Blessed with an easy touch and a fondness for chill vibes, Billy Currington carved out a distinctive place for himself within the contemporary country firmament of the 2000s and 2010s. Currington had his first number one Billboard Country Airplay hit -- the slow-burning, soulful "Must Be Doin' Something Right" -- in 2005 long before the rise of bro-country, but his fondness for good times, beer, and good ol' boys pointed the way toward the sensibility of the 2010s, if not quite the sound. His long streak of chart-toppers showcased a singer as comfortable with a wry story (2006's "Good Directions," 2009's "People Are Crazy") as he was with a glossy love song (2014's "Don't It," which shouldn't be confused with his 2008 hit "Don't"), and he had the sensitivity and humor to make both styles sound convincing. As his career stretched into a second decade, he started to incorporate hints of sleek modern production -- the 2016 chart-topper "It Don't Hurt Liked It Used To" crystalized this evolution -- without losing his signature laid-back style. He released his seventh album, Intuition, in 2021.
Support: Walker Montgomery
Walker Montgomery, chosen as an Artist to Watch in 2022 by Country Now and Music Mayhem Magazine; as well as Artist to Watch in 2021 by Sounds Like Nashville and The Boot and a Country Next pick by Country Now, is a rising singer/songwriter who knows a thing or two about family tradition, but he’s an artist making his own legacy. The 21-year-old son of John Michael Montgomery and nephew of Montgomery Gentry’s Eddie Montgomery, the emerging star was raised away from the spotlight in Nicholasville, Kentucky. But now that he’s found that spotlight on his own, Montgomery’s pedigree is matched only by his country passion.
