Upcoming US Album Releases: Who & What We Know So Far

With tours cancelled and rescheduled as the world locked down for the better parts of 2020 and 2021, it’s no surprise that many artists found time to work on creating new music for forthcoming projects. With Carly Pearce and Carrie Underwood expanding their previous releases, and new albums on the way from Michael Ray, Lauren Alaina, Brandi Carlile and Dan + Shay – this is what we know so far.

Carly Pearce

Carly Pearce’s third studio album, 29: Written In Stone – an expansion of her successful 29 EP – produced by Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne, will be released on September 17. The 15-song project will include the EP’s original seven tracks with an addition eight cuts, including a collaboration with Ashley McBryde and her latest single, Dear Miss Loretta, which features country singer, Patty Loveless.

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Of the single, Pearce says, “To hear Patty Loveless sing your words, there’s no way to describe that sensation. Her voice is Appalachia, those mountains and hollers are country music. To think, a year ago, I was asking myself, ‘What would Patty Loveless do?’ thinking about all her songs, how smart and sassy she always was… and now she’s on one of mine.”

29: Written In Stone Tracklist:

1. Diamondback (Carly Pearce, Kelsea Ballerini, Tofer Brown, Shane McAnally)
2. What He Didn’t Do (Carly Pearce, Ashley Gorley, Emily Shackelton)
3. Easy Going (Carly Pearce, Natalie Hemby, Josh Osborne)
4. Dear Miss Loretta (featuring Patty Loveless) (Carly Pearce, Brandy Clark, Shane McAnally)
5. Next Girl (Carly Pearce, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne)
6. Should’ve Known Better (Carly Pearce, Jordan Reynolds, Emily Shackelton)
7. 29 (Carly Pearce, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne)
8. Never Wanted To Be That Girl (featuring Ashley McBryde) (Carly Pearce, Shane McAnally, Ashley McBryde)
9. Your Drinkin’, My Problem (Carly Pearce, Nicolle Galyon, Sasha Sloan, Ben West)
10. Liability (Carly Pearce, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne)
11. Messy (Carly Pearce, Sarah Buxton, Jimmy Robbins)
12. Show Me Around (Carly Pearce, Emily Shackelton, Ben West)
13. Day One (Carly Pearce, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, Matthew Ramsey)
14. All The Whiskey In The World (Carly Pearce, Jordan Terry Minton, Jordan Reynolds, Emily Shackelton)
15. Mean It This Time (Carly Pearce, Jordan Terry Minton, Jordan Reynolds, Emily Shackelton)

Michael Ray

Meanwhile, Pearce’s ex-husband, Michael Ray is set to release of his new EP, Higher Education, on August 27. The seven-track collection will feature the singles Whiskey And Rain, Picture and the newly released autobiographical song, Just The Way I Am. The EP also features artists Kid Rock, Lee Brice, Billy Gibbons and Tim Montana on the title track.

Of the EP, Ray says, “[The EP will be] about going through life and the hard knocks that make you who you are … coming out of it stronger, having let it change you without hardening you. This album, reminds me that even though we all go through hard times, we grow and we’re better for it.”

Higher Education Tracklist:

1. Whiskey And Rain (Josh Thompson, Jesse Frasure)
2. Just The Way I Am (Michael Hardy, Ben West, Josh Miller)
3. Holy Water (Ashley Gorley, Hunter Phelps, Ben Johnson, Michael Hardy)
4. Picture (Michael Ray, David Garcia, Michael Hardy)
5. Higher Education featuring Kid Rock, Lee Brice, Billy Gibbons and Tim Montana (Tim Montana, Derek George, Jeremy Bussey, Monty Criswell, Frank Rogers)
6. Live Without You (Michael Hardy, Jessi Alexander, Corey Crowder)
7. Didn’t Know I Was Country (Michael Ray, Taylor Phillips, Ashley Gorley)

Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood will release a special edition of her holiday album, My Gift on September 24, with a vinyl release to follow on November 5. The new release will feature the original track listing along with three addition tracks – Favourite Time Of Year, which was previously released as an Amazon Original, All Is Well and Let There Be Peace/Something In The Water.

Of the album, Underwood says, “My Gift is an album I’ve wanted to make from the beginning of my career. It’s been such a blessing to share this special music and I’m excited to share even more with the release of My Gift (Special Edition)’.”

My Gift (Special Edition) Tracklist:

1. Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee (Traditional)
2. O Come All Ye Faithful (Traditional)
3. Let There Be Peace (Carrie Underwood, Brett James, David Garcia)
4. Little Drummer Boy (featuring Isaiah Fisher) (Harry Simeone, Henry Onorati, Katherine Davis)
5. Sweet Baby Jesus (Carrie Underwood, Brett James, David Garcia)
6. Hallelujah (with John Legend) (John Stephens, Toby Gad)
7. O Holy Night (Traditional)
8. Mary, Did You Know? (Buddy Greene, Mark Lowry)
9. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (Ralph Blane, Hugh Martin)
10. Away In A Manger (Traditional)
11. Silent Night (Traditional)
12. Favourite Time Of Year (Carrie Underwood, Hillary Lindsey, Chris DeStefano)
13. All Is Well (Michael W. Smith, Wayne Kirkpatrick)
14. Let There Be Peace/Something In The Water (LIVE From HBO Max’s MY GIFT: A Christmas Special From Carrie Underwood) (Carrie Underwood, Brett James, David Garcia, Chris DeStefano)

Lauren Alaina

Lauren Alaina will release her third full-length studio album, Sitting Pretty On Top Of The World on September 3. The new 15-song collection features her current single, Getting Over Him featuring Jon Pardi as well as her What Do You Think Of? collaboration with Lukas Graham. The album also includes a duet with Trisha Yearwood on a remixed version of Alaina’s Gold-certified Getting Good.

Of the album, Alaina says, “It’s about a dreamer becoming an achiever. It’s being broken and ending up healed. It’s all of me. The early chapters. The new beginnings. The hope for the future and total appreciation for the past. Taking the Road Less Traveled and ending up Sitting Pretty On Top Of The World.”

Sitting Pretty On Top Of The World Tracklist:

1. It Was Me (Lauren Alaina, Hillary Lindsey)
2. If The World Was A Small Town (Lauren Alaina, David Garcia, Josh Miller)
3. Getting Good (featuring Trisha Yearwood) (Emily Weisband)
4. Same Story, Different Saturday Night (Lauren Alaina, Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna, Liz Rose)
5. On Top Of The World (Lauren Alaina, Jordan Reynolds, Sasha Sloan)
6. Run (Lauren Alaina, Ben Johnson, Kennedi Lykken)
7. What Do You Think of? (featuring Lukas Graham) (Lauren Alaina, Jens Carlsson, Asia Whiteacre)
8. I’m Not Sad Anymore (Lauren Alaina, Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna, Liz Rose)
9. Getting Over Him (featuring Jon Pardi) (Lauren Alaina, Paul DiGiovanni, Emily Weisband)
10. Good Ole Boy (Lauren Alaina, David Garcia, Josh Miller)
11. When The Party’s Over (Lauren Alaina, David Garcia, Corey Crowder)
12. You Ain’t A Cowboy (Lauren Alaina, Casey Brown, Parker Welling)
13. Goodbye Street (Lauren Alaina, Jacob Durrett, Ernest K. Smith)
14. Written In The Bar (Lauren Alaina, Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna, Liz Rose)
15. Change My Mind (Lauren Alaina, Cameron Bedell, Seth Ennis)

Brandi Carlile

Brandi Carlile will release her new studio album, In These Silent Days on October 1. Inspired by the mining of her own history while writing her memoir, the ten-track album was conceived of while Carlile was quarantined at home with longtime collaborators and bandmates Tim and Phil Hanseroth. The ten songs chronicle acceptance, faith, loss and love and channel icons like David Bowie, Freddie Mercury, Elton John and Joni Mitchell.

Of the album, Carlile says, “Never before have the twins and I written an album during a time of such uncertainty and quiet solitude. I never imagined that I’d feel so exposed and weird as an artist without the armor of a costume, the thrill of an applause and the platform of the sacred stage. Despite all this, the songs flowed through—pure and unperformed, loud and proud, joyful and mournful. Written in my barn during a time of deep and personal reckoning. There’s plenty reflection…but mostly it’s a celebration. This album is what drama mixed with joy sounds like. It’s resistance and gratitude, righteous anger and radical forgiveness. It’s the sound of these silent days.”

In These Silent Days Tracklist:

1. Right On Time
2. You And Me On The Rock
3. This Time Tomorrow
4. Broken Horses
5. Letter To The Past
6. Mama Werewolf
7. When You’re Wrong
8. Stay Gentle
9. Sinners Saints And Fools
10.Throwing Good After Bad

Dan + Shay

Dan + Shay will release their fourth studio album, Good Things on August 13. The new project features 12 songs, including their Grammy winning crossover 10,000 Hours featuring Justin Bieber, and charting singles I Should Probably Go To Bed and Glad You Exist. Co-writers on Good Things include pop singers Shawn Mendes and Julia Michaels, Old Dominion member Brad Tursi and the late Bill Withers, among others.

Of the album, Dan + Shay wrote, “We poured every bit of our hearts into this project and have never been more excited for anything in our entire lives. Can’t wait for it to be yours so soon.”

Good Things Tracklisting:

1. Good Things (Dan Smyers, Ross Copperman, Jason Evigan, Ashley Gorley)
2. Steal My Love (Dan Smyers, Andy Albert, Ashley Gorley, Jordan Reynolds)
3. You (Dan Smyers, Dave Barnes, Jordan Reynolds)
4. Body Language (Dan Smyers, Shay Mooney, Scott Harris, Shawn Mendes, Jordan Reynolds)
5. Give In To You (Dan Smyers, Julia Michaels, Jordan Reynolds)
6. Irresponsible (Dan Smyers, Shay Mooney, Julia Michaels, Jordan Reynolds)
7. Lying (Dan Smyers, Shay Mooney, Andy Albert, Jordan Reynolds, Bill Withers)
8. One Direction (Dan Smyers, Shay Mooney, Andy Albert, Jordan Reynolds)
9. Let Me Get Over Her (Dan Smyers, Shay Mooney, Andy Albert, Kyle Fishman, Jordan Schmidt, Brad Tursi)
10. Glad You Exist (Dan Smyers, Shay Mooney, Ryan Lewis, Tayla Parx, Jordan Reynolds)
11. 10,000 Hours (with Justin Bieber) (Dan Smyers, Shay Mooney, Jessie Jo Dillon, Jordan Reynolds, Justin Bieber, Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd)
12. I Should Probably Go To Bed (Dan Smyers, Shay Mooney, Sean Douglas, Jason Evigan)