Mainstream country music has for long been majorly comprised of white artists. It has sat almost intangibly away from artists of color who, in recent years have been seen as interlopers to the genre. When Beyoncé performed with The Chicks at the CMAs in 2017, for example, the singer faced scrutiny. Fans were stunned when a promotional social media post, depicting the performance, was erased by the CMA. Many perceived the action to be connected to a mass of disapproving tweets that viewers tweeted in response the performance, many of which were unabashedly racist.
The performance seemed to spark conversations since about the lack of diversity in country music. Since then, a collection of Black artists have begun to pave the way for change, and with their music, proven to be keys the open the door to progress in the genre. Here's a look at Black artists who are pioneers in diversifying Country music.
8 Breland
Daniel Breland, known professionally as Breland, rose to prominence when he released his debut single "My Truck" in 2019. The song gained popularity after gaining attention on social media and, following it being remixed with country artist Sam Hunt, was certified platinum. Breland's music often blends elements of country music and hip-hop, creating a sub-genre known as "country-trap".
7 Willie Jones
As he sings on his lead-off track "Country Soul" from his 2021 debut album Right Now, Willie Jones is "from around the way" from Shreveport, Louisiana. Following the death of George Floyd, Jones wrote his patriotic single "American Dream" where be blends the seemingly polarizing aspects of being black but also being American singing, "Proud to be a Black man/ Livin' in the land of the brave and the free/Yeah I'm all-American."
6 Brittney Spencer
Baltimore, Maryland native Brittney Spencer grew up in church and was introduced to The Chicks by a friend. From there, Spencer fell in love with country music and moved to Nashville, finding work as a background singer and eventually getting a gig touring with Carrie Underwood. In 2021, Spencer released her country single "Sober & Single", She has since performed Country Music Association Awards and embarked on her own world tour.
5 Shy Carter
Blake Anthony Carter, professionally known as Shy Carter, has had a successful career as a songwriter since 2007. Carter has written for the likes of Charlie Puth, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, and Keith Urban. The songwriter has more recently released his single "Beer With My Friends" featuring country singers David Lee Murphy and Cole Swindell. The emerging artist recently made his Grand Ole Opry debut last year in 2022, and received a standing ovation.
4 Charley Crockett
Texas native, Charley Crockett has been performing for years, from playing music in the French Quarter of New Orleans to busking in New York City. Crocket self-released his debut album in May 2015, and subsequently was awarded the Dallas Observer Music Award for 'Best Blues Act'. The singer has released numerous albums and was also awarded "Emerging Artist of the Year" award at the Americana Music Honors and Awards in 2021. Crockett closed out 2022 with a performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
3 Mickey Guyton
Mickey Guyton is a trailblazing singer who is paving the way for African American women in the country music industry. In 2020, she released her single "Black Like Me," a song that highlighted her experience as a Black woman in country music. The song was a success for Guyton and earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Country Solo Performance, for which she was the first Black woman nominated in that category.
2 Kane Brown
Fans of mainstream country music know very well who Kane Brown is by now. The singer, raised in Georgia, was unaware that he was biracial, born to a white mother and African American father, until he was seven years old. Brown has been active in the industry, releasing several chart-topping singles and going on to be the first black person to win Video of the Year at the ACM Awards for his song, "Worldwide Beautiful."
1 Jimmie Allen
As stylish as he is talented, Jimmie Allen is another household name in mainstream country music these days. Allen has collaborated with artists like Noah Cyrus on "This Is Us" and Brad Paisley on "Freedom Was a Highway," both of which were featured on his 2020 EP Bettie James. In 2021, Allen won the Country Music Association Award for New Artist of the Year, being the second black artist to win in that category.
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