Taken from this week’s Future Pop mailer. Click here to subscribe.
Billboard recently called country-pop singer Maren Morris “Nashville’s next breakout pop star.” As her single My Church entered the US country chart top 10 this week, she’s achieved the Nashville part. Her next challenge is the breakout. My Church sounds more country than anything Taylor Swift’s done since the Speak Now album, but its gospel influences, pop culture references and catchy chorus should appeal to a broad audience and maybe even give the song a chance outside the US. From the age of 15, Maren was gigging and releasing music in Dallas, Texas, until she moved to Nashville 3 years ago. There she befriended stars such as Kacey Musgraves and last summer self-released an EP, featuring My Church. The song got a million streams on Spotify in a few weeks and she signed to Columbia soon after. Interestingly, she thinks streaming blurs the line between country and pop, compared to the rigid categories at US radio, which benefits her as a crossover artist. I hope she’s right, as I’d love to see more artists taking the best of both worlds and making poptastic country tunes.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouWQ25O-Mcg]