LABEL EXECS ON COUNTRY 2025

Perhaps not since the ’90s heydays of Garth Brooks and Shania Twain has there been so much attention paid to the creative and commercial potential of country music. The genre’s superstars are streaming superbly, spinning solidly and selling out arenas and stadiums, across the country and around the world. Labels in Music City and on both coasts are taking the genre’s artists to heretofore unimaginable places.

To assess the state of country music, we corralled some of the industry’s key decision-makers to school us on where things are and where they’re headed.

What is the most significant development in today’s country music?

Jon Loba: Country music (including sub-genres of country), as we all know, is white hot at the moment. Not only in the U.S., but globally. We are undoubtedly the flavor of the week—and that is creating new opportunities as well as new challenges.

There is more upheaval in the business than ever before, not only with the changing complexities of the digital business, but also the influx of coastal labels wanting to play in the sandbox. The question will be what happens when the inevitable fever breaks and things cool. What does that look like for the music and business over the next 5-10 years?

One thing historically has held true: After spikes in popularity, country settles at a higher level than before the spikes. I look forward to that same dynamic in this cycle.

Taylor Lindsey: The massive growth of and attention to country music means all eyes are on us. Everyone wants to be in the country game, and that’s great! It’s opening doors and opportunities more than ever for some of our artists, both domestically and globally.

The growth has also created a great opportunity for additional resources. Over the next several years, I hope our genre will continue to grow and bring the most competitive creatives in terms of both the talent and executives to the genre.

Cris Lacy: The digital age. The reach of DSPs and social media has elevated the relatability and the transcendent poetry of disruptive artists and songwriters. It’s put a new face on an old stereotype. We have the duty of making sure that artists aren’t imprisoned by the endless search for “likes” or approval to the detriment of the art. All true art was created in a vacuum of self-discovery, reflection, suffering or just plain defiance in spite of the world, not in an attempt to conform to it.

Scott Borchetta: The most significant development is how big the umbrella of the format is. There are a lot of artists tucked into “country,” and some that don’t want to be, because there’s no other format definition that’s nearly as powerful.

What it means for record companies over the next 5-10 years is understanding what’s important to these artists and how we can remain a valuable and powerful partner to propel artist careers. I have meetings with artists now who simply aren’t interested in being on the radio… until they hear themselves on the radio.

Joe Gallo: It started slowly with the rise of the streaming era and then exploded—having access to endless country catalogs connected the dots for millions of listeners. More importantly, the genre has much more mainstream appeal than many thought, and that crossover capability opened a lot of doors. Touring and the overall festival boom in the space has really fueled country attractiveness post-COVID. Lastly, younger listeners who previously wouldn’t have discovered country via a more traditional format like terrestrial radio have the ability via social media and the ease of a curated playlist.

Describe the current state of country music.

Borchetta: Well, it’s in a state of shock! And that’s not a bad thing. But it is shocked at what’s happened to it. It’s not afraid, it just really didn’t ever think it’d get here. Now we’re here. What do we want to do with it? Country’s on the world’s stage now.

John Fleckenstein: Country music in 2025 is more ascendant than ever. Fresh, trailblazing, and deeply authentic—country music is expanding its influence while staying true to its storytelling roots.

Mike Harris: The fact there are so many country stars playing multiple stadium dates makes me feel confident that country music is alive and well. That being said, it is up to us—everyone working in the genre—to make sure that country music is true to its roots. We need to make sure we remain true to the storytelling aspect of country music and not lose sight of the craft of songwriting.

From a business standpoint, we are getting a lot of pressure from the “coastal” labels in light of the revenue potential country music presents in today’s market. The trick here is to remain true to how we got here. We are an artist development genre. We need to remember that all this success didn’t happen overnight. We need to be careful not to become a “churn and burn” business. If we don’t lose sight of the storytelling and continue to develop artists, country music will be strong for the next five, ten years and beyond.

Lindsey: The state we are in right now is growth and transition. We are seeing so much growth across the genre with more audiences paying attention than ever, but that has sparked a lot of changes within the industry. And with those changes comes transition.

The future of country music will always be what I believe to be the ethos of country music: community and true storytelling.

Lacy: Country is growing in audience and diversity of acts, and across all ages—from 12-year-olds to 70-year-olds. And they aren’t just finding the superstars, they are discovering a lot of developing and fringe acts. The music of the overlooked, the blue collar, the backbone of the world: These people exist everywhere, on every continent in the world. There is a shared sentiment no matter what language you speak. We’ve seen that with Cody Johnson in Brazil—the language wasn’t a barrier to 50,000 screaming fans. With the state of the world, it’s important these people have their voices heard.

Will there be an intersection of streaming and radio? Or will there be distinct subgenres?

Harris: Radio is not the answer for every artist. Obviously, there are artists who stream well but won’t get played on country radio. We have to do a better job of being more selective with what we take to radio and not try to jam every song down their throats. I am not saying we won’t continue to push hard for airplay, but we need to be more selective on what we push. And that will result in more “effective” airplay, which will result in more streams.

Loba: I think you’re already seeing an intersection of streaming and radio. There are multiple examples of the complementary nature of the two—and the absolute flamethrower of exposure that results when the timing of the two converge. But each can exist separately and celebrate different music and artists on their own. Streaming is obviously more equipped to develop and nurture sub-genres. Radio has always been and will continue to be a mass-appeal medium, and that’s good for us all. As subgenres gain popularity and more mainstream appeal, radio is a proven vehicle to add mass awareness.

Borchetta: Streaming and radio are so remarkably different and aren’t getting closer to one another. For the first time, there’s real business with radio-dominant artists that don’t necessarily have huge streaming numbers but can sell out arenas—and artists who stream well but are not on the radio who can also sell out arenas. The common denominator? They can both sell out arenas.

What is one thing you’d love to see happen in country?

Lindsey: I’d love to see the genre become more global. We know there’s a fanbase outside of the U.S. There has been massive success in Canada, the U.K. and Australia, but we’ve seen some mainstream country artists excel outside those territories as well. The demand is there, and I’d love to keep knocking down those barriers for country music.

Borchetta: This is more of a wish, but I’d love to see a new artist who could truly walk in Johnny Cash’s shoes. He was always “here,” but he’d “been everywhere, man,” from church on Sunday to Bob Dylan. He transcended format, but was always country.

What do you consider country?

Loba: Lee Adams, one of our VPs of promotion, said it best: “Whatever our audience says is country music is country music.” One of my deep passions has always been expanding the circle of who are considered country artists, which then hopefully expands the audience of listeners. It’s the right thing to do. Also, when supported correctly and the stars align, it’s the profitable thing to do.

Lacy: I’d love to see the definition of country broaden. Folks put country in a box and say it’s different from some of today’s “rock,” “folk,” “red dirt,” “bluegrass,” “pop.” I question whether the “soul” of country music is being embraced in these discussions, because it cannot be defined as narrowly as folks in the industry have done for years. Once you remove whatever stereotypes you ascribe to country music, you’re left with musical truth tellers. That defines this genre.

Harris: To me, an artist like George Strait is country music. However, country music is anything that tells a story and connects to the person listening. That consumer can be of any race or religion; the music needs to be “honest” and true to the storytelling aspect of country music.

Some Nashville veterans might claim that the coastal labels can’t really understand country music audiences when they’re based in N.Y. and L.A. How do you overcome that perception?

Aaron Bay-Schuck: The coastal labels have already proven they are equipped to identify, sign, A&R, market and promote country artists very effectively. Any argument against that feels tired at this point. I’ve spent the last 15 years traveling to Nashville on nearly a monthly basis, building meaningful relationships, becoming part of the community, understanding the artists and their culture, and asking not what can Nashville and country artists do for me, but what can I do for them. And I know I am not alone in these efforts. Coastal labels are filled with country music fans and while nothing can ever replace the power of real-life experiences and living and breathing the culture, the data that we have access to that helps us find and reach the right country music audiences certainly makes up for any deficiencies coastal labels may have when it comes to historical relevance in the genre. Warner’s move to align Warner Records in L.A. with Warner Nashville was a forward-thinking move meant to demonstrate that in the world we live in today, territorialism is a thing of the past

Fleckenstein: Country music resonates with fans nationwide, not just in specific regions. The Northeast holds one of the largest country music markets in America by population, with one in two listeners claiming to be fans. And those fans have access to country music like never before. At RCA, we focus on discovering great talent and connecting that talent with fans, regardless of genre or location.

Name an artist who represents what’s best about country music.

Gallo: I’m a big Luke Combs and Sturgill Simpson fan. Both are exceptional artists and great performers. I enjoy the stories they share through their art. They also support great causes—from natural disaster relief to military and first responders aid, and music education and indie venue support.

Which new country artists do you find especially exciting?

Fleckenstein: Colter Wall follows in the footsteps of the 1970s outlaw country movement, staying true to the raw, independent spirit of legends like Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings. He brings Western grit to modern country with his deep baritone and stripped-down sound, rooted in storytelling-heavy songwriting.

Bay-Schuck: Avery Anna is an exciting young star. Hudson Westbrook is really special. Redferrin is bringing a unique blend of influences to country music. Zach Top is one of today’s best storytellers. I see a real lane for The Castellows. Country music has no shortage of emerging stars.

Gallo: 2024 brought new career highs for Megan Moroney and Koe Wetzel. They continue to take giant leaps forward in their careers. And I’m eager to see what 2025 has in store for Ella Langley. Her #1 single “You Look Like You Love Me” showed the world she’s a star—I continue to find myself in awe of her powerhouse vocals and raw storytelling.

First record you ever bought?

Lindsey: “I Won’t Lie” by Shannon Brown. That was my sister Hillary’s first cut.

Lacy: Randy Travis’ Always & Forever in 1987. I was 14. I heard “I Told You So.” Some boy had broken my heart. I played it over and over and over in my room. It was the first time I used music as an antidote to loneliness and sadness, the first time I connected my deep emotions to someone else’s words and experience.

Borchetta: David Bowie, Space Oddity. He seemed like he was taking us on a trip, letting us have a peek inside this crazy and wondrous world, and only he had the combination to the lock.

Harris: The Kinks, State of Confusion. The record was part of my childhood and connected with both me and my parents.

Loba: Eagles Live.

What was the first country record you bought?

Borchetta: Willie Nelson and Family, Honeysuckle Rose.

Loba: Alabama, Roll On.

Harris: I listened to a bunch, but the first I bought was Carolina by Eric Church. A true masterpiece!