Luke Combs, Post Malone, More Stand Out As 'Innovative' Stars In The Genre

By Kelly Fisher
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The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will spotlight a fresh group of some of the genre’s most influential artists over the past year in the annual American Currents: State of the Music exhibit.

Artists, musicians and songwriters whose work significantly impacted country music in 2024 include Jessi Alexander, Kelsea Ballerini, Kane Brown, Luke Combs, HARDY, Jelly Roll, Cody Johnson, Amythyst Kiah, Carin León, Shelby Lynne, Megan Moroney, Orville Peck, Post Malone, The Red Clay Strays, Shaboozey, Chris Stapleton, Billy Strings, Taylor Swift, Turnpike Troubadours, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, Morgan Wallen and Lainey Wilson, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum announced on Wednesday (January 29). Pairings in the “Unbroken Circle” section of the exhibit, which draws connections between rising artists and the genre’s well-established icons, include Wyatt Ellis and Sierra Hull, Jamey Johnson and Ella Langley, Zach Top and Keith Whitley and Kaitlin Butts and Miranda Lambert. Other unforgettable moments represented in the exhibit include Beyoncé releasing COWBOY CARTER, tributes to late Country Music Hall of Fame members Joe Bonsall (The Oak Ridge Boys), Toby Keith and Kris Kristofferson, and more.

The American Currents exhibit “takes a broad view of the genre over the past year to explore musical developments, artist achievements and notable events, as determined by the museum’s curators and editorial staff,” per a press release issued Wednesday. Kyle Young, chief executive officer of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, said in a statement: “The museum’s annual American Currents exhibition examines a wide variety of music and events that took place the prior year. Last year, we witnessed innovative collaborations, well-deserved honors and the continued expansion of country and roots-inspired music’s reach to broader audiences. American Currents allows us to highlight these significant moments within the context of music history."

The annual American Currents: State of the Music exhibit will open in the museum’s ACM Gallery on Wednesday, March 5. It is included with admission into the museum. American Currents will be available through January 2026. See some of the artifacts that will be displayed in the exhibit below.

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    Ella Langley wore this Frederick’s of Hollywood corset, blouse with lace sleeves, and tulle skirt in the Old West saloon scenes in the music video for her 2024 breakout hit, “You Look Like You Love Me” (featuring Riley Green).Photo: Bob Delevante for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

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    This log cabin mailbox was featured in the music video for “Leadfoot,” from Billy Strings’ 2024 album, Highway Prayers.Photo: Bob Delevante for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

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    Post Malone wore this vintage Nudie’s Rodeo Tailors jacket — embellished with beads, rhinestones and embroidered flowers — when he and Dwight Yoakam rode horses on Hollywood’s Sunset Boulevard in the 2024 music video for Yoakam’s “I Don’t Know How to Say Goodbye (Bang Bang Boom Boom).” Malone’s duet with Yoakam was the lead-off single from Dwight’s album Brighter Days.Photo: Bob Delevante for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

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    Molly Tuttle wore this Fables by Barrie-designed lamé western outfit, embellished with fringe, contrasting piping and embroidered flowers, when she and her band, Golden Highway, headlined for the first time at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on Sept. 13, 2024.Photo: Bob Delevante for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

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    Masked performer Orville Peck wore this custom-made leather-and-fringe mask when he performed at Orville Peck’s 4th Annual Rodeo concert, held at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on Nov. 2, 2022.Photo: Bob Delevante for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

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    Shelby Lynne played this 1966 Fender Mustang bass at recording sessions for her 2024 album, Consequences of the Crown.Photo: Bob Delevante for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

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    Wyatt Ellis regards this Gibson F-5G model as his first professional quality mandolin.Photo: Bob Delevante for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

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    Lainey Wilson wore this custom-designed Wear Pageant lamé vest and these matching bell bottoms when she appeared with the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders in a social media video promoting her performance during the Salvation Army Red Kettle Kick Off Halftime Show at the NFL game between the Cowboys and the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium on Nov. 28, 2024.Photo: Bob Delevante for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

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    Amythyst Kiah wore this leopard-print jacket and pants and this tuxedo shirt when she made her Grand Ole Opry debut on June 29, 2021. Designed by Elise Fife, the western-cut suit is adorned with rhinestones, fringe and embroidered peacocks and feathers.Photo: Bob Delevante for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

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    Customized with rhinestones and metallic appliqués, this Standard Hat Works felt hat was part of a stage costume created for Miranda Lambert by New York-based designers The Blonds. Lambert wore it when she performed her latest single, “Wranglers,” at the “59th Academy of Country Music Awards” on May 16, 2024.Photo: Bob Delevante for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

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    Megan Moroney wore this Sau Lee-designed satin gown in the 2024 music video for “Am I Okay?”Photo: Bob Delevante for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

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    This guitar-shaped award for Emerging Artist of the Year — hand-made and painted by Stef Ratliff — was presented to The Red Clay Strays at the Americana Music Honors and Awards ceremony in 2024.Photo: Bob Delevante for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

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