For seven straight weeks, the top five spots on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart have all been women. That’s never happened before, and it’s happening now, with Ella Langley, Stella Lefty, and Lainey Wilson leading the way. Taylor Swift’s return to country with“I Knew It, I Knew You”from Toy Story 5 only turned the volume up.
It’s a big swing from a decade when female artists were often missing from the top 20 on country radio. Industry folks aren’t dancing around it either. As one Nashville executive put it, this is a market correction that needed to happen, because the audience is male and female. Seven straight weeks suggests the listeners were there all along.
The timing lands with some heart. Dolly Parton passed away August 25th, and her SongTeller Hotel and FEMco are launching a FEMcountry showcase series starting September 22nd, giving the next wave of women a stage. So we want to hear from you: who’s the female country artist you can’t stop playing right now?
About the Author
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
