Renowned Country Women of the 2000s

The 2000s was an exciting era for music. So many genres were thriving in the 2000s, including hip hop, R&B, rock, and country. 2000s country music brought fans a lot of new talent and more new music from stars of previous decades. So many of today's top female artists started their lifelong careers in country music during this time. In honor of Women's History Month, let's dive into the renowned women of ‘00s country.

1. Taylor Swift

In 2006, country fans were introduced to a teenager from Pennsylvania named Taylor Swift. Her first single paid homage to Tim McGraw and gave fans a taste of her vulnerable songwriting style. Her self-titled debut album was a massive success and spawned crossover hits "Teardrops on My Guitar"and "Our Song;" without a doubt, Swift introduced a younger generation to the country genre due to the relatable content she was writing and singing about. Since then, she has become a cultural icon with a total of nine studio albums, multiple acting roles, and massive stadium tours. No matter what kind of music she makes, Swift will always be part of the country music family.

2. Carrie Underwood

In 2005, season 4 of American Idol introduced us to 21-year-old Carrie Underwood. She came from a town in Oklahoma and had never been on an airplane before her life-changing audition. In May 2005, she became the next American Idol and immediately released her first original track "Inside Your Heaven"; and hit the road on the American Idols Live! Tour in 2005. She put out her debut album in November of that year. Some Hearts included hit singles "Jesus Take The Wheel" and "Before He Cheats." Underwood has released a total of eight studio albums and recently dropped a new song titled "Ghost Story." She has solidified her status as a country icon and remains one of the genre's biggest stars.

3. Miranda Lambert

In 2003, Nashville Star debuted on USA Network, hopping on the talent competition TV trend started by American Idol in 2002. A 19-year-old from Lindale, Texas named Miranda Lambert took the third-place spot in the competition but became the most successful contestant in the show's history. She put out her major-label debut album Kerosene in 2005, and it went straight to number one on the country charts. Kerosene featured singles such as "Me and Charlie Talking," "New Strings," and the project’s fiery title track. Lambert has since released eight studio albums, has multiple number one hits, and helped form the country group Pistol Annies. Fans of hers will be thrilled to hear about her next release Palomino and see her on tour with Little Big Town this summer.

4. Sara Evans

Sara Evans began her major-label recording career in the late 1990s, but she came into her

own in the 2000s. She had her breakthrough moment in 2000 with her iconic single "Born to Fly," which became her second Billboard No. 1 after 1998's "No Place That Far. She released hits throughout the 2000s such as "A Real Fine Place to Start," "I Could Not Ask For More," and the legendary "Suds in the Bucket." Evans continued to record music on a major label into the 2010s, and she releases music independently today.

5. Gretchen Wilson

Gretchen Wilson blazed her trail into the country music scene in 2004. Wilson unabashedly

debuted with her massive hit "Redneck Woman."She dominated the 2000s with singles such as "All Jacked Up," "Here For The Party," and "Work Hard, Play Harder." She won multiple awards, including a Grammy, and has collaborated with artists like Big & Rich and Merle Haggard. In 2009, she launched Redneck Records, her independent record label. She has used that label to build a platform for up-and-coming artists such as her current protege Jessie G.

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