BY: Brett Callwood

The verdict is in, and the future is female! Pretty much every musical genre is currently being dominated by female stars, and country is no different. Here are six of the brightest beacons of country music, courtesy of the ladies.

Tigirlily Gold

These sisters put “girl” in their band name, and their album is called Country & Midwestern, so they let you know right from the off where they’re coming from. They proudly place the emphasis on their songwriting, which has a pop-country lean but stays on the right side of “cheesy.” Fans of Shania Twain and Faith Hill will lap this up.

Jesse Lynn Madera

With a husk to her voice, Madera’s vibe is one of earthy authenticity. Born in West Virginia, she’s lived everywhere from Detroit to New York, and that “journeywoman” quality finds its way into her lyrics on songs like “Woke Up in LA” and “Ten Miles Down.”

“I am an artist like a painter is an artist and I see what I do as creating collections,” she says. “I’m indie so I have some freedom to just write and sing what comes naturally.”

Ashley Cooke

After picking up the award for Breakthrough Female Video of the Year at the 2024 CMT Awards, Cooke has seen her star continue to rise, and she’s celebrating this holiday season with a Christmas EP called Wrapped (as country artists like to do eventually). He songs benefit from her chill country drawl, as seen here.

Hailey Benedict

Rising pop-country star Benedict takes the title of the song “Chem History” very literally on this video, which sees her in full scientist mode, experimenting with chemicals. It’s a great song though — a typically big chorus from the Nashville-based artist that should see her continue to climb up the country ladder.

Stella Lefty

Lefty’s duet with Bailey Zimmerman, “My Kinda Love,” was recently featured in the Netflix show Nobody Wants This, which saw her stock rise further than it already had, which wasn’t insignificant. Lefty is certainly in the “ones to watch” camp thanks to her throaty vocals and emotive delivery.

Laci Kaye Booth

Country storyteller Booth has an ethereal, dream-like quality that is rare for this genre, but it works beautifully. Her duet with Lukas Nelson, “The Illusion of Love,” showcases that perfectly; fans of Kate Bush and PJ Harvey would love this. It’s country, but not as we know it.