With 2017 just around the corner, it’s time to start looking and listening for who might be the next big thing in every genre of music. It’s impossible to know which artists will come out of nowhere and surprise the world with a masterpiece, or which musicians might disappoint when their time to shine seems to come, but it is exciting to look around and discover new talent and guess which ones have the best chances at breaking through.

Nashville is filled with young singer-songwriters just waiting to be discovered, and so many of them have their own special sound and style. It was difficult coming up with a list of eight new names for this ranking simply because there truly are a ton of country artists that all deserve the attention, but here are a handful that seem as if they could explode at any minute.

Russell Dickerson

Even if the up-and-comer never truly makes it big, he’s sure to have one song that country music enthusiasts will be begging to hear for years to come in the form of “Yours.” In fact, the song has already been played so many times, and Dickerson clearly knows he’s onto something with the romantic tune, because he re-recorded the track and created a special “wedding version,” which is the perfect soundtrack to a nuptial slow dance.