Can’t really argue with it. If you strolled around Broadway today and asked 100 people who is the biggest artist in country music today, chances are at least 75% of them will answer with Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs or Zach Bryan. Of course, you can make your arguments about neither Wallen or Bryan truly being country, with Wallen continuously pushing the envelope between country, pop and rap and Bryan spearheading the folk rock/Americana movement. With that being said, however, its hard to ignore the trio’s status as the “Big Three” in the genre throughout the better part of the 2020s. Outside of Chris Stapleton, the trio have remained one of the few country artists that have continually proven they can sell out stadiums consistently, with all three currently performing at some of the biggest stadiums in both the U.S. and Europe this summer and continually selling them out. Though both Combs, Bryan and Wallen are firmly planted in three separate subgenres within country music, with Wallen being the pop/rap-country juggernaut, Bryan being the country-folk giant and Combs being, for all intents and purposes, the middle-ground within the genre, traditional country in a modern sense, it hasn’t stopped fans and the media in general from pitting all three against each other. Combs, in particular, has been pretty vocal about there not being a competition at the top of the food chain when it comes to the success of him and the two other giants. Lately, he’s cleared the air on multiple occasions, saying how there’s no rivalry between him and Wallen despite the fact the two are essentially 1A and 1B in the current mainstream country scene. In a recent interview with Hits Daily Double, the publication would once again reference the “Beautiful Crazy” singer’s previous comments about there not being any rivalries between him and the two. In response, Combs would note that he hasn’t directly talked to either Wallen or Bryan about astroturfed “rivalry” between all three, but he believes they’re all in it for the love of the genre and not competition. Additionally, he’d add that he thinks they all just want to see country music grow in popularity worldwide. “I haven’t specifically talked with them about this exact question, but I would think so. We all love country music and want to see it rise in popularity around the world. We’re not trying to defeat one another. It isn’t really a game.” The North Carolina native would then go on to explain how he believes that both him, Wallen and Bryan are ultimately growing the genre thanks to their three incredibly distinct sounds. In particular, he’d note that their styles are so different that they are subsequently attracting different types of people and fans into the genre, which subsequently introduces more people into the genre as a whole. “The goal is to move country music forward. I think that’s what we’re all doing. Some of our fans are probably the same, but some of our fans are different. So, we’re reaching different people, which helps bring country music to more people than what just one of us could. Even though we don’t have an actual scoreboard like sports does, it’s the same in the way competition is good for us all; think it pushes us all to do our best and be our best-all for the genre.” Ultimately, Combs hits the nail on the head here. You can have your complaints about both Wallen and Bryan, whether it’s Wallen’s off the stage antics and pop/rap-inspired sound or Bryan’s past controversies and hesitancy to call himself a country artist. With that being said, however, you really can’t ignore their overall influence and popularity. Given how massive Wallen and Bryan are in particular, having a reach far beyond your typical country crowd, there’s simply no denying that they’ve procured fans that traditionally would never listen to the genre. While your average Morgan Wallen fan might not immediately begin listening to the Zach Tops, Tyler Childers or Sturgill Simpsons of the world, both he and Bryan open up the possibility for listeners to discover some of the best country music has to offer, even if it might be a bit of a longshot for many. Before you go, fire up Combs’ most recent #1 hit, “Sleepless in a Hotel Room.” Luke Combs Tour Dates March 21 Allegiant Stadium – Las Vegas, NV April 4 Scott Stadium – Charlottesville, VA April 11 Jack Trice Stadium – Ames, IA April 18 Notre Dame Stadium – South Bend, IN April 25 Ohio Stadium – Columbus, OH May 2 Neyland Stadium – Knoxville, TN May 9 Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium – Norman, OK May 15 Lambeau Field – Green Bay, WI May 16 Lambeau Field – Green Bay, WI May 30 Parc Jean-Drapeau – Montreal, QC June 5 Rogers Stadium – Toronto, ON June 6 Rogers Stadium – Toronto, ON July 4 Ullevi – Gothenburg, Sweden July 7 Accor Arena – Paris, France July 11 Johan Cruijff ArenA – Amsterdam, Netherlands July 18 Slane Castle – Slane, Ireland July 19 Slane Castle – Slane, Ireland July 25 Scottish Gas Murrayfield – Edinburgh, UK July 31 Wembley Stadium – London, UK August 1 Wembley Stadium – London, UKThe post Luke Combs Says He, Morgan Wallen & Zach Bryan Are Moving Country Music Forward: “We’re Reaching Different People” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.