Post Malone is undeniably one of the biggest things to happen to country music in the 21st century. His impact on the genre has seemingly opened the floodgates for musicians such as Shaboozey, Machine Gun Kelly, Dasha, and other genre-hopping artists. That being so, there are two enormous names entering country music in 2025 -- Lana Del Rey and Ringo Starr.
Both international sensations announced their entry into the genre in 2024, and their country albums are set to be released in 2025. Ring Starr's sophomore country album, Look Up, will grace the airwaves on January 10, 2025. Lana Del Rey's debut country album, The Right Person Will Stay, will be released on May 21, 2025. Given the name attached to the project, the anticipation for both these albums is through the roof. As a result, the inevitable comparison these artists will undergo is with Post Malone's F-1 Trillion album.
The former Beatle announced that he would be releasing his country album in October of 2024. Produced by the acclaimed T-Bone Burnett, the album features 11 original songs and a laundry list of collaborations. Some of the other artists featured on the album include Alison Krauss, Billy Strings, and Molly Tuttle.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Starr described the album as a "mixed bag" that will feature "young old-style country" musicians. Despite the fact that this is not Starr's first country album, he is still seemingly relaunching himself into the genre given how much it has changed since his previous album. Starr's first country album, Beaucoups of Blues, was released in 1970 just shortly after The Beatles' breakup. Also, Starr's presence as a musician is incomparable to Malone's given his illustrious history. However, the question posed is still applicable.
Lana Del Rey always marches to the beat of her own drum. That being so, she has also always taken musical risks and attempted to reinvent herself. Hence, her transition into the world of country music comes as no shock to her fans or spectators. The rumors regarding Rey's country album have been in circulation for quite some time. However, in an Instagram post, she made the album and its title official.
She wrote in the post, "The right person will stay. Out May 21'' and "So grateful that my 13 tracks came together with my beautiful work between Luke, Jack, Zach and Drew Erickson amongst others." The album was previously titled "Lasso," hence, the renaming of the album surprised the public. Furthermore, it placed a veil of mysterium around Rey's country debut. So, it seems fans aren't really sure what to expect from the album. But, it probably won't disappoint.
Both albums will be a delightful addition to the country music catalog. Although, will they live up to the daunting precedent Post Malone set in 2024? Given both artists' talent, it's safe to assume yes.