Leon Bridges: Leon review – deliciously soulful confection with added country
(Columbia)The musician’s emotional fourth album borrows liberally from the past but the themes are modern and the sound utterly timeless
Post Malone: F-1 Trillion review – rapper turns country crooner
The latest US artist to jump on the country bandwagon duets with Dolly Parton and more on his surprisingly enjoyable sixth album
Post Malone: F-1 Trillion review – catchy country cosplay
Texan ditches hip-hop for this somewhat bloated 18-track epic bolstered by big-name guests. His versatile voice can handle the genre move, but it’s all a little formulaic
Orville Peck: Stampede review – starry duets about gay cowboy love
Mining the American songbook and myriad styles, Peck proves a generous duettist, with Willie Nelson and Allison Russell his standout partners
Waxahatchee review – warm, rousing anthems about embracing change
Katie Crutchfield and her band bask in a rolling sound with smoky twangs and divine harmonies, creating affinity among her fans by leaning into the lessons of mid-30s life
Johnny Blue Skies: Passage du Desir review – heartache all the way
Misfit American country singer-songwriter Sturgill Simpson adopts an ironic pseudonym for this deeply emotional mix of honky-tonk and bluesy guitar
Kings of Leon review – mesmeric power from masters of the restrained anthem
The newly invigorated band have a rare gift for stadium-sized rock that is refreshingly understated, delivering a 27-song set of triumphs
Kacey Musgraves review – sweet and salty country-pop magic
The Texan star transfixes with her crystal clear voice and flawless band, balancing airy verses on the healing beauty of nature with a dash of darkness
Jovial, randy and anything but dark: Johnny Cash’s surprise return single Well Alright reviewed
Rescued from Cash’s low ebb in the early 1990s, this fun, lightweight song is a long way from the moody recordings with Rick Rubin he soon turned towards
Beyoncé: Cowboy Carter review – from hoedown to full-blown genre throwdown
The musician’s eighth album straddles the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the blues – and Becky with the Good Hair via Dolly Parton’s Jolene
Kacey Musgraves: Deeper Well review – folk-pop that’s high on life and pure as mountain air
The crossover star’s sixth album opens with a spectacular one-two of the most beautiful songs you’ll hear all year – but the loved-up mood and back-to-nature wonder becomes twee
Beyoncé: Texas Hold ’Em and 16 Carriages review – country gets brilliantly Beyoncéfied
In a left turn after the house and disco of Renaissance: Act One, Beyoncé gets out the banjo and pedal steel – and makes a compelling case for her place in country music
Oliver Anthony review – Rich Men North of Richmond star stirs the pot
The country singer, whose rootsy anti-elites anthem was a huge US hit, is clearly talented but his disavowal of politics is not very persuasive
Jess Williamson review – silken-voiced singer embraces new upbeat worldview
Alone on the stage with her guitar and iPhone drums, the US singer traverses country, folk and pop with a rich voice that sneers, flutters and soars
Molly Tuttle review – galloping bluegrass as fun as a campfire jam
The US singer-songwriter is a virtuoso guitarist – with a galvanising charm that electrifies her audience