BY: Alexis Eichelberger

Country music has always been a male-dominated genre. Contemporary female stars like Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert come along every once in a great while to shake things up, but they’re still in the minority.

However, there are several female up-and-comers making moves on the country charts as of late. Here are five hot women in country music to keep an eye on:

Maddie and Tae

The first women on our list are a duo. Maddie Marlow and Tae Dye are singers, songwriters and guitarists from Texas and Oklahoma, respectively. They were both in high school when they met in Dallas, after which they decided to combine their talents and travel to Nashville to perform on weekends. Their sweet harmonies and delicate lyricism instantly charmed the country music world, earning them a deal with Big Machine Records in 2014.

Maddie and Tae released their debut album Start Here and breakthrough single “Fly” in 2015. They followed their early success with two more charting songs in 2018: “Die From A Broken Heart” and “Friends Don’t.” Their sophomore album The Way It Feels was released in April of this year and reached number 7 on the Billboard Hot Country Albums chart.

Gabby Barrett

Gabby Barrett began performing at the young age of 11, singing in local talent shows and church choirs in her small Pennsylvania town. In 2018, then 17-year-old Barrett auditioned for American Idol, where she sang songs by country music favorites like Carrie Underwood, Maren Morris and Sugarland and finished in third place.

In 2019, Barrett self-released her debut single “I Hope.” Later that same year, she signed with Warner Music Nashville and re-released the track. “I Hope” currently sits at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and is certified double platinum in the United States. Her debut album Goldmine dropped in June 2020.

Tenille Townes

This Canadian crooner has been a country star in her home nation since she was nominated for Female Artist of the Year at the Canadian Country Music Awards when she was only 17 years old. Now, Tenille Townes is taking over country radio in the United States, too.

Townes released her breakthrough single “Somebody’s Daughter” in 2018, shortly after signing with Columbia Nashville. She spent much of that year performing as the opening act for Miranda Lambert and Little Big Town‘s tours. In 2019, she won four Canadian Country Music Awards, including Female Artist of the Year.

Carly Pearce

Carly Pearce had a love for country music instilled in her by her grandparents as a child. She moved to Nashville to pursue her dream of being a professional musician when she was 19. After a rollercoaster ride of a start to her career, she found commercial success in 2017 with her single “Every Little Thing.” It was that hit that scored her a record deal with Big Machine Records.

Since then, Pearce has released two full-length albums, both of which charted on the Billboard 200. She co-headlined a tour with Russell Dickerson in 2019. Her biggest hit of 2020 so far is “I Hope You’re Happy Now,” a duet with Lee Brice. It peaked at number 27 on the Hot 100.

Ingrid Andress

Ingrid Andress is an educated, skilled musician who attended the Berklee College of Music. After college, she competed in the televised competition The Sing-Off as part of an acapella group. She later got her start as a professional musician by writing songs for superstars like Alicia Keys, Charli XCX and Sam Hunt.

Andress shook up the country charts with her debut single “More Hearts Than Mine,” in 2019. It debuted at number 59 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart and peaked at number 30 on the Hot 100. Her first full-length album Lady Like was released in March 2020 and reached number 90 on the Billboard 200.