinum status were remastered. And along those were three additional songs taken from the vault, including “Ain’t No Use,” which will transport you right back to the ‘80s with Travis’ signature baritone and its strong guitar as well as piano and fiddle riffs.
‘star-crossed’ by Kacey Musgraves
Kacey Musgraves offered a raw look at the dark, tragic side of love with her fifth full-length album star-crossed while simultaneously challenging the reserved and traditionalist audience by confidently exploring across genres. The fifteen-track album was inspired by Musgraves’ split with her husband of three years, Ruston Kelly, but unlike other divorce albums, it’s less interested in putting blame. Rather, Musgraves’ selflessly motivational songwriting talked through the experience with advice on how to gird yourself through this rough patch.
The album was released along with a film directed by Bardia Zeinali.
‘29: Written in Stone’ Carly Pearce
29: Written in Stone is the final chapter of her heartbreaking story chronicling the death of a beloved mentor and producer and the pains of love. According to the singer, the fifteen-track album serves as an empowering message to stand in truth, own, and accept whatever life gives. It is the follow-up of her 2021 EP, 29, and in this album, Pearce also goes back home to the ‘90s country sound, which has always been all that she wanted to be.
‘Here’s To Anyone’ by Laine Hardy
The American Idol Season 17 winner served an experimental debut album with Here’s To Anyone. But that doesn’t mean he changed. According to Hardy, he has grown but he is still the same down-home guy from Southeast Louisiana. And in this album, he showcased who he was, where he came from, and a sort of promise that he was not going to stray away from it. The 11-track album was produced by Michael Knox (Jason Aldean).
For You
‘Same Truck’ by Scotty McCreery
For his fifth studio album Same Truck, American Idol Season 10 winner Scotty McCreery took the moment to breathe in the present as a 27-year-old and a happily married man at that. Here, he shared a lot of what he had learned in three years after his previous album and where he wanted to go. The project featured a total of 12 tracks, with 10 co-written by the singer himself.
‘Remember Her Name’ by Mickey Guyton
Trying to make a name as a Black woman in a white-washed genre, Mickey Guyton undeniably faced a lot of challenges and barriers. But she didn’t let those things bring her down, and with her debut album Remember Her Name, Guyton is marking her name in the industry. And in the 16-track LP, she takes her listeners through her journey, addressing the oppressions she faced with a reminder that anyone can conquer any adversity just like she did.
‘In These Silent Days’ by Brandi Carlile
The seventh studio album of her career, Carlile is unafraid to lay her soul-baring feelings In These Silent Days. It’s a dynamic and unflinching reflection and self-examination of her life written with a lot more awareness and intention, breaking off from her usual style where her songs’ meanings get left behind only to realize after she had already written it. It’s not a reinvention of Carlile per se, but it’s definitely a new side that we’ll get to see.
‘Stronger Than I Am’ by Lily Rose
After going viral on TikTok last December with her song “Villain,” Lily Rose is set to deliver her seven-song project titled Stronger Than I Am under Big Loud Records/Back Blocks Music and Republic Records. But while it seemed like she was an overnight sensation, this was 13 years in the making for the country singer. And she is definitely excited to introduce her music to people.
In support of her release, she will be joining Chris Lane’s Fill Them Boots tour starting on October 28 in Memphis.
‘Time, Tequila, & Therapy’ by Old Dominion
Taking a shot in writing away from their home in Nashville to Asheville, North Carolina, Old Dominion puts out 13 tracks for their fourth studio album ‘Time, Tequila, & Therapy.’ According to the band’s frontman Matthew Ramsey, the time away was a blessing in disguise and the songs they have produced during that time were something they knew they couldn’t make in Nashville. The album’s a story of ups and downs of life, love, and friendship and is introduced by its current single, “I Was on a Boat That Day.”
‘Pelago’ by Ryan Hurd
Platinum hit songwriter who wrote for the likes of Blake Shelton and Tim McGraw, Ryan Hurd, is finally stepping into the limelight with his debut album Pelago under Arista Nashville. This album is inspired by his childhood days back on the shores of Lake Michigan and is produced with his childhood friend and longtime creative partner Aaron Eshuis.
‘Peso In My Pocket’ by Toby Keith
After five years off the road, Toby Keith is back with a ten-track album Peso In My Pocket co-produced by the singer himself along with Kenny Greenberg. This project is like a reset button for Keith, writing a long list of songs he has worked on by himself and then realizing that he needed to get up and actually put his ideas into words. This is definitely interesting, especially since Keith recruited lots of talents in the album.
‘What a Song Can Do’ by Lady A
Country trio Lady A, formerly known as Lady Antebellum, is back to round out their What a Song Can Do collection with this album. The 14-track project includes the initial seven songs from the first chapter and seven new more, with one massive collaboration titled “Friends Don’t Let Friends” featuring Carly Pearce, Thomas Rhett, and Darius Rucker. This is their first full-length album ever since Ocean back in 2019.
Other Confirmed Country Album Releases You Need To Check Out
Here are some more country albums this Fall 2021 that deserve a listen. Make sure to check them out as well!
- ‘Dos Corazones’ by Jon Wolfe
- ‘Here For It All’ by Sean Devine
- ‘Nashville No More’ by David Ferguson
- ‘Pronounced Bear EP’ by Bexar
- ‘The Girls Are Back In Town’ by Chapel Hart
- ‘This Must Be The Place EP’ by Brandon Stansell
- ‘Travelin’ Kind’ by Ashland Craft
- ‘Truth Be Told’ by Tommy Atkins
- The Covers’ by Ashley Monroe
- ‘The Grief We Gave Our Mother’ by Matthew Fowler
- ‘This Town’ by Sam Grow
- ‘A Southern Gothic’ by Adia Victoria
- ‘Back To That Summer EP’ by Jackson Michelson
- ‘Bet You’re From A Small Town’ by Jameson Rodgers
- ‘COUNTRYPOLITAN’ by Hailey Whitters & ERNEST
- ‘Heart Change’ by Olivia Lane
- ‘History of Breaking Up (Part One) by Alana Springsteen
- ‘Larkin Hill Mixes EP’ by Ray Fulcher
- ‘Music City USA’ by Charley Crockett
- ‘Reimagined EP’ by Jessica Lynn
- ‘Slot Machine Syndrome EP’ by Caleb Lee Hutchinson
- ‘True Meaning’ by Caitlin Jemma
- ‘Back Down Home’ by Tony Kamel
- ‘Down Home Boy’ by Kidd G
- ‘Renewal’ by Billy Strings
- ‘Stack of Records’ by Larry Fleet
- ‘Ten Years’ by Alyssa Scott
- ‘Half A Hundred Years’ by Asleep At The Wheel
- ‘Welcome to Prairieville’ by Logan Mize
- ‘Always Gonna Be You’ by John King
- ‘From the Jordan EP’ by Thomas Csorba
- ‘Human The Double’ by Cody Johnson
- ‘Pins and Needles’ by Natalie Hemby
- ‘The Other Side’ by Christian Lopez
- ‘Barroom Mirrors EP’ by Erin Enderlin
- ‘Clocks Roll Forward’ by Raleigh Keegan
- ‘The Comeback’ by Zac Brown Band
- ‘The Debut Farewell’ by Avenue Beat
- ‘Blood Harmony’ by Dave Hause
- ‘Breaking Point’ by Jackson+Sellers
- ‘Girl Is Girl’ by Tenille Arts
- ‘Started Right Here EP’ by SixForty1
- The Woman I’ve Become’ by Jessie James Decker
- ‘Dirty Boy Vol. 2 EP’ by Drew Green
- ‘American Siren’ by Emily Scott Robinson
- ‘Solely’ by Natalie Jane Hill
- ‘You Get It All’ by Hayes Carll
- ‘Right Now EP’ by Pryor & Lee
