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Coming Up: 20 Country Acts Releasing Their First Album or EP by June

At least 20 artists will celebrate a milestone during the first half of 2024: the release of their first album or EP.

• Steven Champion(Average Joes): The blue-collar Alabaman is an edgy vocalist focused primarily on barroom stories and small-town tales, but he takes a glassy tone on the sensitive “Always,” hinting at his versatility. • David J(Sony Music Nashville): Championed by OneRepublic ’s Ryan Tedder, the upstate New York artist puts a modern pop sheen (think Justin Bieber or Shawn Mendes) on classic relationship themes. • Chase McDaniel(Big Machine Records): The title track to his Blame It All on Country Music EP, due Jan. 26, lays out obvious in-genre influences, but the phrasing elsewhere suggests hip-hop also played in his old Kentucky home.

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