redemption

HunterGirl opens 2026 with a release that feels grounded in memory and movement. Somewhere Wild, out now via 19 Recordings, BBR Music Group and BMG Nashville, marks a defining moment for the Tennessee born singer songwriter as she reconnects with the instincts that first pulled her toward music. The song arrives as a slow building, windswept piece that leans into space, reflection and the quiet desire to step away from noise and return to something elemental.

Parmalee have opened 2026 by rewriting the modern country radio rulebook, securing their longest running number one with “Cowgirl” and reinforcing their position as one of the genre's most consistent hitmakers. The North Carolina band's sixth chart-topper has delivered a rare multi-week reign at the summit of US country radio, a feat that has set them apart from every other band on the format over the past year.

Ringo Starr is preparing to extend his late career love affair with country music, confirming that a new studio album is in development and pencilled in for release sometime in early 2026. The untitled project will again explore country and Americana territory and reunites the former Beatle with producer T Bone Burnett, the creative partnership that reshaped Starr's recording direction with 2025's Look Up.

Raul Malo, the Miami-born vocalist who reshaped modern country and Americana through his work with The Mavericks, has died in Houston at age 60. Malo passed away on 8 December 2025 after a prolonged battle with colon cancer. His death brings to a close a career that spanned more than three decades and produced one of the most distinctive voices in American music.

Tenille Arts has entered the next phase of her career with the release of her new single Don't Ruin Flowers, delivered through a fresh global partnership between Dreamcatcher Artists and ONErpm. The track marks the first taste of her forthcoming album, scheduled for announcement in mid-2026, and signals a confident expansion of her creative world after several milestone years on the international stage.

Lainey Wilson has opened the festive season with a new animated video for her version of Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! with Bing Crosby. The clip presents Wilson and Crosby as stylised characters who inhabit a nostalgic winter scene that aligns with Crosby's long legacy in seasonal music. Crosby helped define the modern Christmas canon with White Christmas, which became one of the most successful singles in history. Wilson's new version links two eras of country and pop tradition while embracing her growing international reach.

Ella Hooper will open 2026 with a return to the road, as the acclaimed singer releases her new single Growing Up Is Hard To Do and confirms dates for her Australian Summer Tour '26. The tour starts on Saturday 10 January in Mansfield, then moves through Tamworth, Sale, Archies Creek, Newcastle, Mangrove Mountain, Bathurst, Boyup Brook, Ocean Grove and Balnarring Beach, with each show designed to showcase her current creative phase, shaped by country influences and personal reflection.