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In 2018, country musicians have garnered many new fans as the genre continues to evolve and become more mainstream, even getting recognition on the Top 40 charts. One of the coolest parts of 2018 has been the inter-genre song collaborations between country music stars and other musicians, including pop-stars, rappers, and other talented artists. Below is New York Country Swag’s list of some of our favorite cross-genre musical collaborations of 2018.

“The Feeling”- The Chainsmokers & Kelsea Ballerini

Grammy-nominated country artist, Kelsea Ballerini teamed up with EDM-pop super-duo, comprised of Andrew Taggert and Alex Pall for their new track, “The Feeling.” The song continues to climb the charts, while Ballerini, Taggert, and Pall continue to perform the song live to fans, during Monday Night Football, on Ellen, and on 2018’s Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.

“Meant to Be”- Florida Georgia Line with Bebe Rexha

We can’t have a list of the best collaborations of 2018 without mentioning Florida Georgia Line’s smash hit “Meant to Be” with superstar Bebe Rexha. (Even though the music video was technically released in 2017). The pop-country song held it’s number 1 spot for “Hot Country Songs” for 50 weeks, as well as, breaking the top 5 across the all-genre Billboard charts. Additionally, the track earned FGL and Rexha a 2019 Grammy nomination.

“The Middle”- Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey

Another EDM-country crossover, “The Middle” catapulted to the top of the charts, as country songstress Maren Morris combined her vocals with Zedd and Grey’s musical talent. The song converted many fans to Morris’ music, and showcased her versatility. Not to mention, the song is super catchy!

“Babe”- Sugarland & Taylor Swift

Gone are the days where superstar Taylor Swift is just thought of as a country artist. After making the switch to pop-star, Swift lent her voice to the country powerhouses of Sugarland in their hit “Babe” which was a big part of the duo’s comeback in 2018.

“Say Something”- Justin Timberlake & Chris Stapleton

Pop music icon Justin Timberlake and CMA Male Vocalist of the Year winner, Chris Stapleton combined their beautiful voices for “Say Something” off Timberlake’s most recent album. The duo has worked together in the past, performing Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey” at the 2015 CMA Awards. Both artists prove that their talents resonate across multiple genres.

“The Champion”- Carrie Underwood & Ludacris

Fans of the NFL may recognize Carrie Underwood’s song “The Champion” with Ludacris, as the anthem for Sunday Night Football. The collaboration showcases Underwood’s powerhouse vocals with Ludacris’ hip-hop skills. The duo delivers a fresh and unique sound with this track.

“Never Be the Same”- Camila Cabello & Kane Brown

This year, Camila Cabello remixed her smash hit “Never Be The Same” with country star, Kane Brown, giving the song an equally-amazing, but different feel. Brown, who is already known for his talent in blurring genre lines, delivers impressive vocals in this cool duet.

We can’t wait to see how the genre lines will be blurred in 2019 and how country music continues to evolve. Don’t forget to follow our Spotify playlist to listen to our full list of songs.

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Maren Morris

Grammy award-winning artist Maren Morris put on a show to remember at Northwell Health at Jones Beach Amphitheater last night, opening for pop singer-songwriter and former member of One Direction, Niall Horan. The two kicked off The Flicker World Tour earlier this year in Australia followed by stops in South America, finally making their way to the United States in July.

Morris originally collaborated with Horan on his debut solo album Flicker, for their duet “Seeing Blind” which they performed together for the first time at the 51st Annual CMA Awards last Fall. The lights came on and Morris entered the stage greeting the crowd with enthusiasm, beginning her set with a brand new unreleased song titled “The Feels.” She then made her way into “Just Another Thing” off of her gold-certified album HERO. Morris’ current single to country radio “Rich” was up next which is currently climbing the charts and on the verge of entering the top 10.

“Earlier this year, I got my first ever number one. I didn’t ever think it was gonna be this song because I was going through something tough at the time, so if you’re going through something heavy, this one’s for you,” Morris shared with the crowd while introducing “I Could Use a Love Song.”

Morris continued to perform three more songs from HERO ahead of checking in on the crowd. “Let’s pick it up on this one,” she said before playing her second single “80s Mercedes.” Morris prefaced “My Church” by sharing, “I knew the day I wrote this song that it was a really momentous, special thing to me and I didn’t care if anyone else heard it. I just knew that it was good for my soul to get it out on pen and paper. I’m glad that people heard it though and responded positively to it, but this is always gonna be one of my favorite songs I’ve ever been a part of as a human being.”

Forty-five minutes later, it was time for Morris to play her last song of the night. Before playing the platinum-selling single she is featured on with producer Zedd, she thanked the crowd, “Thank you so much for spending time with us. This is our last song and this song has changed my life forever this year, so I wanna hear your voices on it, okay New York?” “The Middle” recently broke the record for most weeks at number one on the dance charts.

Later that night, Horan brought Morris back out to play their duet “Seeing Blind” by introducing her as “The queen herself.” The Flicker World Tour will come to an end on September 23rd in West Palm Beach, FL.

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Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC!

Subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up here
for ticket giveaways, meet & greet contests, upcoming events,
and all things country music in the New York metro area and beyond!

+ Follow our country music adventures on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook:

Posts

Popular Cross-Genre Collaborations that Happened in 2018

“Just Another Thing” Maren Morris Does Well, Opening for Niall Horan