A Look At New Acts For Q3, Q4

Coincidence or a reaction to the trend?

Each of the top 5 singles on the Hot Country Songs chart dated July 11 are by female artists, or a female-male collaboration. And 11 of the top 20 fit that description, too.

With women suddenly getting equal treatment in the top layers of the country chart, they also make up almost half of the genre’s new solo artists putting out key inaugural products in the next six months. At least 20 acts have their debut album or EP on the way in the last half of 2026, and of the 16 solo performers, seven (44%) are females. They include a range of acts: BELLES filters memorable hooks through numerous styles, Ava Claire is sonically unpredictable, Mary Kutter explores difficult subject matter and Lakelin Lemmings brings a youthful approach to solid country sonics.

Here’s a look at the acts who have milestone first releases from July 1 through Dec. 31:

• BELLES (East Music Row) — How many acts have Dolly Parton on their first album? Try Omaha-raised BELLES. She’s also got a penetrating voice, melodic command, strong hooks and a revisionist take on country’s established textures. The album arrives in October.

• Ava Claire (3686) — A Belmont student, Claire’s music veers from the folkie “Salt Mine” to the almost-experimental, banjo pop-rock of “The Sound,” with those wide-ranging textures presenting her as an emotional chameleon. Her debut EP, Honestly, is in the works.

• The Creekers (Warner Nashville) — The six-piece Eastern Kentucky ensemble is a product of its place. Bill Monroe bluegrass, Tom T. Hall simplicity and Chris Stapleton moodiness are all discernible in the sound. Their first major-label album is targeted for September.

• Colton Dawson (Warner Nashville) — The influence of ‘90s country isn’t over. Dawson is the latest example, playing amped-up honky tonk and tender ballads that evince Garth Brooks, Doug Stone and Joe Diffie. His self-titled debut album is expected this fall.

• Thomas Edwards (Warner Nashville) — Originally planned for the first half of 2026, Edwards’ inaugural EP is now on the way in the second half. The high-school football player scores with blue-eyed soul, rambunctious boogie and a glimpse of deeper humanity.

• Jacob Hackworth (MCA/Goat Island Sound) — Hackworth has already written hits for Corey Kent, Tucker Wetmore and Bailey Zimmerman, but his voice is so admirably smooth, he deserves his own spotlight. His What Took You So Long EP arrives in September.

• Zach John King (Sony Music Nashville) — King co-wrote his entire debut album, I’m What You Get, expected Aug. 28. Current single “Get to Drinkin’,” top 20 on Country Airplay, exemplifies his knack for crisply-cadenced melodies. He’s capable of sensitivity, too.

• Erin Kinsey (199) — Kinsey’s clear tone and regional enunciation shadow fellow Texan Miranda Lambert, though those qualities are conveyed more innocently. Her first album — Suede, dueAug. 7 — includes a raw harmonic blend with Dylan Marlowe in “Say I’m Wrong.”

• Kinsley (MCA) — She’s lived in three Southern states and brings a gritty, dramatic vocal state to her first EP, Learn to Live, this September. There’s a crack in her delivery that houses earthy experiences, ready to appear during her performances.

• Mary Kutter (BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville) — Born in Kentucky’s bourbon belt, Kutter distills the hard side of life with unforgiving intensity, capturing harsh extremes with cutting lyrics and a vocal delivery to match. Expect a 10-song introductory album this fall.

• Lakelin Lemmings (Quartz Hill) — A West Tennessee girl with big ambitions, Lemmings is sometimes airy, sometimes commanding, using pedal steel and baritone guitar to underscore her country upbringing. Her 16-track, eponymous debut album is slated for a July 24 release.

• Cody Lohden (DeVille/Big Loud) — The former Kentucky-bred first responder got a positive response from ERNEST after making noise on TikTok. A little Southern rock, modern production and a commanding tone create commercial potential, with his initial label project in process.

• Marfa (Big Machine/ASCEND) — The duo, Bryce Menchaca and Kellen Wall, specializes in elaborate harmonies, but its music ranges from Everly Brothers-like folk-pop to buzzy Americana-rock. A debut EP is likely this fall, highlighting music that’s daring, unpretentious and commercially accessible.

• Wyatt McCubbin (MCA/Lucille) — Rural Ohio native McCubbin co-wrote Zach Top’s “Sounds Like the Radio” and weaves snarling guitars into songs about heartland America. Following hisMay 12 Grand Ole Opry debut, his first, Dave Cobb-produced album, 650, releases in October.

• Slater Nalley (Warner Nashville/Warner) — Nalley made an emotional impression on American Idol, with a worldly vocal sound and a compassionate heart on display in his self-penned audition piece. The Georgian’s blues-tinged voice is the centerpiece of an August debut EP.

• Blake Proehl (MCA) — American Idol viewers will remember Proehl as an ex-Minnesota Viking with admirable stage presence. With a first EP on the way in October, he appears focused on mid- to uptempo sing-alongs with sunny dispositions and guy-next-door sonics.

• Ryan and Rory (BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville) — For a good time, call Ryan Follesè and Rory Van Zak. The duo puts a positive spin even on difficult scenarios — including loneliness, rejection and mortality — in its first album, coming this fall.

• Landon Smith (MCA/Lucille) — “I retired my inner child at 17/And I hope that he’s alright.” A 20-something Georgian, Smith delivers quirky, insightful, guitar-driven folk/country with urgency. His inner child would, quite likely, approve. Smith’s first full album arrives in September.

• Thelma & James (Big Loud) — Recently nominated for duo of the year by the Academy of Country Music, the married team — Jake Etheridge and MacKenzie Porter — tends to place dramatic harmonies over austere productions. A debut album is under construction.• Kat Velasco (KV Music) — Velasco’s country is shaded by 1980s and ‘90s pop-rock, leaning on darker textures. She’s released five songs thus far for an October album, Cowgirl Complex, including melodically compact “Show Pony” and vulnerable “I Should Quit Drinking.”